Working with Gen Z

Engaging Gen Z has become a priority for organisations across the world. But despite the conversations around flexibility, feedback, purpose and work-life balance, many leaders still find themselves asking: What does it really take to engage this generation? Perhaps it's time to look beyond generational stereotypes and examine something much closer to home — the workplace itself.

In this episode of Working with Gen Z, I speak with Dr. Roz Cohen about why employee engagement may be less about understanding a generation and more about rethinking the workplace itself. We explore the powerful connections between engagement, trust, belonging and inclusive leadership; how managers can make or break an employee’s experience; and the gap between what organisations promise and what employees actually experience. We also challenge some familiar assumptions about Gen Z, examine the delicate balance between authenticity and accountability, and ask what both organisations and young professionals need to do differently.

Because perhaps the real question isn't how to make Gen Z engage with the workplace — but how to create workplaces where people genuinely want to contribute, grow and belong.

Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2026

Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2026

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Dr. Rosalind Cohen  :  LinkedIn, Website

Nikhil :  Website,  Linkedin, Youtube & Book

 We often talk about generational differences at work—but what happens when those differences become assumptions, stereotypes, and eventually barriers? Is a young professional dismissed as “too inexperienced” to lead, while an experienced professional is quietly seen as “too old to learn” or adapt? 

In this episode, Working with Gen Z, Veejay Madhavan and Iexplore ageism from both ends of the generational spectrum: where these biases come from, how they show up in hiring, leadership, development and everyday workplace interactions, and what we can learn when we challenge our own assumptions. Most importantly, we look at what organizations can do differently to create workplaces where contribution matters more than birth year—and where different generations don't simply coexist but learn from and strengthen each other.

Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2026

Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2026

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Veejay Madhavn  :  LinkedIn, Website

Nikhil :  Website,  Linkedin, Youtube & Book

For years, we've been told that automation and AI will make work faster, smarter, and more efficient. And for a generation that has grown up with technology at their fingertips, removing repetitive work seems like an obvious win. But what if, in automating routine tasks, we're also removing the very experiences that build judgment, intuition, resilience, and expertise?

In this episode of Working with Gen Z, Jeff Arnold joins me to explore what I call the Automation Dilemma. Together, we examine whether AI is simply eliminating busywork—or unintentionally widening the experience gap for the next generation of professionals. We'll discuss how expertise is really developed, why "learning by doing" still matters in an AI-enabled workplace, the changing role of managers as coaches, and whether our assumptions about who embraces—or resists—AI reveal hidden generational biases. If AI is transforming work, then perhaps the bigger question is: How do we continue to develop future leaders?

Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2026

Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2026

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Jeff Arnold  :  LinkedIn, Website

Nikhil :  Website,  Linkedin, Youtube & Book

Social media has become one of the defining forces of this generation. It shapes how Gen Z learns, creates, shops, connects, builds communities, and even discovers purpose. Yet the same platforms that inspire creativity and opportunity can also contribute to anxiety, comparison, misinformation, and digital fatigue. The conversation is no longer about whether social media is good or bad—it is about how we create a healthier and safer digital ecosystem for young people.

In this episode of Working with Gen Z, Guest Alise Marshall helps us to take a balanced look at the opportunities, responsibilities, and challenges of growing up online. We'll explore what platforms can do to promote digital well-being, how parents, educators, and organizations can play their part, and perhaps most importantly, what Gen Z themselves can do to build healthier digital habits while continuing to benefit from the incredible opportunities the online world offers.

Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2026

Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2026

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Alise Marshall   :  LinkedIn

Nikhil :  Website,  Linkedin, Youtube & Book

What matters more today—a degree, or the ability to actually do the job? For years, we’ve treated degrees as the ultimate signal of capability—the safer bet, the proven path. But Gen Z is stepping into a very different world of work. A world where skills evolve faster than syllabi, where portfolios sometimes speak louder than pedigrees, and where employers say they want “ready-to-perform,” not just “qualified-on-paper.” So is the value of a degree declining—or are we simply redefining what it represents? 

In this episode, HR Leader and Entrepreneur Manisha Goel helps us to unpack the tension between degrees and skills, cut through the noise, and explore what truly drives employability for Gen Z—without dismissing either side.

45 Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025

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Manisha Goel    :  LinkedIn

Nikhil :  Website,  Linkedin, Youtube & Book

For years, hustle culture was sold as the golden path to success—work harder, sleep less, sacrifice now, and someday it will all pay off. But a new generation is challenging that script. 

Gen Z is asking deeper questions about ambition, boundaries, mental health, and whether success has to come at the cost of well-being. Are they rejecting hard work, or are they redefining what sustainable achievement really looks like?

In this episode, Guest Bhasker Jaiswal helps us to explore the tension between the old grind mindset and the emerging search for balance, purpose, and a healthier relationship with work. We’ll unpack why hustle culture is being questioned, what leaders need to understand, and how Gen Z may be creating a smarter model of success for the future.

45 Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025

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Bhasker Jaiswal   :  LinkedIn, Instagram

Nikhil :  Website,  Linkedin, Youtube & Book

What if the biggest obstacle to your growth at work isn’t what others think of you—but what you assume they already do? For Gen Z, those hidden assumptions can shape confidence, communication, trust, and behavior long before real relationships are built. 

In this episode, Author and Leadership Expert Merry Brown will help us explore the difference between stereotypes (the labels others place on a group) and meta-stereotypes (the beliefs we carry about how others see us). 

We’ll unpack how these patterns show up in the workplace, how they can become self-fulfilling, and how Gen Z can use self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and intentional action to move beyond labels and build credibility with impact.

45 Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025

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Merry Brown   :  LinkedIn

Nikhil :  Website,  Linkedin, Youtube & Book

 Engagement is often misunderstood as satisfaction or happiness at work, but in reality, it’s about emotional commitment, discretionary effort, and the willingness to go beyond the bare minimum. For organizations, engagement drives productivity, innovation, retention, and ultimately long-term performance. And when it comes to Gen Z, the stakes are even higher. This is a generation that evaluates work through the lens of purpose, growth, feedback, flexibility, and authentic leadership. So what does it truly take to engage Gen Z — not just attract them, but inspire them to stay and contribute at their best? 

In this episode Leadership expert and Author Hanna Hesl Kelchner we’ll explore what engagement really means, why it matters strategically, and what companies must rethink to get it right.

45 Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025

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Hanna Hesl Kelchner  :  LinkedIn, Book

Nikhil :  Website,  Linkedin, Youtube & Book

Gen Z doesn’t just consume media — they live inside it. In a world where the feed is the front page and algorithms shape attention, this generation is redefining how news is discovered, trusted, shared and challenged. Traditional gatekeepers no longer hold exclusive control over information. Today, creators, influencers and everyday users compete with journalists for credibility and cultural influence.

In this episode, Journalist Janvi Sonaiya helps us to explore how Gen Z engages with media differently: their relationship with trust and truth, the rise of short-form storytelling, the role of identity in shaping narratives, and the tension between virality and verification. Are they disengaged from traditional journalism — or simply rejecting outdated formats? Is misinformation the real threat, or is it declining institutional trust? And what happens when the audience is no longer passive but participatory?

Through the lens of media and journalism, we unpack how Gen Z is not just reshaping content, but reshaping the very structure of influence. As institutions struggle to keep pace with platforms, this conversation asks a bigger question: Is Gen Z changing media — or revealing what media needed to change all along? This episode is for leaders, educators, journalists, and anyone trying to understand how the next dominant generation interprets the world — one scroll at a time.

45 Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025

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Janvi Sonaiya  :  LinkedIn, Instagram

Nikhil :  Website,  Linkedin, Youtube & Book

 We often hear that Gen Z lacks loyalty—to companies, institutions, even careers. But if you look closely, there’s one thing they’re deeply committed to: community. Across the world, Gen Z isn’t just joining networks or following influencers—they’re actively building spaces where people belong, learn, collaborate, and grow together.

In today’s episode, Guest Toni Mckee who is a Corporate Communication specialist helps us to explore why community matters so deeply to Gen Z and how they are creating powerful ecosystems around shared purpose—whether it’s climate action, mental health, learning, careers, or creator-led growth. From global movements to micro-communities on platforms like Discord and WhatsApp, Gen Z is quietly redefining influence, leadership, and success. The big question is—what do they understand about community that the rest of us are still catching up on?

45 Best Gen Z Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025

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Toni McKee  :  LinkedIn, LinkedIn

Nikhil :  Website,  Linkedin, Youtube & Book