• Growth Tank founder David Willey.
    Growth Tank founder David Willey.
Close×

Youth marketing and recruiting experts shared some surprising insights on Gen Z workers at the NextGen Breakfast Forum this morning at AUSPACK 2019.

By 2025, Generation Z will comprise more than a quarter of the Australian workforce, and Growth Tank founder and a youth marketing expert David Willey shared his insights on how to connect with this important group.

Gen Z members prioritise positive workplace and culture higher than financial benefits, and place a higher importance on job security and fair pay than their millennial counterparts.

To make this group happy and productive, WIlley says, companies will need to be seen to be ethical, offer clear and structured career progression, and offer them personal (in addition to professional) development opportunities that help them grow as an individual.

They also value regular feedback, flexibility and work-life balance, he says. “Understanding that your employee’s life is more important than their work is key.” 

Presenter PWC Australia’s Justin Ling said the company uses more digital channels than ever to recruit and engage with its younger recruits.

He also noted that alternative pathways to employment are growing, and he predicted that school leaver recruitment will overtake graduate recruitment within five years.

Food & Drink Business

Functional beverage company, HOPR, has completed a capital raise of more than $3 million, marking the largest drinks-sector raise in Australia so far in 2025, according to the company’s advisors.

Ink Gin was born on a family farm in the Northern Rivers, adding its rich colour to the Australian gin sector, and building up a global brand known for its unique botanicals. Ink Gin co-founder, Harriet Messenger, reflects on a decade of distilling, and the process of growing an award-winning brand from the ground up.

Metcash is investing $12 million into upgrading its Alice Springs distribution centre (DC), aiming to mitigate supply chain challenges and increasing rates of food insecurity in remote Australia.