How often does Gen Z want feedback at work? UK data answers

Alastair Greener FPSA Generational communication expert, author and President of the PSA UK and Ireland 2026 Published 5 September 2026 · 6 min read

45% of Gen Z workers want feedback from their boss at least weekly, according to our 2024 UK survey of 4,067 people, compared with 17% of Baby Boomers who want it only once a year. 41% of all workers get feedback less often than they would like, and 19% get it more often. This article sets out the numbers and how to set a feedback cadence by person rather than by age.

45% of Generation Z workers would like feedback from their boss at least once a week. That is the short answer, and it comes from our Communication Habits and Preferences 2024 survey of 4,067 people in the UK, in which workers aged 18 and over who have a boss were asked how often they would prefer to hear how they are doing.

The longer answer is more useful, because the same survey also asked how often people actually get feedback. The gap between the two is where the management problem lives. 41% of all workers get feedback less often than they would like, and 19% get it more often than they want. Both groups are unhappy, for opposite reasons.

How often does Gen Z want feedback at work?

Among Gen Z workers with a boss, 15% want feedback as often as possible, 8% want it daily and 22% want it weekly. Added together, 45% want feedback at least weekly. For comparison, 11% of all workers want it as often as possible, 4% daily and 16% weekly, so Gen Z sit well above the average on every one of the frequent options.

The most popular single answer across the whole working sample is monthly, chosen by 25%. Millennials (Gen Y in the survey) are the generation closest to Gen Z, with 18% choosing weekly. At the other end, 13% of Gen X and 15% of Baby Boomers want feedback every six months, and 11% of Gen X and 17% of Baby Boomers want it only once a year. 6% of Baby Boomers and 5% of Gen X say never.

Preferred feedback frequency	All workers	Notable generation scores
As often as possible	11%	Gen Z 15%
Daily	4%	Gen Z 8%
Weekly	16%	Gen Z 22%, Millennials 18%
Every two weeks	7%
Monthly	25%
Every three months	13%
Every six months	10%	Gen X 13%, Baby Boomers 15%
Once a year	8%	Gen X 11%, Baby Boomers 17%
Never	4%	Gen X 5%, Baby Boomers 6%

Source: Communication Habits and Preferences 2024. Base: workers aged 18 and over who have a boss.

45%of Gen Z workers want feedback from their boss at least weeklyCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024

41%of all workers get feedback less often than they would likeCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024

17%of Baby Boomers want feedback only once a yearCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024

60%of full-time students get feedback less often than they would likeCommunication Habits and Preferences 2024

How often does Gen Z actually get feedback?

More often than older workers, but still less often than they want. 10% of Gen Z workers get feedback daily and 19% weekly, so 29% get it at least weekly, against the 45% who would like it. A further 12% get it every two weeks. Across all workers the picture is 6% daily, 15% weekly, 8% every two weeks and 22% monthly, with 10% once a year and 7% never.

The once-a-year appraisal is still alive for the older half of the workforce: 14% of Gen X and 15% of Baby Boomers get feedback annually. For some of them that is exactly what they asked for. The 19% of workers who get more feedback than they want are a reminder that "more" is not the universal answer.

Students want feedback even more often

The pattern starts before people reach work. Among the 314 full-time students aged 16 and over in our sample, 26% want feedback from their teachers or tutors as often as possible, rising to 33% of 16 to 17 year olds, and a further 26% want it weekly. 60% of students get feedback less often than they would like and only 11% get it more often.

What they actually get depends on age. 30% of 16 to 17 year olds receive feedback weekly, while 26% of 18 to 21 year olds receive it every three months, which is the rhythm of the university term. A student used to weekly feedback at sixth form who moves to quarterly at university, then to an annual appraisal in their first job, has been trained in one direction and managed in another.

Why the feedback gap matters more than the age gap

It is tempting to read these figures as a Gen Z story. They are better read as a fit story. 45% of Gen Z want feedback at least weekly, which means more than half do not. 17% of Baby Boomers want it once a year, which means most Baby Boomers want it more often than that. The spread inside each generation is far wider than the gap between the averages.

Patrick Quinton-Smith made the same point when he joined the podcast to dismantle myths about Gen Z at work and focus on what improves retention and engagement, in Gen Z at work, retention, engagement and the real cost of ignoring it. Henry Farr, a young entrepreneur, gave a grounded view of how Gen Z approach relationships with older colleagues in What Gen Z wants at work and why it matters. Kim Seeling Smith argued that Millennials and Gen Z prioritising feedback might be saving the workplace rather than spoiling it, in Why Gen Z could save the future of work.

How to set a feedback cadence by person, not by age

Ask, then write it down. In a first one-to-one, ask each person how often they would like to hear how they are doing and in what form: a two-minute word after a meeting, a message, or a sit-down. Record the answer where you record objectives. Most managers have never asked the question and are guessing from the person's age.

Separate the cadences. Quick feedback on a piece of work can be weekly or daily without turning into an appraisal. Progress against goals can be monthly. Pay and promotion conversations can stay on the annual cycle. Someone who wants feedback "as often as possible" usually means the first kind, not three appraisals a week.

Watch for the 19%. Some people, in every generation, find frequent feedback intrusive. If someone wants a light touch, agree what they will get instead: a clear brief and a date to check in. Fewer conversations is a legitimate choice as long as it is a choice.

Revisit every six months. Preferences change with role, confidence and workload. A new starter who wanted weekly check-ins may be ready for monthly after a year. Our guide to managing five generations at work puts this in the wider context, and the Generation Z guide covers what else the data says about Gen Z at work.

Frequently asked questions

How often does Gen Z want feedback at work?

45% of Gen Z workers with a boss want feedback at least weekly, made up of 15% who want it as often as possible, 8% daily and 22% weekly. The rest want it less often than that. The figures come from our 2024 UK survey of 4,067 people, of whom 2,047 aged 18 and over were working.

Does Gen Z get enough feedback at work?

Not on our data. 29% of Gen Z workers get feedback at least weekly (10% daily, 19% weekly) against 45% who want it, and a further 12% get it every two weeks. Across all workers, 41% get feedback less often than they would like and 19% get it more often than they want.

How often do Baby Boomers want feedback?

Less often than younger workers. 17% of Baby Boomers want feedback once a year, 15% every six months and 6% never. Even so, that leaves a majority of Baby Boomers wanting feedback more than once a year, which is why cadence should be agreed with each person rather than set by age.

What is a good feedback frequency for a team?

There is no single right frequency. The most common preference across all UK workers in our survey is monthly (25%), but 45% of Gen Z want it weekly and 17% of Baby Boomers want it annually. Ask each person, separate quick work feedback from formal reviews, write the agreed cadence down and revisit it every six months.

Book Alastair to help your managers set feedback that works for every generation, using UK data rather than assumptions.

Talk to Alastair