Armed Forces ranked alongside McDonald's and KFC as least appealing employers for Gen Z

A new list of the top 10 most appealing – and unappealing – places for Gen Z to work has been released, with all three military services ranking among the worst.

Research from Prograd, a Gen Z insights company, revealed the Armed Forces all ranked in the top 10 most unappealing employers, with the Royal Marines considered the least attractive.

Coming third, behind McDonald's and KFC, the Royal Marines was closely followed by the Royal Navy in fourth and the Army in fifth.

• Gen Z is failing to join the military like my generation did, Wallace warns
• Healey announces plan to end recruitment woes by axing acne and asthma restriction
• Damning figures for UK military recruitment with 54% giving up on the process last year

The RAF fared slightly better, but not by much, coming in at seventh, with Deliveroo splitting the service from the rest.

The research surveyed 1,997 people in the UK between the ages of 15 and 27.

The Armed Forces have experienced a downturn in recruitment since 2000.

According to a House of Commons research briefing on defence personnel statistics, as of 1 April this year the total size of the full-time Armed Forces, including both trained and untrained, was around 148,230 personnel.

Over half of personnel were within the Army (56%), with the remainder being equally split between the Royal Navy/Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force.

Aside from the Armed Forces, working at UK schools and in the police force were also considered to be unappealing jobs.

This signals the difficulty that UK public sectors may have recruiting new workers, and a need for them to innovate to appeal to young people.

Marco Logiudice, co-founder at Prograd, said: "Companies might think that Gen Z are all about values, but our research shows that employers need to offer more than just good credentials to attract the right talent.

"Gen Z want high salaries, career progression, job security and positive work environments.

"Companies that don't adapt to the needs of this generation risk missing out on the talent that will shape their future success."

Tech firms come top

The data revealed that tech giants Microsoft, Google and Apple lead the list of companies Gen Z would most like to be employed by.

The research also showed Gen Z take a practical attitude towards work, with 58% saying they value financial stability over following their passion.

This was shown, when asked why they were thinking about switching jobs, with 63% of Gen Z stating it was because they wanted a better salary.

When it comes to their salary expectations, Gen Z expect to earn £28,377 for their first full-time job, which is aligned with many internships.

However, this rises quickly, with Gen Z expecting to earn £55,510 by the age of 30, rising to £72,537 by 40, and £87,954 by 50.

This is much higher than UK averages, which see 22 to 29-year-olds earning £30,316 per year on average, 30 to 39-year-olds earning £37,544 on average and 40 to 49-year-olds earning £40,040 per annum on average according to the ONS.

Putting pay before passion 

Clarissa Muzariri, 18, from London, said "passion doesn't pay the bills".

"With costs continuing to rise, we want careers that help us achieve the lifestyle we want," she said.

"Big tech companies not only pay well, but they are also places that can give people exciting careers. 

"If companies don't listen to what young people want, they are going to struggle to attract and hold on to young talent."

Loyalty toward the workplace also doesn't seem to matter to Gen Z.

Twenty nine per cent of full-time Gen Z workers say they would consider switching jobs within the next two  years.

Key drivers included a better salary (63%), career advancement (58%) and chasing a better work-life balance (34%).

The 20 Most Unappealing Employers for Gen Z in 2024:

• 1 McDonald's
• 2 KFC
• 3 Royal Marines
• 4 Royal Navy
• 5 British Army
• 6 Deliveroo
• 7 RAF (Royal Air Force)
• 8 Just Eat
• 9 Rescue and Support Service (e.g., Coastguard)
• 10 Uber Eats
• 11 Police Force
• 12 BrewDog
• 13 UK Schools
• 14 Fire and Rescue Service
• 15 Pret A Manger
• 16 Greggs
• 17 Ryanair
• 18 X (Previously Twitter)
• 19 Primark
• 20 Costa Coffee

The Top 20 Most Appealing Employers for Gen Z in 2024:

• 1 Microsoft
• 2 Google
• 3 Apple
• 4 Rolls-Royce
• 5 BMW
• 6 Mercedes
• 7 McLaren
• 8 YouTube
• 9 Netflix
• 10 Samsung
• 11 Sony
• 12 Nintendo
• 13 Jaguar Land Rover
• 14 Spotify
• 15 Instagram
• 16 Warner Brothers
• 17 UNICEF
• 18 Cancer Research UK
• 19 Save the Children
• 20 Dior