Gen Z Prioritizes Purpose In the Workplace

The Walton Family Foundation partnered with Gallup and Making Care Common, a program of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, to better understand what gives Gen Z meaning and purpose in their chosen careers.

THE BIG PICTURE: Gen Z is a generation motivated by creating positive change. The desire to pursue work that helps or positively impacts others is nearly universal among Gen Zers, even as they think carefully about financial stability, stress, and long-term well-being. The findings show that making a positive difference in others’ lives is linked to greater feelings of meaning and purpose, as well as better mental health outcomes.

Most Gen Zers want to make a positive difference through their work.

• Eight in ten Gen Zers say they hope to have a future job primarily focused on helping or positively impacting others. 
• More than seven in ten (72%) say it is very or pretty important to help others outside of their job, too.

Gen Z weighs purposeful work, financial stability, and work-life balance as closely competing priorities when making career decisions.

• 51%–55% say they want work they care about or find exciting.
• 36%–48% say they want to make a lot of money and be financially successful.

Not all young people who want to make a difference are currently working in roles that align with that goal or know how to get there.

• While eight in 10 Gen Zers hope their future job will primarily focus on helping others, just under half of employed Gen Zers (48%) currently work in such a job.
• Key barriers include perceptions of lower pay and emotional demands associated with these roles: nearly half (49%) say they avoid them because they do not think they pay enough, and 46% say they can seem hard or emotionally draining.

Feeling like you make a positive difference in others’ lives is closely linked to meaning, purpose, and better mental health outcomes.

• Gen Zers who feel they make a positive difference in others’ lives are 3–4x more likely to say their lives have meaning and purpose. 
  • About six in ten Gen Zers report having felt a sense of purpose in their lives.
• Gen Zers who feel they make a positive difference report stronger mental well-being. 

THE TAKEAWAY: Young people are highly motivated to make a positive difference, but many do not yet see clear pathways that connect these aspirations with stable, sustainable careers. Strengthening support for exploration and navigation—helping students understand how different roles align with their interests and well-being—may help them translate their desire to help others into meaningful careers.