Komal Nayer, a Gen Z communications professional and a PR intern at Wishbox Studio, says the two work culture features that matter most to her as a young PR professional are "Flexibility & Hybrid Work — with Purpose. Hybrid work isn’t just about convenience—it’s about trust, autonomy, and mental clarity. Having the freedom to structure my day helps me stay productive without burning out. It allows me to balance focused solo work with collaborative in-office energy. 

I believe hybrid models offer the best of both worlds—empowering us to deliver results while respecting our individual working styles and well-being."

Nayer adds, "What I value most is when juniors are encouraged to bring their ideas to the table, be part of brainstorming sessions, and give feedback. I’ve personally grown the most in environments where senior leaders are open to listening and mentoring, rather than just directing."

For Anuradha Agarwal, account head at Ecru PR, says hybrid working is now a mindset for Gen Z, " the flexibility means the freedom to work where we feel most productive (whether that’s a coffee shop or a quiet corner at home), without compromising on ownership or results."

Additionally, Gen Zs like Agarwal don’t believe in romanticising long hours, "The focus should be on getting the job done well, not on clocking unnecessary time just to be 'seen.” We value efficiency, clarity, and the space to have a life beyond the laptop."

Vidura Arya, assistant account manager, Concept PR, wants"Culture-debrief" sessions for everyone. 

Arya points out that, "Gen-Zs and even some millennials live off the internet, consuming trends day in and day out. They are the prime audience for influencers and the biggest consumers and creators of memes. Sessions led by Gen-Zs for other age groups in agencies can build the cultural awareness and sensitivity that are crucial for developing campaigns and thought leadership, especially on LinkedIn, an app most used by Gen-Zs after entertainment. 

Arya strongly feels, "Modern-day culture (by Gen-Z and for Gen-Z) encompasses much more than mere trends; it represents a shift in thinking, unlearning patriarchy and casteism, and redefining concepts like hustle culture, masculinity, beauty, and sexuality."

She explains, "For instance, we can no longer support typical chocolate-rose ideas for Women's Day or use phrases like 'beauty with brains'. We can't also ghostwrite generic motivational posts on LinkedIn on behalf of someone about how they learned 'leadership' from a delivery person or tackled a tough commute in the rain, displaying 'resilience,' especially when there is a lot of comparison these days regarding how people over-glorify basic achievements on LinkedIn.

Understanding Gen-Z or pop-culture lingo is also necessary to better grasp the sentiment of certain individuals or brands online that have a massive presence when drafting their responses for national media. Dull, AI-generated briefing documents or responses for people like Ashneer Grover and Nikhil Kamath, for instance, should not be done without understanding their otherwise outspoken Twitter presence."

Lynn Misquith, corporate communications specialist at ZEISS India, shares, "In today’s time, adapting to an evolving work culture is necessary. One key shift I propose is integrating enhanced recreational space in a 9-5 workspace. Not all firms have this facility. These dedicated spaces can be defined as beyond break rooms. 

This helps to fine-tune the mind and foster clearer, innovative thinking. There is also an opportunity to compose ourselves, engage in light physical activity, and boost creativity, paving pathways to a more productive, engaged workforce."

Pratishtha Kaura, associate VP at Edelman, has to manage the expectations of both Gen Z anf Gen X in her role,  "It’s like being the Wi-Fi router in a house of landline phones and smartwatches—rewarding but often exhausting too.

There’s a constant translation of expectations: Gen X values structure, loyalty, deep context and patience; Gen Z demands immediacy and meaning. As a millennial leader - a sandwich generation, I try to stitch the two worlds together—but that also means holding space for egos, anxieties, and generational grief.

The hardest part is the mindset mismatches. There is therefore a need for unlearning and re-learning - what Gen X might see as entitlement, Gen Z frames as clarity. What Gen Z calls authenticity, Gen X sees as oversharing. We need to reframe these as opportunities, not threats. It’s emotional labour, but it’s also the future of leadership."

Pravin Shiriyannavar, chief operating officer, brand-comm, agrees with Komal, saying that
they believe in 'Peer-Led Mentorship, Not Top-Down Supervision'.

Explaining this approach, Shiriyannavar says, "Our line managers—many of whom built a career from the very same ranks—have customised their leadership styles to be mentors rather than mere supervisors.

The young managers establish an effortless connection with their younger colleagues, understanding Gen Z dynamics far better than the senior leadership often can. This way, both generations are tethered to each other in terms of growth, aspirations and common interpretations of their career goals."

Abhishek Shankar, national director, HR, Avian We. outlines the organisation's approach to engagement across generations of employees, " To help new joiners settle in and understand our culture, we’ve set up a cultural ambassadors program fully led by employees. It includes buddy systems, “coffee with leadership” sessions, and even fun touches like curated playlists for milestones — helping people connect across levels and age groups."

Avian We. also has a hybrid model of work with 3 days a week in the office. 

For Shankar, equally key is culture is grounded in purpose, meaningful work, and inclusion, which strongly resonate with Gen Z and millennials, "We’ve launched an Employee Resource Group (ERG) to build an equitable workplace — they review our HR and communication policies, conduct DEI workshops, and improve infrastructure to support diverse identities. We also offer inclusive health insurance that covers LGBTQIA+ employees and their partners.

We’ve been supporting LGBTQIA+ rights since our inception. Our intellectual property, Consciously Speaking — a guide to LGBTQ+ terminology — has been building impact since 2021, with a Marathi edition released in 2024. One of the volumes was even authored by a team member."

Anushweta Sinha Ray, Talent Lead, India at Zeno Group, says their collaboration with USC Annenberg on the “Mind the Gap” study has given the group hard data on generational differences within the PR industry. 

Ray shares, "The insights we’ve gained are already informing real-time changes in how we mentor, collaborate and structure our teams. On a global scale, Project GAP, launched last November brings together Gen Z and young Millennial employees, not as observers but as co-creators of our future leadership vision. By inviting them to the table, we not only bridge generational gaps, but we also ensure that the tactics and channels we deploy resonate authentically with the next generation of communicators."

For example, Zeno offers hybrid working as well as a 'Work From Anywhere' policy, which grants up to thirty days a year to work from the location of the employee's choice.

Girish Balachandran, founder of On Purpose, shares, "In our experience, Gen Z want flexibility but not isolation. They want the freedom to work on their terms, yes, but they also want community, mentorship, and culture. So we co-created a hybrid model with inputs from across the team: four days in the office, one remote. On top of that, everyone has access to two additional WFH days (other than the weekly ones), and our policies around mental health, D&I, and period leave provide further flexibility."

On Purpose measures the impact of their initiatives to engage Gen Z, "Last year, we introduced an AI-powered workplace assistant who runs regular, structured surveys focused on mental wellbeing and team satisfaction. In fact, in our last engagement survey, we hit the jackpot, scoring a solid 4+ out of 5 in every single subcategory,

We also look at retention, especially among early-career professionals, and at how often junior team members are stepping into the spotlight, leading meetings, writing bylines, and representing On Purpose in external forums", Balachandran adds.