Three Paduan companies in the top 20 of Gen Z's favorites in Italy: one of them is in first place

Edera NordEst, a Padua-based financial services company specializing in financing and loans for employees and retirees, is the best Italian company to work for according to Gen Z. Two other Padua-based companies are also present in the top 20 of organizations preferred by the youngest: Auxiell Group (consulting in 10th place) and Storeis (ecommerce consulting & digital marketing in 17th place).

A warm welcome upon hiring, involvement by managers in decisions that affect the organization of work and the work environment, impartiality of management without favoritism in promotions, and real and concrete support from managers in work activities: these are the elements that Gen Z employees look for in a work environment. In Italy, there are 20 virtuous and excellent organizational realities capable of guaranteeing very young employees born after 1998 high levels of trust and satisfaction in the workplace (91%). A figure, that of the Media Trust Index in the 20 companies preferred by Gen Z, 15% higher than that recorded by the Gen Z population active in organizations certified as Great Place to Work (76%), +37% compared to the companies analyzed but not certified and even +45% compared to the Italian average figure (46%). These are some of the main insights that emerge from the 2025 edition of the Best Workplaces for GenZ ranking, drawn up by Great Place to Work Italia by listening to the opinions expressed by 7,741 zoomer collaborators active within Italian organizations, the latter divided based on the number of employees (10-49, 50-149, 150-499, 500-999 and more than 1,000). Among the 20 best Italian companies preferred by Gen Z, 40% belong to the IT sector while one in five (20%) is active in the professional services sector; manufacturing-production, retail, advertising-marketing, financial services and insurance, hospitality and media are the other sectors represented in the ranking.

In terms of company size, the ranking rewards two companies (10%) with over 1,000 employees, two others (10%) with between 500 and 999 employees, three (15%) with between 150 and 499 employees, six organizations (30%) with between 50 and 149 employees and seven companies (35%) with fewer than 50 employees. Generation Z in the “Best” companies, which on average represents a fifth of the company population (20.3%), demonstrates that they particularly appreciate the impartial treatment reserved for them regardless of their gender (99%) and ethnic origin (98%) as well as being welcomed and made to feel welcome when they are hired (98%) and the possibility of having the resources and tools available to them to carry out their work tasks in the best possible way (97%). The most critical voices from Gen Z of the best workplaces are raised, instead, in front of fairness in wages (76%) and the fair redistribution of the wealth produced and generated by organizations (73%).

Analyzing the list of the 20 best companies to work for according to Gen Z, we find Edera NordEst in first place, a Paduan company specialized in financial services and financing and loans dedicated to employees and retirees. Completing the podium are Marketing Espresso, a media company with headquarters in Milan that creates digital projects tailored for companies and Bending Spoons, an organization that develops software in the IT sector. Alessandro Zollo, CEO of Great Place to Work Italia, states in this regard: «The second edition of the ranking that analyzes the 20 companies preferred by Gen Z confirms how the youngest generation active within Italian organizations, despite the little experience in the world of work, is actually the one that experiences the work environment the most. Generation Z employees have a good vision of the company but on an emotional level they evaluate the organization less positively than other generations (Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials). The data analysis also shows that, regardless of whether a company is among the best workplaces or not, when people are encouraged to find a balance between work and private life, their sense of belonging and the desire to remain within an organization for a long time increases. The sense of connection and attachment to the company is also increased by the absence of discrimination based on age and by being treated as an integral part of an organization, regardless of the role covered. From these insights - concludes Zollo - we can deduce the recipe that allows the 20 Best Workplaces for Gen Z to retain their young talents: absence of discrimination based on age and complete integration into the company processes and logic. Perhaps, as in their life, even in their work our young Zetas seek a meaning in what they do".

In the comparison between the Best Workplaces for GenZ and the workplaces analyzed but not included in the ranking, the so-called “rest”, the largest gaps to the advantage of the best workplaces concern the opportunity to obtain special recognition (+57%), meritocracy in promotions (+54%) and happiness in coming to work (+53%). Gen Z employees active within the best organizations show particular attention to issues such as hospitality (95%), where there is a difference of 36 percentage points in the comparison with the rest companies and +48% compared to the Italian Gen Z average; involvement and support (92%) as well as impartiality (88%) with a gap of 46 percentage points compared to the organizations analyzed but not present in the ranking and +47% compared to the Italian norm for Gen Z. Another important indicator taken into consideration in the analysis of the 20 best work environments according to Gen Z is the Leadership Index, which measures the quality of leadership behaviors within the organization, evaluating fundamental aspects of managers' behaviors such as management skills, clarity of objectives and coherence between the actions of managers. It also includes key elements such as transparent communication, accessibility, recognition of work done and support offered to collaborators. Overall, it reflects how effective the leadership behaviors of managers are in creating an environment of trust, participation and shared growth. In the 20 companies preferred by Gen Z, the value of the Leadership Index is equal to 93%, compared to 78% (+15%) of the organizations certified as Great Place to Work, 55% of the rest (+38%) and 45% of the Italian norm (+48%).