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Do you pass on added responsibilities at the office, have no desire to progress into management roles, and prioritise your 5-to-9 over your 9-to-5? If so, you might be a career minimalist.
According to a recent Glassdoor report published in August, “career minimalism” is the latest corporate buzzword to describe Gen Z’s attitude toward work.
Minimalism is a choice of lifestyle focused on the bare essentials, stripping back to those things in life that truly spark joy. This simple, uncluttered existence prioritises the fundamentals—such as relationships, passions, and personal growth—over material possessions. Now, some are saying the same principle can be applied to work.
Rather than seeking flashy job titles and taking on added responsibilities for no extra pay, some Gen Zers are simplifying their careers and saving their real passions and ambitions for off the clock. Chris Martin, lead researcher at Glassdoor, tells Fast Company that this strategy is being driven by a “change in perspective.”
“This is a conscious shift away from overreliance on a single employer, toward firmer boundaries, alternative definitions of professional fulfilment, and a portfolio of potential income streams for financial stability,” Martin says. “It’s not that Gen Z are rejecting work. They are rejecting an outdated version of work that has been sold to them.”
There’s been a well-documented shift in the definition of professional success and “making it” in today’s economy—away from the hustle culture and “rise and grind” that colored the experiences of countless millennials and led many of them to burn out.
Today, as young workers enter a minefield of mass layoffs, AI, and economic instability, their response isn’t to work harder or chase the carrot of a promotion. In fact, 68% say they would actively avoid moving into a management role, according to the Glassdoor survey.
Here lies a clear distinction from the career ambitions of previous generations, who still saw leadership as a goal unto itself.
“The traditional career ladder promised workers pensions, stability, and prestige markers as a reward for their long-term commitment. The past few generations of workers have seen these promises broken or hollowed out, and Gen Z’s views have changed accordingly,” Martin said.
“For many young workers, the offer of a manager title without a pay increase sounds like a downgrade: more responsibility without any benefit. Their idea of success is more closely tied to balance and financial security,” he added.
That’s not to say Gen Zers aren’t ambitious. Despite being dubbed career minimalists, 57% of Gen Z employees have at least one side hustle, compared with 48% of millennials, 31% of Gen Xers, and 21% of baby boomers, according to the Glassdoor data.
Gen Z’s career minimalism is all about keeping things simple at the day job—the one that pays the bills and provides security—and investing time and energy in true passions outside of the office. As one Glassdoor community member shared: “I always joke that I don’t dream of labor. … If people were truly passionate about their job, it wouldn’t pay anything. Passion is for your 5-to-9 after the 9-to-5.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eve Upton-Clark is a writer at Fast Company who focuses on internet culture and trends, covering everything from politics to pop culture.. She has been a freelance features writer since 2020 and is a regular contributor to Business Insider, The Telegraph, Dazed, and more.