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Business Insider
19-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Gen Z is bringing the gig economy to corporate America
Gen Z wants to make their office jobs more like driving for Uber. Business Insider has previously reported that younger professionals are increasingly prioritizing their work-life balance, and unlike their elders, eschewing management roles to better preserve their mental and physical well-being. Research shows they also lean toward gig work more than other generations, with more than half of all Gen Z professionals taking up freelance positions in 2023 rather than traditional 9-to-5 jobs, according to a survey from the jobs platform Upwork. When they do take a corporate gig, workplace culture experts told BI that Gen Z workers prefer roles that are dynamic and flexible, allowing them to develop specialized skills and offering them more control over their career trajectory — and the business leaders who hope to recruit and retain younger talent should get used to it. "Early career professionals want variety," Kathryn Landis, an executive coach and New York University professor of marketing and public relations, told BI. "They want to see different parts of the business. It's kind of that trend of the gig economy coming to corporate America." Shorter, more specialized, stints Landis said Gen Z professionals are increasingly pursuing certifications over advanced degrees, or showing an interest in going to trade school rather than sitting in class. She added that workplace loyalty also appears to be a thing of the past — one of Landis' Master's students recently told her that she was looking for a "good job" where she could spend six months building skills to put on her résumé before finding her next role. "When I was growing up, five years at a job was the minimum before you'd consider jumping ship — I feel like you don't even know where the bathroom is after six months," Landis said. "But that was a reasonable threshold for her to put it on a résumé, get some experience there, and then move on to the next role. Two years might be more average these days, but the mentality is just very different." Ryan Leak, an executive coach and the author of "How to Work With Complicated People: Strategies for Effective Collaboration with (Nearly) Anyone," told BI the gig economy mindset being perpetuated by Gen Z may stem from watching their friends without degrees be successful on social media. "So you go see a really great school, perhaps go and get your Master's — if you're super ambitious, you go and get your Ph.D., and yet, your high school dropout buddy is a multimillionaire, while you've got half a million dollars in student loans," Leak said. In a recent study Leak conducted, Gen Z was the most likely generation to say they want to be stretched at work. Nearly 40% of Gen Z respondents said they seek assignments that help them grow quickly, even if those assignments fall outside their job description. "I think that speaks to a mindset that really values experience over stability," Leak said. "They view themselves more as free agents building a portfolio of skills. They look at it as if they're designing a career. So what older generations may have seen as job-hopping, I think Gen Z sees as career design. They aren't chasing titles. They're chasing impact. They want their job to really matter." Gen Z's preference for workplace flexibility also appears to extend to their benefits. Leak said the companies he works for that have the best retention rates often offer benefits packages that include optional perks like gym memberships, childcare, and even dry cleaning services, often at the request of younger workers. Payday all day Tate Hackert, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of ZayZoon, a software company that provides employees with access to their earned wages before payday, told BI that 55% of the company's customers are 34 years of age or younger. While the trend may be in part caused by younger workers needing more flexible cash flow, Hackert said he believes it's driven partially by younger workers' desire for better control of their finances — a preference they picked up from gig work. "If you're an Uber driver, you can actually get paid out five times a day, so you can do a drive and immediately get paid for doing it, and many of these other side gigs provide instant gratification of pay," Hackert said. "So if you're an employer, your competition isn't just the brick and mortar employer across the street, but it's actually the gig economy. And so I think instant access to pay through benefits is more and more important." While many businesses still require traditional markers of success and professionalism, like a Bachelor's degree, to get hired, Landis said some of the companies she works with are approaching early career professionals with their preference for flexibility in mind. "Once they have Gen Z in the door, the way that they work with them is different," Landis said. "They might be more prone to hiring them as contractors, and letting them work three days a week. Or, if they hire them full time, they're putting them on these 'Tiger Teams,' where it's a lot of rotation." Landis said the Tiger Team approach allows younger workers to rotate through different projects more quickly than they would in a traditional role. It offers both variety and mentorship opportunities, which a Deloitte survey found 86% of Gen Z workers crave. Ultimately, as Gen Z makes up a growing portion of the labor market, businesses are being forced to adapt to their work preferences, or risk being stuck with higher turnover and a short leadership bench to build upon. "The organizations that can move quickly, and are agile enough to say, 'Hey, we can't solve every problem. We can't meet every request,' but are identifying the things they could actually change and then actually doing something about it," Leak said. "I think the more companies and leaders who think in that way are going to find themselves creating the kind of cultures people want to stay in."
Business Insider
15-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
It's a common workplace problem: Things got heated during a disagreement. Now what?
Last week saw Elon Musk and President Donald Trump go from bromance to breakup. The scale and potential repercussions of the argument between the commander in chief and the world's richest man, who was until recently a special government employee and White House advisor, were much different than those of the average person. But, while the pair's relationship is not analogous to the everyday superior and subordinate, the conflict raises the familiar question: how do you navigate a tense relationship at work? Business Insider spoke with five experts in workplace culture and conflict resolution, from career coaches to behavioral neurologists, to get their best tips. "First things first: to the extent that you can, take a walk around the block, get a cup of coffee, draft an angry email — but don't send it, because you'll probably regret it the next day," Kathryn Landis, an executive coach and New York University professor of marketing and public relations, told Business Insider. Then, as soon as you've cooled down, set a time on the calender to talk face-to-face. Letting a workplace conflict fester is a common mistake, Marlo Lyons, a career coach, told BI. "That creates awkwardness, it creates distance, and it's never going to end well, so you just have to ask for a quick one-on-one," Lyons said. "It doesn't have to be a long, drawn-out conversation, but you really want to show that you respect the relationship by having that conversation sooner than later." Don't pretend there's not a problem Once you've started the conversation, it's important to avoid "the tendency to over-apologize because you're understandably anxious about your job," negotiation expert and senior fellow at Harvard Law School Robert Bordone told Business Insider. But, while you want to cool things off, you should still try to " manage up" and speak your mind about what's bothering you, each of the experts agreed. "The danger in just saying mea culpa is you might get out of the situation, but you're in something that's unhealthy — and from your boss's perspective, they don't even know how unhappy you are because you never told them," Bordone said. "Then you're setting up a longer-term bad pattern that doesn't serve you, the boss, or the organization's interest." Ryan Leak, an executive coach and the author of "How to Work With Complicated People: Strategies for Effective Collaboration with (Nearly) Anyone," suggested rehearsing a few phrases to overcome the tension. The first is practicing some intellectual humility and acknowledging out loud, "I could be wrong," Leak said. "When you subscribe to the 'I could be wrong' mantra, what you're saying is, 'Hey, I've got a story in my head that I fully believe, but I'm also going to make space for your story, because I realized that my story feels very true to me, but at the same time, it's only one side of story,'" Leak said. You want to strike a collaborative tone and "focus on the 'in-group' element," said behavioral neurologist Joel Salinas, because you're both on the same team. Bordone, the Harvard negotiation expert, and Salinas are coauthors of the book "Conflict Resilience: Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up or Giving In." Salinas added that it's also important to show that you're interested in learning from the experience to do better in the future and that you want to work on a resolution together. Leak suggested making that desire explicit with the phrase "I want us to have a thriving working relationship." "It's OK to be a little bit vulnerable and say, 'Hey, let's have this really awkward conversation that I've been ignoring for a very long time, because I do want to have a thriving working relationship with you. And so, how do we move forward with that?'" Leak said. From there, you can lay out what bothered you in the initial conflict and what you need from the relationship, Leak added. From there, let it go — or plan for your exit While the initial conversation may be challenging, the really difficult part comes next, said career coach Lyons. You've got to try to let it go. "You've got to start that conversation, but then you need to continue the relationship without harping on it," Lyons said. "You don't want to harp on it in every one-on-one. You're trying to reconnect with them, reconnect with the mission, reconnect with what the performance expectations are." Just because you've cleared the air doesn't mean this time there won't be tension in the future. So when you find yourself getting riled up again, try to take your emotions out of it and turn your boss's bad habits into a game. "If you know the other person is going to come back at you with some kind of dig or loaded comment, turn it into a game," Landis, the NYU professor, said. "Try to count how many digs it takes for her to say something nice. Make it a game and it becomes less personal." Of course, if it gets to that point, you should probably also brush up your résumé — and always stay networking, Landis added. Going scorched earth may feel good in the short term, but depending on your industry, you may need that person later, so think long-term when planning your exit, and try to keep your composure even if you find the differences irreconcilable. At the end of the day, remember conflicts are "very natural" and some disagreement is inevitable in any relationship, said Salinas.
Sky News AU
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Artist Johannes Leak says Archibald Prize 'captured by the progressive left' after his portrait of Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin rejected
German-born Australian painter Johannes Leak has delivered a stinging criticism of the prestigious Archibald Prize, after his "striking" portrait of Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin was overlooked as a finalist. Mr Leak submitted a portrait of Mr Ryvchin, co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, to be judged by the 11-member Board of Trustees at the Art Gallery of NSW, but it was rejected as the 904 entries were whittled down to 57 finalists. It is not the first time one of Mr Leak's submissions to the Archibald Prize has been overlooked. In 2021, a portrait he painted of politician Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was also not selected as a finalist. His late father Bill was also regarded one of the best painters to have never won the prize, after multiple submissions. Mr Leak said he wasn't surprised the portrait, described by Sky News host Chris Kenny as "striking", did not progress to the finalist stage as he felt like it might not "fall in line" with the "particular agenda" of the Archibald. "Oh, look, I wish I could say I was shocked, you know, but the Archibald, I suppose, as an institution... I think it's an open secret, it's been captured by the progressive left," he said. "It's still an important portrait prize. It's still an Australian institution. And I thought, let's give it a go. But yes, I wish I could say I was shocked." Mr Ryvchin suggested himself being a "strong Jewish leader" and Mr Leak being a cartoonist for The Australian would not have aligned with "the kind of culture of these institutions". The prominent Jewish leader also said he felt for Mr Leak, and wished he got the recognition he "deserves", describing him as a "master". "I wish I could say that these things are entirely done on merit, whether it's the Pulitzer Prize, or literary festivals and awards, the Archibald," he said. "But I think we'd be kidding ourselves if we thought that politics and ideology didn't enter into it. I think it clearly does. But again, for me personally, regardless of the outcome, it's a huge honour. Mr Ryvchin has been one of the most recognisable faces on the frontline for the Jewish community in recent years, especially after war began in Gaza between Hamas and Israel in October 2023. As a result of his activism, Mr Ryvchin has been targeted in acts of antisemitism, including an incident where a Dover Heights property he previously owned was doused in red paint on January 17, 2025. While two cars parked outside the home was allegedly graffitied with antisemitic slurs, with at least one vehicle scrawled with "f**k the Jews", and then set on fire. Police confirmed they arrested and charged a 37-year-old man with accessory before the fact to damaging property by means of fire or explosion. Julie Fragar won the 2025 Archibald prize for her portrait of Justene Williams, another artist. Ms Fragar was announced as the winner on Friday, taking out the $100,000 prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for the piece titled 'Flagship Mother Multiverse'. Among the 57 finalists were paintings of a number of celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Jackie 'O' Henderson, Katie Noonan and Hugo Weaving.
Sky News AU
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Open secret': Archibald Prize has been ‘captured' by the progressive left
The Australian's cartoonist Johannes Leak says the Archibald as an institution has been 'captured' by the progressive left. Mr Leak and Executive Council of Australian Jewry Co-CEO Alex Ryvchin sat down with Sky News host Chris Kenny to discuss their Archibald entry painting. When the Archibald finalists were announced on May 1, Leak's portrait of Ryvchin was not included.
Sky News AU
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Portrait of Alex Ryvchin rejected by Archibald Prize
Sky News host Chris Kenny sat down with The Australian's cartoonist Johannes Leak and Executive Council of Australian Jewry Co-CEO Alex Ryvchin to discuss their Archibald entry painting. When the Archibald finalists were announced on May 1, Leak's portrait of Ryvchin was not included. Mr Leak was inspired to paint Ryvchin due to him being an 'impressive advocate for his community' in the wake of the October 7 atrocities.
