The Workplace Wasn’t Built for Gen Z — Here’s How We Fix It
By Dr. Ghazaleh Samandari, PhD
Young Professionals Aren’t the Problem — The Workplace Is
There’s a widely held belief that Gen Z is struggling at work because they lack motivation or resilience. But after decades as a behavioral scientist, humanitarian and now founder of besti, a workplace success app designed for young professionals, I can say with certainty: the problem isn’t young people. The problem is the workplace itself.
One of the biggest misconceptions about young professionals is that they’re not interested in career growth or meaningful change. But that’s simply not true. In reality, young people are deeply invested in their careers and personal development. They just need the right environments and tools to succeed.
My work in global development and behavioral science has shown me that when people have the conditions to exercise their agency — when they feel seen, heard and are given resources that actually resonate — they tend to rise above even their own conception of their potential. But that only happens when we hold space for them with nurturing, structure and as little judgment as possible.
Today’s workplaces weren’t designed with this in mind. The traditional structures that helped previous generations like mentorship, clear career pathways and long-term stability, have eroded.
Instead, young professionals enter a radically transformed work environment: one that is remote, ambiguous, isolating and hyper-competitive. It’s no surprise that 61% of Gen Z workers report regular stress and anxiety at work, and nearly half experience burnout — higher than any generation before them.
Mindset Shifts Won’t Fix a Broken System
The usual advice given to struggling young professionals is to “think differently” — to develop a tougher mindset, embrace resilience, and push through. But behavioral transformation doesn’t happen through willpower alone.
Real change happens through consistent, small, actionable steps — not overnight epiphanies. Anything is possible, but only when change is sustained over time. The idea that transformation happens in a single breakthrough moment is a myth. Growth is a process.
Community also plays an essential role in that process. People need spaces where they can feel held, celebrated and supported as they evolve. Collective resilience makes personal transformation possible.
Despite overwhelming evidence that mentorship and structured learning significantly improve workplace success and retention, only four out of ten young professionals report having access to career guidance. This means the majority are left to figure out everything, from workplace dynamics to career growth, completely on their own.
The intergenerational workplace gap is real. Many older professionals assume Gen Z isn’t interested in learning or growing, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Young professionals are eager to succeed. They just aren’t being given the tools or support they need to do so.
Companies are missing a huge opportunity. Instead of labeling Gen Z as disengaged, we should be asking: What if the problem isn’t them, but the way workplaces are structured?
AI Is Changing the World — And Young Professionals Need Support to Navigate It
I had a specific moment of realization when AI took over the public conversation. The world is shifting permanently, and the way we work is changing forever. When I looked at the mental health crisis facing young people, the biggest source of stress for Gen Z wasn’t just social media or isolation — it was career and economic instability.
I wanted to address that challenge head-on.
My background in empowerment and humanitarian work has shown me that social impact requires nimbleness and flexibility. In my experience, it’s easier to innovate in the private sector and in tech than within the slow-moving structures of the public sector. So I chose to build a company that could move fast, adapt and meet young professionals where they are.
That’s why I built Besti — to apply everything I’ve learned about behavior change, coaching, and transformation over the past 20 years to the workplace.
Besti is designed for the corporate environment, which in many ways is as difficult and tricky as the humanitarian settings I’ve worked in around the world. The stakes are different, but the core issue is the same: people need real-time, actionable guidance to help them navigate uncertainty, stress and high-stakes decision-making.
The Future of Work Belongs to Those Who Build for It
The big vision for Besti is that it reshapes how we think about work, bringing more humanity into the workplace.
ebbf believes deeply in the ethical responsibility of businesses to foster human-centered, sustainable, and just workplaces. That begins with rethinking how we define success.
Instead of placing the burden of change solely on Gen Z, we must recognize that true leadership means redesigning workplaces to be spaces where young professionals are equipped, supported and given the tools to thrive.
If we commit ourselves to building workplaces that honor the immense potential of this generation, we won’t just retain talent — we’ll cultivate leaders who are happier, healthier and ready to shape a more equitable and resilient path for us all.
The future belongs to businesses brave enough to build workplaces worthy of the next generation. Let’s create it together.
About the author
Dr. Ghaz Samandari is a researcher, entrepreneur and expert in behavioral transformation. With a PhD in Health Behavior Science and 20+ years of experience, she has worked with the WHO, UN, and Google to develop leadership programs worldwide. As the founder and CEO of Besti, an AI-powered workplace coaching platform, she’s helping Gen Z professionals build confidence, resilience and career success. Born in Iran and raised in the US, she now lives in Paris.
