Jason Dorsey, a leading authority on generational research, presented “Zconomy: Decoding What Drives the Gen Z Workforce,” sponsored by ADP, Inc., at the Future of Work and Pay General Session today. He shared how to attract, retain, and inspire Gen Z employees—and future-proof your workforce strategy.

Payroll leaders are at the center of a generational shift. Applying insights from Dorsey’s multi‑year “State of Gen Z” study can help you design benefits that resonate with Gen Z values, communicate with clarity and frequency to build trust, and leverage technology to create seamless, mobile‑first payroll experiences.

 

A Generational Expert

Gen Z (those born from 1997 to 2012) is leading the charge of an evolving workforce. As the fastest-growing generation in today’s labor market, their expectations about technology, flexibility, and purpose‑driven work are reshaping payroll and HR practices. Understanding what drives them isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Dorsey, President and Co‑Founder of The Center for Generational Kinetics, has conducted more than 150 studies across four continents and delivered over 1,000 keynotes worldwide. His mission? To turn generational insights into practical solutions that drive measurable business results.

 

Busting Gen Z Myths

Dorsey shared groundbreaking insights from his multi‑year “State of Gen Z” research and his book, “Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business—and What to Do About It,” which have led to some significant discoveries.

“The most significant discovery is Gen Z’s pragmatism and what truly works to get Gen Z to become loyal employees,” Dorsey said. “The research featured in the book shows that Gen Z wants stability, on‑the‑job learning, and specific benefits—and that Gen Z has a fundamentally different relationship with technology than previous generations.”

His research also explodes common misconceptions and myths about Gen Z. Leading these is the myth that Gen Z doesn’t want to work hard and can’t be loyal employees.

“We have so much data, including from many of our clients, who have had great success employing Gen Z and unlocking their potential,” he explained. “Yes, Gen Z brings meaningful differences from other generations, but our research repeatedly shows that Gen Z wants a job where they can build a career, make an impact, continuously learn, and serve. Gen Z can be fantastic employees without being coddled, but they do have some differences leaders need to know about.”

"This keynote speaker was fabulous, for sure,” said attendee April Rice, CPP, Payroll Manager at American Structural Concrete. “Every generation has value, and sometimes we forget that — especially as Gen X. But I mean, he's right. You have to value everybody in the company you're in."

 

Inside the ‘Zconomy’

Dorsey also discussed how payroll and HR professionals can apply Zconomy principles to attract and retain Gen Z talent effectively.

“Our research into Gen Z, both the national studies we’ve led and the workforce data we analyze, shows that Gen Z expects more frequent communication than other generations,” Dorsey said. “In addition, Gen Z wants to understand that employers today are stable and will deliver on the payroll and benefits as promised.”

As an example, Dorsey said that when they research preferences and the impact of benefits across generations, they see that Gen Z more than any other generation wants employers to provide mental health services, as well as retirement matching and on‑the‑job training.

"I think it was great to be able to see the generations through a different lens,” said attendee Kirsten Gilman, Corporate Payroll Manager at Ames Construction. “As a manager with the different generations who report to me, I think it's great to keep in mind that every single generation does have value. They have been through different experiences in life, but we all need to find common ground because we are all working toward the same goal."

Dorsey offered an insightful piece of advice to organizations that may be struggling to connect with Gen Z.

“All communication is learned behavior; this is true for every generation … The best way to connect with Gen Z is to take the time to understand how they best communicate and learn to evaluate how an organization can adapt to deliver on that method, frequency, and message,” he said.

Raul Plata, Jr., is the Editorial Assistant of Membership Publications for PayrollOrg. Emily West is a freelance writer in Nashville, Tenn.