Do Japan’s Generation Z really prioritize fulfillment?

Japan’s Gen Z prioritize fulfillment?

It’s often said that Japan’s Generation Z values not only salary and work live balance but also job meaning when choosing job. Consequently, it’s often discussed in Japanese business world that just improving conditions —like raising starting salaries or reducing overtime—won’t retain new hires. However, when asked if Japan’s Gen Z truly prioritizes job meaning, the reality is quite different. Young people in Japan actually have a negative mind of work. Their prioritization on fulfillment is just a facade they present to society, and Japanese adults fail to recognize this.

Most of Japan’s Gen Z don’t prioritize job meaning.

In Japan these days, young people who have a positive image of work are extremely rare. To be honest, I can say that almost no one around me truly values the sense of meaning that comes from work. I rarely hear statements like, “My job suits me, and I want to master it,” or “I want to contribute to society in this way.” Instead, the overwhelming majority express negative feelings toward work, such as wanting higher pay or hoping to avoid overtime and go home early. So, while we often hear that Japan’s Gen Z values fulfillment, the reality is that very few genuinely feel that way.

The reason Japan’s Gen Z talks about job meaning is just for appealing in job interviews.

So why is Japan’s Generation Z said to prioritize meaning? That’s because they’re expected to discuss this during new graduate job hunting. In job interviews, they’re actually asked questions like, “When do you feel a sense of fulfillment. Even if they’re honestly choosing jobs based on other reasons like high salary, saying things like “I want to contribute to society through your company’s work” makes a better impression on interviewers. Thus, companies demand this talk about fulfillment, and since framing it as motivation is the better strategy, Generation Z talks about that. So, while older generations say Generation Z prioritizes fulfillment, this is merely the facade mentioned earlier; in reality, they don’t prioritize it that much.

Conclusion

The most desirable thing is finding work you genuinely want to do. However, most Japanese university students can’t find it. There are various reasons for it, but I’ll save that discussion for another time.