{"id":35774,"date":"2026-06-24T06:28:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T13:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/for-gen-z-pros-work-is-not-an-identity-contractors-should-take-note\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T06:28:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T13:28:45","slug":"for-gen-z-pros-work-is-not-an-identity-contractors-should-take-note","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/for-gen-z-pros-work-is-not-an-identity-contractors-should-take-note\/","title":{"rendered":"For Gen Z pros, work is not an identity. Contractors should take note."},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/static\/img\/play.svg?313321260226\" alt=\"-\"><br \/>\n        Listen to the article<\/p>\n<p>            <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">4 min<\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"https:\/\/text-to-speech.divecdn.com\/newspost\/823553\/2026-06-24_09.00.50\/gen-z-pros-construction-identity-work-life-balance.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"editor-note\">\n<p><em>\u201cGeneration Toolbelt\u201d is a column dedicated to exploring Generation Z, its relationship to the workplace and its role in helping fill construction\u2019s labor gap.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Corey Silverman has a passion for poker.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>He got invested in playing Texas Hold \u2018em in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, reading books and watching YouTube videos to delve into the math and strategy behind the game.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Silverman, 29, works as a safety specialist for construction risk management platform Highwire. There, he says he has the time to pursue both professional goals and personal interests.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cI have a lot of hobbies and interests outside of work, and I really view work as a means to support me, give me stability, so I&#8217;m able to pursue those hobbies,\u201d Silverman said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Work-life balance means different things to different people, especially across generations. Billionaire Kevin O\u2019Leary of Shark Tank fame decried the notion, saying he hopes people seeking work-life <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/2026\/05\/26\/kevin-oleary-work-life-balance-quiet-quitting-competitors\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>balance go and work for his competitors<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span>, per Fortune.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"pullquote\">\n<hr\/>\n<div class=\"pq-hr-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"pq-quote\">&#8220;I view work as a way to support my life outside of work, not as my identity.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"pq-headshot\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"-\" class=\"pq-headshot-img-hidden\" src=\"https:\/\/d12v9rtnomnebu.cloudfront.net\/diveimages\/corporate_site\/teampage\/square_profiles\/placeholder-200.png\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-speaker-details\">\n<p class=\"pq-speaker\">Corey Silverman<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-speaker-title\">Safety specialist, Highwire<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<\/div>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>But Generation Z, or those born starting in 1997, puts immense value on work-life balance, with some even <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrdive.com\/news\/gen-z-employees-taking-charge-of-their-own-work-life-balance-survey-finds\/728021\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>taking charge of creating that harmony<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> regardless of their work situation, according to a 2024 report from SurveyMonkey.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>That presents construction employers, eager to capitalize on Gen Z as &#8220;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/lifestyle\/careers\/gen-z-trades-jobs-plumbing-welding-a76b5e43\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The Toolbelt generation<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>,&#8221; with a gamble.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Do they fold and walk away from potential workers who see a job as a means to an end, or go all-in on helping the emerging workforce optimize both their time at work and away from it?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Gen Z isn\u2019t clock-watching<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Silverman started his career at a general contractor. He made the change from working for a builder to a tech startup because construction was known for its long, unpredictable hours. Building a structure takes as long as it takes. Meeting the timeline often means early mornings and late nights.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cFor me, I felt like I wanted something that would give me more time outside of work to pursue the things that I really care about and want to spend my time doing,\u201d Silverman said. \u201cI view work as a way to support my life outside of work, not as my identity.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Hannah Hsi, 25 and an assistant project manager at San Jose, California-based electrical contractor Rosendin, said she has worked with bosses from previous generations who come in early and leave late. That attitude of living at the workplace to show dedication is common among older workers, according to the Gen Zers interviewed for this column.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In Hsi\u2019s experience, it led to whole teams staying on site for longer hours, which didn\u2019t necessarily correlate with a boost in output.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cI don&#8217;t always think it&#8217;s more productive just because you&#8217;re staying at work longer,\u201d Hsi said. \u201cI think that you can get a healthy amount of work done in eight hours that you may not need an extra two or three hours. It may not have that much more benefit just if you&#8217;re just staying there to stay at work.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Nonetheless, Gen Z professionals said the industry has evolved.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cI feel at least the people that I&#8217;ve been lucky enough to work with have been mindful to outside-of-work things and haven&#8217;t ever given me that much pressure,\u201d said Lauren Welsh, 25 and assistant project manager at Skanska.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Output still matters<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Gen Z construction professionals stressed that they understand work still needs to get done, and on schedule. That can mean long days.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Fulton Cure, consultant for Baltimore-based Well Built Construction Consulting, said when he first worked in the field, he knew longer hours were required. Now, Cure, 28, has a daughter, which he said has changed his attitude in the last couple of months.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cI try to manage it as best I can. I try to be done as early as I can,\u201d Cure said. Even then, sometimes he works for an hour or two after he\u2019s put his daughter to bed. Welsh, too, says she often ends up taking calls or emails after normal work hours if necessary.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>On balance, those examples show Gen Z workers put more value on what they got done in a given day than the amount of time they spent doing it.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Cure says he\u2019s set a boundary at work, taking off a little early on Friday afternoons to spend time with his daughter. Even still, that\u2019s not something that\u2019s handed to him.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cI&#8217;m only able to do that because I get my stuff done and because they trust that I&#8217;m going to get it done,\u201d Cure said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/gen-z-pros-construction-identity-work-life-balance\/823553\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. \u201cGeneration &#8230; <a title=\"For Gen Z pros, work is not an identity. Contractors should take note.\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/for-gen-z-pros-work-is-not-an-identity-contractors-should-take-note\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about For Gen Z pros, work is not an identity. Contractors should take note.\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[457],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-dive","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35774\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}