What Gen Z Wants From Work: Hybrid Jobs, Side Hustles, and Portfolio Careers

Gen Z is not rejecting work. It is redefining what a career should look like.

For many younger professionals, the ideal path is no longer one employer, one title, and one ladder to climb. Instead, work is becoming more flexible, more skills-driven, and often more diversified. Across recent surveys, the pattern is clear: Gen Z tends to want a mix of autonomy, learning, stability, and room to build income or identity outside a single job. Deloitte’s 2025 global survey found Gen Z is focused on growth and learning while pursuing money, meaning, and well-being, and Upwork’s 2025 research describes the rise of “portfolio careers” built around multiple projects or clients rather than one traditional path.

That shift matters for employers.

Businesses that still treat Gen Z as if they only want remote freedom or quick promotion are likely missing the bigger picture. What many actually want is flexibility with connection, growth with autonomy, and work that fits into a broader life strategy.

Why Gen Z Is Changing the Conversation About Work

Gen Z entered the workforce during a period shaped by pandemic disruption, rapid digital change, economic uncertainty, and the expansion of freelance platforms.

That context matters. It helps explain why many younger workers are less attached to the old idea of a fixed 9-to-5 career and more open to blended models that combine employment, contract work, side projects, and skill-building. Upwork’s research says 53% of Gen Z workers report already working full-time hours across a variety of freelance projects, and 70% prioritize flexibility and autonomy over steady paychecks and formal titles.

This is not always about abandoning traditional work altogether. Often it is about refusing to rely on a single model.

Gen Z Does Not Want Fully Remote as Much as People Assume

One of the most useful corrections in this conversation is that Gen Z is not necessarily the most “remote-only” generation.

Gallup’s 2025 U.S. findings say Gen Z workers are the least likely generation to prefer exclusively remote work, with only 23% of remote-capable Gen Z employees saying they would choose fully remote work. In Australia, Hatch’s 2025 survey found just 12% of young professionals wanted fully remote work, another 12% wanted full-time office work, and 69% preferred hybrid work. Hatch also reported that 82% wanted at least some time in the office.

That suggests something important: many younger workers do not just want freedom. They also want interaction, learning, and visibility.

Side Hustles Are Part of the Model

Another major theme is that Gen Z is comfortable building more than one source of income or professional identity.

Hatch’s 2025 survey found that 80% of respondents either already had or wanted a side hustle. In the U.S., MBO Partners’ 2025 State of Independence says Gen Z now makes up 28% of the independent workforce, while 36% of traditional employees report having side gigs.

That does not mean every Gen Z worker wants to quit full-time employment. It means many see side projects, freelance work, or creative income streams as normal.

For employers, this is a useful distinction. A side hustle is not always a sign of disengagement. Sometimes it is a sign of ambition, curiosity, or a desire to build security in a less linear way.

Motivation Is About More Than Money

Money matters, especially in a period of high living costs and economic uncertainty. But the pattern in recent research is broader than income alone.

Deloitte’s 2025 global survey says Gen Z is looking for the right balance of money, meaning, and well-being. It also says only 6% list reaching a leadership position as their primary career goal, while learning and development rank among the strongest reasons they choose an employer. Deloitte also notes that Gen Z wants managers to provide guidance, inspiration, and mentorship, not just oversight.

That is a useful signal for companies. If you want to attract Gen Z talent, compensation matters, but so do growth, mentoring, flexibility, and whether the work feels worth doing.

What “Hybrid” Really Means for Gen Z

For Gen Z, hybrid is often less about a real estate policy and more about a work design philosophy.

It can mean:

• some time in person for collaboration and mentorship
• some time remote for focus and autonomy
• the freedom to build a side project or second income stream
• the ability to learn through multiple environments, not one rigid structure

That is why a lot of Gen Z work preferences are better understood as portfolio thinking rather than simple job hopping. Upwork argues that many younger professionals are building portfolio careers that value flexibility, autonomy, and personal convictions over traditional ideas of job security, and notes that more than 60% of Gen Z workers say inflexible arrangements are a deal-breaker.

What Businesses Should Take From This

Employers do not need to turn every role into a gig. But they do need to understand what Gen Z is signaling.

A few practical takeaways:

Offer flexibility without removing structure

Many younger workers want autonomy, but not isolation. Hybrid models, rotational work, and project-based opportunities often land better than rigid all-or-nothing setups. Gallup’s research suggests Gen Z may especially benefit when hybrid work actually creates meaningful in-person interaction, not just empty-office days.

Make growth visible

If learning matters, show how it happens. Mentorship, stretch projects, role variety, and clear skill development matter more than vague promises of “career progression.” Deloitte found Gen Z wants mentorship and practical development support from managers.

Treat side projects thoughtfully

Not every company can allow unlimited outside work, but a blanket assumption that side hustles equal disloyalty is probably outdated. In many cases, the better question is whether the outside work creates conflict or whether it actually helps the person build useful skills.

Build more flexible teams

This is also where blended teams matter. Upwork’s Future Workforce Index says more than one in four U.S. knowledge workers now freelance or work independently, and the company argues businesses should think beyond full-time headcount as the only way to access skilled talent.

That creates room for a more modular workforce: core employees, project-based specialists, and flexible support working together.

Why This Matters for Allsikes

For companies building remote or nearshore teams, this trend is especially relevant.

The businesses most likely to attract strong younger talent are the ones that combine structure with flexibility. They offer real work, real development, and clear expectations without forcing everyone into one narrow model. That is also where remote and nearshore support can fit well: not as disposable labor, but as part of a more flexible, skills-based way of building teams. Broader workforce research from Deloitte, Upwork, and MBO all points in that direction: more blended careers, more independent work, and more demand for adaptable talent models.

Final Thoughts

Gen Z is not simply choosing between corporate work and the gig economy.

A lot of the time, they are combining both. They want hybrid work more than fully remote work, development more than titles, and flexibility without losing meaning or momentum. That does not mean every Gen Z worker wants the same thing. It means the center of gravity is shifting toward careers that are more modular, more autonomous, and more skills-driven.

Businesses that understand that will be better positioned to hire, retain, and collaborate with the next wave of talent.

FAQ

Does Gen Z prefer hybrid or fully remote work?

Recent evidence points more toward hybrid than fully remote. Gallup found only 23% of remote-capable Gen Z workers in the U.S. preferred fully remote work, and Hatch’s 2025 survey in Australia found 69% preferred hybrid arrangements.

Are side hustles common for Gen Z?

Yes. Hatch reported that 80% of young Australian respondents either had or wanted a side hustle, and MBO Partners says 36% of traditional employees now report having side gigs, with Gen Z making up 28% of the independent workforce.

Does Gen Z care more about purpose than promotion?

In many cases, yes. Deloitte’s 2025 global survey found only 6% of Gen Z named reaching a leadership position as their primary career goal, while learning, balance, meaning, and well-being ranked highly.

What is a portfolio career?

A portfolio career is a work model where someone builds income and experience across multiple projects, roles, or clients rather than relying on one traditional full-time path. Upwork says this is becoming a more visible pattern among Gen Z workers.

How should businesses respond to Gen Z work preferences?

Businesses should think in terms of flexibility with structure: hybrid work where it makes sense, visible learning and mentorship, project-based growth opportunities, and clearer acceptance that not all strong talent wants a linear career path.