Gen Z’s arrival into the workforce was never going to be smooth, but it’s proving to be more complex than anyone predicted. A generation shaped by economic precarity, digital immersion, and a pandemic-altered world is now navigating the early years of their careers… and burning out fast.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey in India, a striking 94% of Gen Z professionals say on-the-job learning drives their career growth, and 85% engage in weekly learning activities. Despite that, most still feel unsupported: 62% of Gen Zs want more guidance from managers, yet only 44% say they receive it.
This gap is particularly acute for early-career Gen Z, whose expectations are driven by digital-native learning habits. Far from complaining about change, they’re actively shaping it, and will leave if development remains abstract or optional.
These are signs that something foundational is broken in how we onboard and retain young talent.
How we build environments where early-career professionals feel seen, supported, and given a path to grow is what determines how the future of our workforce shapes up.
What Challenges do they Face?
The early-career Gen Z cohort (0–3 years of work experience) often face:
- A lack of clear feedback that creates self-doubt and anxiety
- Underdeveloped mentoring systems, leaving them to figure things out solo
- Poorly structured learning opportunities that feel transactional
- Invisibility in decision-making and culture shaping
This generation entered the workforce during extreme uncertainty. Many graduated into remote-first roles, without the cultural scaffolding of in-person work or informal guidance. As a result, their connection to work, and even self-worth, can feel fragile.
An additional point to consider is that Gen Z deeply values having a Purpose and good Work Culture, factors that are almost as crucial as pay. The inability to obtain these can impact them from the very beginning of their professional journey, having a longer lasting impact as they progress.
Why This Matters for CHROs
Attrition in early-career talent isn’t just about poor retention, it’s about lost momentum. These are your future team leads, culture carriers, and innovators. If they disengage early, recovery is far harder down the line.
What CHROs should be asking:
- Do our onboarding and training programs go beyond logistics to offer career context?
- Is mid-level management itself equipped to manage this younger workforce in the right way?
- Are we offering meaningful mentorship, not just occasional manager check-ins?
- Are our culture rituals inclusive of those still figuring out where they fit?
What Great Looks Like
SAP’s Early Talent Programs
SAP created rotational opportunities and peer buddy systems that connect new hires with mentors from Day 1. Their ‘Autonomy with Anchors’ model gives Gen Z talent space to experiment — but with clear support systems. Attrition rates among this cohort dropped significantly within two years.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
TCS launched Xplore, an initiative to upskill campus hires before onboarding, ensuring they begin with confidence and clarity. Combined with structured learning pathways, TCS has been able to ramp up Gen Z employees faster and more sustainably across multiple teams.
Key Takeaways for CHROs
- Embed learning into culture, not curriculum. Upskilling shouldn’t be a one-time event. Ongoing, contextual learning keeps early-career professionals engaged and growing.
- Create trust rituals. Assign mentors. Encourage reverse mentoring. Celebrate micro-wins. Connection builds stickiness.
- Rethink role design. Where possible, allow room for autonomy, creativity, and experimentation. Gen Z wants to build, not just execute.
How Astravise Services Can Help
We work with high-growth startups and mature enterprises alike to restructure people strategies around emerging workforce needs.
From building learning-first onboarding journeys to helping CHROs define digital-age culture, our People & Culture advisory is designed to reduce attrition, improve productivity, and unlock talent value early.
Let’s help your next generation thrive — not just survive.