Every September, many interns and apprentices join companies. For HR teams and managers, the process seems familiar: set up access, introduce the team, hand out the first assignments and organise the check-ins.
Yet the expectations of young people discovering the world of work today are changing. They no longer look only for an experience to add to their CV or a chance of being hired. They want to understand what they will learn, what they will contribute to and under what conditions they can progress.
This change does not reflect a lack of commitment, but a different way of approaching the start of a career. For companies that hire in volume each September, it calls for a rethink of how young talent is hired, onboarded and managed.
A different definition of success
Generation Z, which generally covers people born between the second half of the 1990s and the early 2010s, now accounts for most interns, apprentices and young graduates.
It is sometimes described as less ambitious or less drawn to responsibility. Recent data show a more nuanced reality.
According to Deloitte's 2026 global survey (opens a new window), only 25% of the Generation Z respondents favour fast progression based on successive promotions. Another 44% prefer a more gradual path and 21% consider a lateral move to broaden their experience.
Ambition has therefore not disappeared. It is expressed differently: through acquiring skills, a variety of experiences, stability and building a sustainable career path.
Pay also remains decisive. Meaning, flexibility and non-financial benefits do not replace it: they contribute to an overall assessment of the experience on offer.
Show the reality of the role from the hiring stage
Onboarding starts as soon as the job advert is read and continues through the first exchanges with the company.
Young candidates want to understand the assignments they will be given, the skills they will be able to develop, their place in the team and the support planned for them. A presentation that is too vague or excessively flattering risks creating a gap between the promise made during hiring and the reality of the role.
Transparency must therefore cover the assignments, the working arrangements, the rhythm of alternating between company and school, and the prospects available at the end of the contract.
These expectations nonetheless remain individual. Not all candidates of the same generation look for the same level of autonomy, flexibility or support. The task is to identify them during hiring rather than assume them.
Prepare the arrival and give clear reference points
For an intern or an apprentice, the first interactions with the company quickly determine the level of trust placed in the organisation.
Access that is not ready, an absent manager or vague assignments can give the impression that the arrival was not prepared. Conversely, a few pieces of information shared beforehand are enough to create a reassuring framework:
- the programme for the first week;
- working hours and arrangements;
- the name of the manager or mentor;
- the first assignments;
- the team's working rules.
This predictability is particularly important for apprentices, who have to reconcile the demands of the company with those of their training.
A simple roadmap, setting out the assignments, the skills to acquire and the planned check-ins, then gives the experience a clear direction.
Give meaning without overselling the assignment
Young employees do not necessarily expect every assignment to have a major impact on the company. Above all, they want to understand the usefulness of their work.
What will this task be used for? Who will use the result? Which skill will it help develop? These explanations matter most for routine tasks, which are often numerous at the start of an internship or apprenticeship.
Meaning also depends on consistency between what the company says and what it does day to day. Promising autonomy while checking every action, or promoting work-life balance while regularly asking teams to work late in the evening, quickly undermines trust.
Combine flexibility and support
For an intern or an apprentice, flexibility is not just about remote working. It can mean hours compatible with classes, an adjusted workload during exams or growing autonomy in organising tasks.
This flexibility must nonetheless come with explicit rules. The least experienced profiles need to know the deadlines, how work is signed off and who to turn to when they run into difficulty.
The manager plays a central role here. A weekly check-in, even a short one, makes it possible to review the assignments completed, set the next priorities and identify the skills to develop.
Feedback must be precise enough to become a learning tool. Explaining what works, what needs improving and how to progress is more useful than a simple approval or a request for corrections.
Make career prospects visible from the moment they arrive
Talking about progression with an apprentice from their first weeks does not mean promising them a job.
It is about making visible the skills they can acquire, the jobs that exist in the company, the projects they can take part in and the conditions under which their path might continue.
That progression does not have to be vertical. A spell in another team or taking part in a cross-functional project can already enrich the experience and help the young employee clarify their career plans.
For companies, this visibility also makes it possible to spot potential earlier and to turn hiring campaigns into a pipeline of talent.
Conclusion
The arrival of Generation Z does not overturn the fundamentals of a successful onboarding. It makes certain expectations more visible: a clear framework, useful assignments, accessible management and concrete opportunities to learn.
For companies that hire large numbers of interns or apprentices, the challenge is therefore not to multiply perks. It is to ensure genuine continuity between the role presented during hiring and the experience lived in the team.
An internship or an apprenticeship is often the first lasting contact with the professional world. When it keeps its promises, this experience can turn a young team member into a future employee, and also into a lasting ambassador for the company.
FAQ
Is Generation Alpha already present in companies?
Very few. Its oldest members are starting to do observation placements or to join some apprenticeship programmes. Its significant arrival on the job market is expected towards the end of the decade.
Does Generation Z favour meaning over pay?
Pay and financial stability remain central. But they are weighed alongside other criteria: how interesting the assignments are, opportunities to learn, flexibility and the quality of management.
How can you improve onboarding without creating an overly heavy process?
A few measures can be enough: sharing practical information before arrival, defining a roadmap, naming a mentor and holding a weekly check-in. The regularity of support matters more than the number of initiatives offered.
