Deloitte’s annual survey of Gen Z and millennials finds young accountants want more than just a fast-paced career.
As Gen Zs and millennials move deeper into adulthood and leadership they are reshaping how progress at work is defined, often prioritising stability, skills and well-being before advancement, according to Deloitte’s 2026 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey.
Now in its 15th year, the research draws on responses from more than 22,500 Gen Zs and millennials across 44 countries, alongside qualitative insights from business leaders.
Financial pressures
For the fifth consecutive year, cost of living is the top concern for both generations, far outpacing other societal concerns. Financial pressure is driving the ‘maybe later’ trend for these generations; while they are ambitious, their financial reality has altered timelines for major milestones.
More than half of Gen Zs (55%) and millennials (52%) say they have delayed major life decisions, such as starting a family, furthering their education or launching a business, due to their financial situation.
Some 69% of Gen Z and 64% of millennials say that the availability or affordability of housing has a direct impact on their career decisions and where they can work.
Despite these pressures financial optimism persists, and 53% of Gen Zs and 45% of millennials expect their personal financial situation to improve within the next year.
Sustainable leadership is key
Interest in leadership is widespread but not urgent. Consistent with last year’s findings, only 6% of Gen Zs and millennials say achieving a leadership position is their primary career goal.
The hesitation is driven by concerns about the trade-offs being in a leadership role may present.
Most Gen Zs and millennials favour steady progress (44% of Gen Zs and 45% of millennials) over rapid promotions (25%/21%), with some even willing to move laterally or take a step back to find the right role (21%/20%).
The most commonly cited barriers to leadership are stress and burnout (50% of Gen Zs and 49% of millennials), excessive responsibility (50%/48%), and concerns about work/life balance (41%/46%).
Three-quarters of Gen Zs (76%) and two- thirds of millennials (67%) say they are interested in pursuing senior leadership roles at some point in their careers.
AI adoption moving fast
Nearly three-quarters of Gen Zs and millennials (74%) report using AI in their day-to-day work, up sharply from last year (57% of Gen Zs and 56% of millennials). While AI is widely viewed as an accelerant, helping improve efficiency, output quality and work/life balance, some believe organisations are struggling to keep pace. And respondents are facing digital fatigue, exacerbated by an influx of digital tools that are often poorly integrated with legacy systems and workflows.
Beyond advancing efficiency and work quality, these generations are using AI to identify learning and development opportunities (79% of both generations), seek career advice (72% of Gen Zs and 69% of millennials), and cope with work-related stress (67%/65%).
And Gen Zs and millennials feel they are adapting faster than their employers, as nearly one-third believe their organisation is not prepared for the changes AI will bring (30% of Gen Zs and 31% of millennials), and another one-third say the AI tools available to them at work are only somewhat or not at all sufficient (33%/32%).
However, more than half of respondents (58% of Gen Zs and 54% of millennials) report experiencing digital fatigue from constant alerts, tool switching, and multiple platforms.
Losing knowledge
As baby boomers retire, organisations face mounting pressure to preserve institutional knowledge, all while preparing for the arrival of Gen Alphas, who are expected to enter the workforce in significant numbers by the end of the decade.
Only 54% of Gen Zs and 60% of millennials say their teams could maintain performance if a key expert left tomorrow, citing limited incentives, time constraints, confidentiality concerns, and high turnover as barriers to effective knowledge sharing.
Nearly a quarter (23%) of respondents say AI is leading their companies to create new entry-level roles, though some remain concerned about AI’s impact on jobs with 20% of Gen Zs and 17% of millennials saying their organisations are scaling back entry-level roles.
When asked how AI usage is affecting entry-level jobs within their organisations, respondents most often said it’s enabling entry- level employees to gain experience faster (26% of Gen Zs and 28% of millennials), allowing them to focus on higher value work (25% of Gen Zs and millennials), and accelerating career growth potential (25% of Gen Zs and millennials).
