Over half of Filipino Gen Zs prefer working independently: study
Though they don’t mind working in a team, over half of Filipino Gen Zs prefer working independently, a study from a health maintenance organization found.
According to PhilCare’s “PhilCare Wellness Index: An Updated ABC of Pinoy Gen X, Y, and Z,” 55% of Gen Zs, or those who were born between 1997 and 2012, have the sentiment.
“While working in a team environment is not an issue for Gen Zs, the desire to work independently is perhaps their way to showcase their skills and abilities to their employers,” said PhilCare president and chief executive officer Jaeger Tanco, “as well as how much they value freedom and self-direction in their careers.”
Fifty percent of Gen Xs (1965 to 1980) and millennials (1981 to 1996) also prefer working independently.
Aside from work independence, 48% of Gen Zs also want to work abroad vis-a-vis 54% of Gen Xs and millennials who wish to stay in the Philippines.
Tanco noted that Gen Zs are looking for jobs abroad to experience a new culture and personal growth.
“After all, an international experience can boost one’s competitiveness and marketability in the global job market,” he added.
Speaking to GMA News, clinical psychologist Rainier Ladic noted that Gen Zs are exposed to technological advancement, making it easy for them to gather information about life outside the country.
They’re also aware of economic conditions like increasing prices of goods and lack of better pay in the Philippines.
The study noted that Gen Zs have more than one job or accept side hustles to prepare for retirement. They like to "live fast and retire young," opting to work as much as they can so they can retire early.
Gen Xs and millennials, meanwhile, find the traditional office setup more ideal and set sights on putting up a business later on in their professional life or after retirement.
"Habang tayo ay tumatanda, mas nag-stabilize 'yung ating personality, and it affects openness natin to options," Ladic said. "So, it means to say, the older we are, the more we look for stability."
"Kapag meron na pong stability, or meron na pong routine ang ating ginagawa. Kumbaga it saves energy sa atin," he added.
The “PhilCare Wellness Index: An Updated ABC of Pinoy Gen X, Y, and Z” started in 2014.