Instead of climbing one corporate ladder, Gen Z is redefining career rules. Many young professionals are hopping across roles like stepping stones, prioritising growth, flexibility, and skills over the
once-celebrated promise of staying with ‘one company for life.’
Increasingly being described as ‘lily padding’ or what some observers call a ‘career frog jump,’ research suggests that this shift is not merely anecdotal. According to a 2025 workplace study by global HR solutions firm Randstad, the average tenure of a Gen Z employee in the first five years of their career is about 1.1 years.
By comparison, millennials stay in early roles for around 1.8 years, while members of older generations often remain close to three years in their first jobs.
Unlike the traditional model that emphasises stability and loyalty to a single employer, this approach prioritises flexibility and continuous learning. For younger professionals, careers are no longer perceived as a linear ladder but a series of strategic moves designed to build employability.
What The Report Says
In simpler terms, the Gen Z employees typically stay in one job for about 1.1 years, which is roughly 13 months before moving to another job. The study, which analysed responses from 11250 workers across 15 markets and more than 126 million job postings worldwide, indicates that this shorter tenure does not necessarily signal impatience. Instead, it reflects a generation actively searching for growth opportunities.
The report also notes that one in three Gen Z workers plan to change jobs within this year, highlighting the mobility that characterises early careers for this generation. Sander van ’t Noordende, CEO of Randstad, described the shift as a response to transforming workplace dynamics.
“Gen Z is stepping into the workforce amid transformation, not just responding to change, but driving it. They are ambitious, adaptable, and searching for growth. Employers who want to retain them must rethink how they design early careers and build trust through purpose and progression,” he said.
A Generation Focused On Growth
For many young professionals, switching jobs is not an impulsive decision, but rather a well-thought-out one. Shubhi, a 25-year-old digital marketing officer, says the motivation is often straightforward.
“If another role helps me learn faster or pays better, why would I wait five years for a promotion?” she asks. Her sentiment reflects a broader shift in priorities among younger employees, who often value rapid skill development and career acceleration more than long-term tenure.
Harshit, a 26-year-old software engineer, believes, “Earlier generations were taught that loyalty to one company was the key to success. But today, opportunities move fast and industries change quickly. I believe if I want to stay relevant, I need to move faster than the traditional career path allows,” he explains.
Similarly, Samarth, a 24-year-old sales manager, sees each job as part of a continuous learning journey. “Every job feels like a learning experience. I treat each role almost like a course where I pick up new skills, meet new people, and understand the industry better. Once I feel I have learned enough, I’m open to the next opportunity. Waiting five or six years for a promotion does not always make sense today,” he says.
Why Gen Z Is Embracing Lily Padding Trend
Lily Padding is a workplace trend where professionals move from one job to another within short periods, much like a frog hopping between lily pads. Instead of staying with a single company for many years, employees, especially those from Gen Z, make strategic career moves to gain new skills, exposure and better opportunities.
As young workers are seeing jobs as a stepping stone, one key factor that is encouraging this behaviour is the rapid evolution of technology. Industries influenced by artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and automation are changing quickly, and workers often feel pressured to continuously update their skills.
The Randstad study also highlights how strongly Gen Z is engaging with emerging technologies. Around 75% of Gen Z respondents reported using artificial intelligence to learn new skills, while 55% said they use AI to solve problems at work.
Another factor is the growing gig mindset. The research suggests that only 45% of Gen Z workers currently hold traditional full-time roles, while many combine employment with side projects or freelance work to diversify their income or experience.
What Hiring Managers Are Observing
Human resource professionals say the trend is becoming increasingly visible, particularly in urban job markets. Balasubramanian A, Senior Vice President at TeamLease Services, notes that Gen Z employees often approach early careers differently from previous generations.
“There is a noticeable shift in how many Gen Z workers approach employment, particularly in metros and Tier-1 cities. Younger professionals today are often more open to moving across roles or employers as they look for better pay and work that aligns with their personal goals or sense of purpose,” he explains.
However, he adds that the pattern is not uniform across India. “In smaller cities, factors such as income stability and long-term security still remain stronger considerations when choosing or staying in a job,” he says.
How HR Views Frequent Job Changes
For employers, a resume with several short stints can raise questions, though perceptions are evolving. Balasubramanian explains that hiring teams now evaluate such profiles more carefully.
“Multiple short stints on a resume are typically assessed in context rather than viewed in isolation. In several fast-growing sectors, shorter tenures have become more common as workers move between opportunities offering better pay, stability, or role progression,” he says.
Recruiters increasingly focus on skills, responsibilities and measurable outcomes rather than just tenure.
Anil Agarwal, founder of hiring platform InCruiter, says the mindset of younger professionals is fundamentally different from earlier generations. “Gen Z is not necessarily ‘disloyal,’ but they are certainly more transactional than previous generations. They view a career as a collection of high-impact experiences rather than a singular ladder to climb,” he explains.
According to him, many candidates evaluate jobs based on the learning opportunities they provide. “For this cohort, a job is a platform for rapid skill acquisition. If they feel they have extracted the maximum learning value within eighteen months, they see no logical reason to stay for five years just for the sake of a tenure certificate,” he adds.
The Challenge For Organisations
While mobility can benefit workers, it also creates operational challenges for companies. Frequent job switching can disrupt team continuity, particularly in roles where experience and familiarity with processes are essential.
Balasubramanian notes that higher attrition often means teams spend more time onboarding and training new employees. “Higher attrition often means teams spend more time on repeated onboarding and training, which can temporarily disrupt productivity and collaboration,” he says.
Agarwal describes the phenomenon as a kind of organisational strain. “Frequent turnover creates a ‘leaky bucket’ syndrome where companies are constantly spending resources on onboarding rather than execution,” he explains.
When employees leave too quickly, organisations can lose institutional knowledge that develops over time. “Long-term projects require deep contextual knowledge that cannot be transferred in a two-week handover,” he adds.
Adapting To A Mobile Workforce
Despite the challenges, companies are beginning to rethink their strategies to retain young talent. Many organisations are introducing structured training programs, faster promotion pathways and flexible work environments to keep employees engaged. Balasubramanian says retention strategies increasingly focus on purpose and growth.
“Many organisations are strengthening structured training, offering faster role progression, and creating work environments where employees feel a stronger sense of purpose and contribution,” he says.
Agarwal believes companies must move beyond traditional retention models altogether. “To engage Gen Z, organisations need a ‘re-recruitment’ mindset. If you want to keep top talent, you have to win them over every single day,” he says.
Some firms are introducing internal mobility programmes, allowing employees to move between projects or departments within the same organisation rather than leaving for external opportunities.
Benefits Of Strategic Mobility
When managed well, the lily padding approach can also bring advantages. Employees who work across multiple organisations often gain exposure to different technologies, business models, and teams.
Such experience can help them develop adaptable skill sets that are valuable in fast-changing industries. Cross-industry learning can also benefit organisations by bringing new ideas into teams.
For example, professionals who have worked in start-ups, large corporations and consulting environments may bring different perspectives to problem-solving. The challenge lies in ensuring that career moves remain strategic rather than impulsive.
Finding The Balance
Experts suggest that early career mobility can be valuable when each role builds complementary skills. However, moving too frequently without clear progression may eventually slow professional growth. Employees may struggle to build deeper expertise or leadership capabilities if they never stay long enough to see projects through.
For organisations, the key may be designing workplaces that combine stability with growth opportunities. Instead of a single ladder leading upward within one company, professional journeys are increasingly shaped by multiple experiences across organisations and industries.
