What Chief People Officers Can Learn From Deloitte Global’s 2026 Gen Z And Millennial Survey

Theme 1: Stability Has Overtaken Ambition as the Primary Career Driver

For the first time in decades, upward mobility is no longer the dominant aspiration. Only 25% of Gen Zs and 21% of millennials prefer rapid career progression with quick promotions. Most favor gradual growth or lateral moves to build skills that will ensure long-term success. This finding reflects a profound shift: Employees are prioritizing career durability, not speed.

Actions for CPOs:

• Redesign career pathways to offer alternatives to “up-or-out” models; Institutionalize lattice careers (lateral mobility, project-based growth)
• Build organizational tools that help managers reframe performance conversations to emphasize skill accumulation vs. exclusively focusing on title progression

Theme 2: Financial Pressure is Shaping Workforce Behavior

Economic reality is materially influencing life and work decisions: 55% of Gen Zs and 52% of millennials report delaying major life decisions due to financial constraints, while 69% of Gen Zs and 64% of millennials say housing affordability impacts their career decisions and where they can work. Still, 53% of Gen Zs and 45% of millennials remain optimistic their finances will improve within the next year. While this positive outlook is notable, it’s clear financial stress is no longer just a personal burden, it’s one organizations can provide tools to help manage.

Actions for CPOs:

• Recognize that financial pressure influences attrition and engagement
• Reassess geographic work models in light of housing-driven mobility constraints

Theme 3: The New Standard for Work is What’s Manageable

Employees are rejecting performative overwork in favor of personal sustainability. Both generations report they are prioritizing manageable workloads, clear support, and realistic expectations. They are aligning career decisions with conditions that are personally sustainable. This driver marks a shift from “prove your potential” to “protect your capacity.”

Actions for CPOs:

• Move beyond wellness programs to work redesign that considers capacity, pacing and norms to manage this culturally
• Measure sustainable value, not just productivity or output
• Redefine high performance to incorporate well-being and longevity, for individuals and leaders

Theme 4: The Leadership Pipeline is at Risk Unless Redefined

Leadership ambition still exists but is increasingly conditional. Though 76% of Gen Zs and 67% of millennials say they are interested in pursuing executive leadership at some point, only 6% cite leadership as their primary career goal. Many associate leadership roles with tradeoffs in well-being and balance. The issue is not a lack of ambition, rather it is a lack of compelling leadership models.

Actions for CPOs:

• Redefine leadership roles to emphasize impact, flexibility, and personal sustainability
• Create new leadership archetypes (e.g., project leaders, specialist tracks, fractional leadership) to provide a range of options that appeal to a range of professionals
• Invest in manager effectiveness as coaches, not supervisors

Theme 5: AI Is Accelerating Faster Than Organizational Readiness

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Gen Zs and millennials report using AI in their daily work. They see it as a positive force allowing them to increase efficiency, seek learning and development opportunities, manage work-related stress, and more. Many also believe that AI is enabling accelerated learning and career growth for entry-level workers. However, they also believe they are adapting to AI faster than their organizations are. This creates an emerging gap: Workforce capability is outpacing organizational systems.

Actions for CPOs:

• Treat AI adoption as a people transformation; Partner with Technology to sequence work redesign efforts with technology availability
• Prioritize reskilling, including human capabilities (e.g., adaptability, curiosity)
• Redesign entry-level roles to provide the hands-on tools and learning experiences these cohorts seek, as well as AI-enabled career paths they’ll stay for

Across all findings, a consistent narrative is emerging: Gen Zs and millennials are not disengaged, they’re deliberate. They are pragmatic under financial pressure, selective about leadership tradeoffs, and focused on long-term resilience over short-term advancement. As the survey notes, these generations are “seeking progress on their own terms, prioritizing stability, skills, and well-being before advancement.” The big shift is one from “career acceleration” to “career sustainability”, and organizations that understand this shift will be poised to make the most of what these generations have to offer.

The 2026 survey signals a turning point. Work can no longer be organized only around what organizations need from their people but must also consider what people need to sustain their lives and careers. Organizations that respond will not just attract Gen Z and millennial talent; they will build the resilient, future-ready workforce they need to compete in the decade ahead.