“One thing that definitely doesn’t work is when higher ups try to…”

I interviewed three diverse Gen Z’ers including a Cambridge Law graduate, a BAME computing professional, and an employee of multi-billion dollar media company to find out what they think makes a good community in the workplace.

**Names have been changed for anonymity

1. Describe who you are (without using your job title)

Jessica: I am a Law graduate that has worked in legal and not-for-profit fields.

William: I help guide the direction of the products I’m working on and make sure they fulfil customer needs.

Jordan: I’m a recent graduate working in entertainment.

2. Describe your experience in the companies you’ve worked for? Do you feel you served a purpose?

Jessica: In my not-for-profit role, I feel that I served a strong purpose, not only to the beneficiaries we were directly providing for, but to the wider community to whom our work benefitted. I believed in the impact of our work to instigate change and progress in society. Whether completing minor tasks or taking on more responsibility, there was an awareness that you were contributing to something bigger than yourself.

In my legal, corporate role, I feel that I serve a purpose by providing a service directly to our clients. We continue to provide high-quality advice and services which supports our clients’ businesses. I am able to build relationships with clients and support them through challenges, creating a strong purpose of being able to help clients in times of need.

William: Yeah I do feel like I’m making an impact through the work I do as I constantly interact with customers and gauge how their workflows have been impacted directly as a result of the work I’ve done.

Jordan: I do feel I served a purpose. The aims and objectives of my team - and the company more broadly - were clear, and I believed in the impact / benefit of the work we were doing. I also continued to grow professionally and succeed throughout my time at the company.

3. What things in a workplace community make you feel like you belong, and what doesn’t?

Jessica: In my not-for-profit role, there was a clear sense of belonging as all employees were working towards, and believed in, a common purpose. It naturally brought together like-minded people who were passionate about the cause.