Generation-Z Enters the Advertising Workplace: Expectations Through a Gendered Lens

Abstract

Generation-Z (Gen-Z) is entering the workforce with differing personal and professional expectations from previous generations. Further, those expectations tend to vary by gender. At the same time, workplace environments, and the social structures that underpin the workplace, are slow to change. Advertising is no exception. As educators, we are just beginning our encounter with Gen-Z and their differing habits and expectations. Further, while these young women and men share many common experiences and expectations, their expectations are also influenced by their gendered experiences. Social capital theory helps us make sense of the findings as we explore the gaps between the expectations of Gen-Z and realities of the advertising industry within a changing world. Previous research has largely focused on what the advertising industry expects. However, there is little research exploring what future graduates expect and even less on Gen-Z or these students’ expectations viewed through a gendered lens. This research explores the expectations of 98 Gen-Z students and suggests ways we, as advertising educators, might help them bridge the gap between expectations and the professional realities they will face.