The way younger generations view the world of work, build their professional identity and imagine the relationship between life, personal growth and organisations is changing. This is the picture that emerged from “The Dimensions of the New Talent Equation”, the new study developed by Webboh Lab, Italy’s first permanent observatory on Generation Z, created by Webboh together with the Sylla research institute under the scientific direction of Professor Furio Camillo. The research was presented at the Fuori Festival of the Trento Festival of Economics during the panel discussion “The End of the Beginning of Work”, dedicated to the changing nature of work among younger generations.
Based on research conducted by the Webboh Lab Observatory on a sample of more than 3,000 Italians aged between 14 and 30, the study explored the expectations, language and cultural models that are reshaping attitudes towards work in the era of artificial intelligence and identity-driven professions.
According to the research, talent is no longer perceived simply as technical expertise, but rather as a balance between four fundamental dimensions: meaning, or the search for purpose; balance, understood as work-life balance; growth, in terms of personal development; and trust, encompassing reliability and coherence.
“Gen Z is not rejecting work. It is changing the rules of work,” explained Furio Camillo, lecturer at the University of Bologna and Scientific Director of Webboh Lab. “Today, work must have meaning, balance, growth and trust. Talent is no longer just competence: it is expectation.”
THE FOUR DRIVERS OF THE “TALENT EQUATION”
The research shows how young people’s relationship with work is shifting from a purely professional logic to one that is increasingly identity-driven and relational.
Meaning: work must have purpose
An increasing number of young people say they want to identify with what they do. Even when offered good financial conditions, many are willing to leave a company if they do not perceive alignment between themselves and their work.
Balance: work-life balance
Younger generations are not looking for less work, but for work that is sustainable. Sacrifice is no longer seen as a value in itself unless it sits within a broader life balance.
Growth: personal development
Growth is no longer tied solely to career progression. Young people show strong mobility and are ready to move quickly between experiences if they feel their personal development is not advancing.
Trust: reliability and coherence
Retention within organisations increasingly depends on perceived trust. When there is a gap between what a company promises and what it actually delivers, the relationship tends to break down quickly.
THE SIX TALENT EQUATION PROFILES
As Furio Camillo, lecturer at the University of Bologna and Scientific Director of Webboh Lab, puts it: “The difference today is not between those who want to work and those who do not. The difference lies in the different ways of giving meaning to work.”
The research identified six psychographic clusters representing the different ways young Italians experience and interpret the new dimensions of talent and the relationship between individuals and organisations:
- The Conscious Balancers (22%): prioritise balance and reject all-consuming work;
- The Growth Explorers (20.9%): growth-oriented, dynamic and highly mobile;
- The Meaning Seekers (19.3%): place meaning at the centre, viewing work as identity;
- The Security Pragmatists (16.2%): focus on trust in company values and seek stability;
- The Detached (12.4%): low engagement across all dimensions;
- The Fully Engaged (9.2%): highly demanding across all key factors
WORK AS A CULTURAL MATTER
According to the research, the challenges many companies face today in recruitment and retention are not driven solely by a skills gap, but by a deeper transformation in the relationship between people, identity and organisations.
Work is increasingly less understood as a simple role, and more as a space for personal development and self-construction.
In this context, even conflict is changing in nature: it is no longer purely organisational, but cultural and interpretative.
The panel “The End of the Beginning of Work” at the Fuori Festival of the Trento Festival of Economics
The study was presented by Professor Furio Camillo, lecturer at the University of Bologna and Scientific Director of Webboh Lab, during the Fuori Festival panel The End of the Beginning of Work: Access, Artificial Intelligence and Quality of Life in Younger Generations. The discussion featured, alongside Camillo, Giulio Pasqui, co-founder of Webboh; Stefano Visconti, CEO of Incrementoo; Sabrina Dallagiovanna, Sales Manager at Molino Dallagiovanna, one of Italy’s oldest mills; and creator Nikola Greku.
CREATOR VALUE MAP: CREATORS AS MODELS OF CONTEMPORARY WORK
During the event, Webboh Lab also presented the Creator Value Map, a framework designed to analyse digital creators not by fame or follower count, but by the meanings and values they activate among young audiences.
Each survey participant evaluated five creators using around twenty keywords, based on dimensions such as authenticity, usefulness, expressiveness, reflection, engagement and reliability.
To interpret these differences, the research built a model based on two key dimensions:
- on one side, the relationship with work, which can be oriented either towards meaning and personal identity or towards security and stability
- on the other, the way work is experienced, which can be more individual (self-centred) or more collective and relational
By combining these dimensions, the research outlines a genuine “cultural map” of working styles, allowing both young people and creators to be read as symbolic models of contemporary work. These models anticipate new forms of relationship between identity, recognition, public exposure and profession.
In this scenario, there is no longer a single way of working: different cultural maps are emerging, evolving with age and with the ways young people give meaning to work.
The creators featured in the study include: Khaby Lame, Elisa Maino, Luca Campolunghi, Awed, Benedetta Rossi, Nikola Greku, Luis Sal, Camihawke, Giulia De Lellis and Alfa.
For more information, please visit:https://webboh-lab.it/
Webboh Lab, born from the collaboration between Webboh and the research institute Sylla under the scientific supervision of Professor Furio Camillo, is the first Permanent Observatory on Generation Z in Italy. Its goal is to provide an authentic, data-driven picture of Gen Z, giving young people a voice through surveys and research that turn their opinions into actionable insights for companies, institutions, and the media.
Sylla is a research institute specialising in market surveys, economic analysis, marketing studies, and business development. It collaborates with national and international research centres, public institutions, communication agencies, and leading Italian universities including Bologna, Genoa, Trento, Turin, Politecnico di Milano, Università Cattolica di Milano, and Bicocca di Milano. Sylla is a member of ESOMAR and operates in full compliance with international professional ethics codes.
Webboh is a leading media brand for NewGen audiences. Founded in 2019, it has been part of the Mondadori Group since 2023. It records a monthly web and social reach of over 5 million users (source: Comscore social incremental reach, March 2026) and a community of 6 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp. It consistently ranks among the top ten most influential Italian media outlets on social platforms and is the leading brand for Generation Z in terms of engagement and video views (source: Prima Comunicazione Top Italian Media ranking).