Layoffs, promotions, endless job searching

Since we first started reporting for season two of The Return in January, a lot has changed. Our guests have continued to face uncertain workforce conditions that include, for some, layoffs or difficulty finding a job, while others have talked about how they have experienced new jobs or being promoted. Throughout the year, we’ve seen artificial intelligence continue to boom while people worry how it’ll impact their jobs, return to office mandates plaguing the country forcing people to change their schedules and ongoing challenges around employee experience. And Gen Zers are experiencing all of that for the first time, without any sort of existing playbook. But Gen Zers aren’t shy to change, which we’ve covered throughout this season. On this episode, we circle back to talk to a few guests who we spoke with earlier this season to see where they’re at now. Is Julie still balancing multiple jobs at once? Did Aldrin find a job that aligns with his values? Is Genesse happy with the working conditions at HarperCollins post-strike? And how else has Danielle relied on her friend-tors? We also speak with Marcie Marriman, EY Americas cultural insights and customer strategy leader who helped conduct EY’s 2023 report on Gen Z to learn her key takeaways on how Gen Z is reshaping the workforce. Plus, listeners call in and tell us their point of view on how Gen Z is impacting the future of work. Gen Zers have definitely navigated wobbly territory and were given another lesson in resilience since the pandemic. It might have felt difficult and disappointing at times, but there is a lot of positive change happening in the workplace that we uncovered in season two of The Return.