Financial strain has become a defining feature of how these generations work, live, and plan for the future. More than half of Gen Zs (55%) and millennials (52%) say they are delaying major life decisions, such as marriage, starting a family or business, or furthering education, due to their financial situation. In the Netherlands this applies to 51% of Gen Z and 45% of millennials.

And a majority say that the availability or affordability of housing has a direct impact on their career decisions and where they can work. In the Netherlands 64% of Gen Z and 57% of millennials say housingaffordability affects their career choices. Despite these pressures, many are optimistic that their financial situation will improve over the next year.

Gen Zs and millennials are making career choices that prioritise long-term fit over short-term advancement.

Just 25% of Gen Zs and 21% of millennials prefer fast-paced career progression marked by rapid promotions. By contrast, most favour gradual growth—or are willing to make lateral moves to build experience that supports long term success. Interest in leadership is widespread but not urgent, as many associate leadership with well-being trade-offs.

Consistent with last year’s findings, only 6% of Gen Zs and millennials say that achieving a leadership position is their primary career goal. In the Netherlands, 70% of Gen Z and 49% of millennials say they are interested in pursuing a leadership role at some point, while only 7% of Gen Z and 3% of millennials name it as their primary career goal.

Primary career priorities in the Netherlands: Dutch Gen Zers list their top career goals as financial independence (21%), maintaining a good work life balance (20%) and becoming an expert in their field (13%). Dutch millennials cite maintaining a good work life balance (24%), followed by financial independence (20%) and ongoing learning/development (14%).

Nearly three-quarters of Gen Zs (74%) and millennials (74%) report using AI to some extent in their day-to-day work. AI adoption is high among Dutch youth (67% of Gen Z; 68% of millennials), but workplace tools are lagging. Only 35% of Gen Z and 37% of millennials rate their employer’s AI tools as fully adequate, citing a lack of trust in outputs, limited experience, and poor workflow integration as the main barriers.

They largely see the proliferation of AI as an accelerant, not a threat, expecting it to free up more time, improve output, open new paths for growth, and create new opportunities for entry-level workers—but many also feel that they are adapting to AI faster than their organisations. In the Netherlands, beyond improving efficiency and work quality, Gen Z (64%) and millennials (68%) use AI to identify learning and development opportunities, seek career advice (52% of Gen Z; 53% of millennials), and manage work related stress (50% of Gen Z; 44% of millennials).

As older generations approach retirement, organisations face growing risk around knowledge continuity. In the Netherlands this is 42% of Gen Z and 53% of millennials, underscoring risks of knowledge loss.

At the same time, Gen Alpha will begin entering the workforce in a few years, prompting leaders to view the challenge as a leadership and work-design challenge—preserving institutional knowledge while creating roles that deliberately build human judgement, influence and collaboration in an AI-powered workplace.

Mental and physical health, and financial security, form the core of these generations’ wellbeing thinking. In the Netherlands 27% of Gen Z and 20% of millennials say they feel stressed often or most of the time. 95% of Dutch Gen Z and 93% of millennials say a sense of purpose is important for job satisfaction.