Gen Z and the Significance of Coaching and Mentoring
Within the framework of the project titled “The Leaders of Tomorrow – The Present and Future of Leadership Development,” we are focusing heavily on how Gen Z leaders relate to coaching and mentoring, and what their most common support needs are.
Gen Z’s Values – Why Are Coaching and Mentoring Important to Them?
According to a Deloitte 2025 survey, the priorities of Gen Z (born between 1995 and 2006) include learning, development, financial security, meaningful work, and mental well-being. Instead of the traditional career ladder, there is a strong emphasis on the need for diverse, flexible, and personalized development. Metrics show that Gen Z members engage in training with high intensity (70%) on a weekly basis, and 67% voluntarily develop themselves outside of work hours.
In the Hungarian context, it is also clear that they seek stability, but alongside it, they want flexibility, challenges, and a structured environment—it just needs to be shaped differently than before.
The Role of Mentoring: Worth More Than Simple Knowledge Transfer
For Gen Z, a mentor is not just an advisor, but a supportive figure who provides structured feedback, regular consultation, and a personal development map.
Beyond all this, Gen Z values open communication and the regularity of feedback—these are often prioritized over income alone.
Global research indicates that 83% of Gen Z considers it important to have a mentor at work, yet only 52% have this opportunity. Another study shows that 82% of Gen Z want their leader to help them set goals, and 83% perform better when they feel their leader cares about them.
Coaching as a Collaborative Process
Coaching is a collaborative process in which a trained coach supports clients, individually or in groups, to improve their performance, achieve their goals, and advance their personal/professional development. For Gen Z leaders, this provides self-confidence and independent thinking, making it a particularly important tool.
According to an analysis by Coachlab.hu, members of Gen Z respond better to a coaching-style of mentoring, where they are encouraged through continuous questioning and encouragement to develop their own solutions. The SparkEffect study also supports this: Gen Z requires clearly outlined expectations, but within a well-defined framework of freedom, along with regular feedback.
Where Do They Request the Most Help?
The most common topics where Gen Z leaders require support are:
- Career planning and goal setting – setting career and development paths: 82% require assistance with this.
- Digital literacy and innovation – AI, remote work, digital transformation; according to Multijob, training must focus on AI management as well.
- Continuous feedback – structured, daily interaction, in the form of coaching.
- Mental well-being and work-life balance – the "conscious unbossing" approach: they reject the hierarchical, stressful leadership role.
Peer and near-peer mentoring (interactions with a mentor who is an equal or one generation older) are proven to increase engagement and the development experience for this generation. Furthermore, self-mentoring (self-directed development through self-reflection) can be particularly useful for Gen Z leaders who strive for a high degree of autonomy.
What Does This Mean for Hungarian Workplaces?
EMCC research in Hungary highlights that there is often an overlap between coaches and mentors, but the conscious typification of the roles can aid in establishing more effective support structures.
Leaders must expand their roles (coach, mentor, facilitator) to adapt well to intergenerational collaboration.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Gen Z leaders are not passive recipients: they are active builders seeking new types of development paths that are built simultaneously on human relationships (coaching, mentoring) and technological support (digital learning, AI tools).
In Hungary, it is worthwhile to adjust leadership development accordingly: establish structured but flexible frameworks, consciously position coach and mentor roles, integrate digital and mental well-being aspects, and enable intergenerational reciprocity.
Overall, I believe that rethinking the coaching-mentoring pairing for Gen Z is not only a development advantage but also a competitive advantage for organizations—in the form of clear, supportive, people-centered, and innovative leadership.
Written by: Dr. Tímea Venczel-Szakó, assistant professor