Companies have gone to extreme lengths to attract and retain the next generation of workers, from unlimited PTO to an increased emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. But which companies are actually catching the attention of Gen Zers?

According to the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS), companies with a demonstrated social impact, drivers for upward mobility and opportunities for creativity and adventure are favored by Gen Z workers in 2022.

The NSHSS 2022 Career Interest Survey found that the five themes characterizing the next generation of professionals include equity for all; stem and health care; love of learning; seeing the world after Covid; and college debt.

According to the survey, Gen Z talent wants to work at companies that allow them to act on their social responsibility, with 22% of survey respondents saying their own experiences with racial inequality have influenced their career choices. Additionally, 44% of Gen Z expect their employers to assist them with student loan debt.

Based on these priorities, here are the top 10 employers Gen Zers are most interested in, and their ratings in 2020:

1. Local hospital

2020 Rank: 1 

2. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

2020 Rank: 2 

3. Spotify

2020 Rank: 42 

4. Google

2020 Rank: 5 

5. Amazon

2020 Rating: 7 

6. FBI

2020 Rating: 6 

7. Mayo Clinic

2020 Rating: 3 

8. Apple

2020 Rating: 8 

9. SpaceX

2020 Rating: 20 

10. Walt Disney Company

2020 Rating: 4 

Spotify saw a huge jump in ratings, going from #42 to being in the top 3. According to NSHSS president James Lewis, this is due to their strong connection with Gen Z.

"By allowing young people to interact with the brand as users or on social media, that experience has made them say 'I would love to work for that particular company.' Students are moving around and listening to music everywhere they go, on their phones, in their cars … so it's a very interactive brand that they know, and they appreciate."

Another shocker for NSHSS was the amount of students interested in working in space. According to the report, 29% of students are interested in living and working in outer space if given the opportunity. Lewis believes billionaires Elon Musk and Richard Branson play a huge role in this newfound interest.

"Gen Z is adventurous. [Musk and Branson] have a vision for changing the world, not only on Earth but beyond. And when these young people see the accomplishments of these two entrepreneurs, they feel like it's a doable frontier to master. So now we have young people saying, 'gosh, I could do that."

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