如何理解95后和00后

Since I started my business in 2010, our company has welcomed a new group of employees every year. Most are young people just out of university. Over time, the post-85 and post-90 generations have gradually given way to those born after 1995 and, now, after 2000. I can clearly see that young people shaped by different eras have different characteristics. The most striking change is their stronger sense of self and their higher expectations for meaning, value, and experience.

In my interactions with young people born after 1995 and 2000, I have noticed a major shift in their attitudes toward employment. Many new graduates tell me that around half their classmates are preparing for postgraduate entrance exams, civil-service exams, or public-institution recruitment exams. Some who fail on their first attempt stay at home to prepare again without looking for work in the meantime. Even among those who enter the workforce directly, quite a few still consider taking the civil-service exam later.

I believe there are two main reasons behind this pattern. On the one hand, a difficult economic environment has reduced job opportunities and intensified competition. On the other hand, young people and their families have higher expectations of work. They hope to find jobs that are more respectable and comfortable, secure and stable. If they cannot, they would rather postpone working.

Compared with the striving spirit associated with people born in the 1980s and the freer attitude of those born in the 1990s, the post-95 and post-00 generations display distinctly different traits. At the company, I pay close attention to the state of mind and ideas of new colleagues, and I think about how our culture and management can show greater care for them and better adapt to their characteristics.

Most people born after 1995 and 2000 are only children. They grew up with better material conditions and considerable attention from their parents, giving them a stronger sense of self and self-respect. They pursue individuality and freedom, want more autonomy at work, and resist excessive rules and authority. They place greater value on work-life balance, have interests of their own, and want more time for themselves. They do not like working overtime.

This generation also grew up in a diverse and open social environment. They dislike monotonous, repetitive work and are more selective and demanding about the tasks they take on. At the same time, however, they tend to think more innovatively and prefer challenging work.

Having been exposed to the internet from childhood, they are accustomed to—and skilled at—learning, entertaining themselves, communicating, and gathering information online. This makes their lifestyle more home-centered: if something can be handled online, they do it online, and they engage relatively less in face-to-face interaction.

Times change, and every generation has its own defining qualities. Companies must respond to the new generation with new approaches to culture and management, value their desire for self-realization, and create a more open, transparent, fair, and diverse working environment. At the same time, those born after 2000 should also adapt proactively: strengthen their patience and resilience, interact and collaborate more actively, and prepare for the challenges of entering society and the workplace.