How TikTok became the career counselor of choice for Gen Z and millennials

Influencers, but make it corporate. 

A rising class of corporate influencers, better known as corporate creators, are using TikTok to impart knowledge to their peers, based on their own experiences in the workplace. 

Millions of these videos — which feature young creators role-playing funny or awkward office scenarios — are aggregated under the #corporate hashtag. The trend has recently gained a stronghold with Gen-Zers and millennials, who are using the videos as a guidebook for how to set boundaries at work or deal with interoffice conflicts. 

“Me staying late today is the exception, not the rule,” creator Laura Whaley says in a recent video in which she pretends to push back on a manager’s demands; it garnered 14 million views. “Because I am not the long-term solution for the company’s lack of appropriate resource planning.” The video attracted thousands of comments, ranging from users lauding Whaley for educating and validating the feelings of overworked employees, to others saying that the attitude could lead to getting fired. 

Read More: Recruiters are burned out, and Gen Z job demands aren’t helping

“This video blew up because she's saying things that we wish we could have said if there were no consequences,” says Jerry Lee, co-founder and chief operating officer at career consulting group Wonsulting.

But it’s not just workers that are finding these videos — HR leaders and recruiters are too, says Jonathan Javier, Wonsulting co-founder and CEO. And perhaps that is a good thing: hybrid work environments are relatively new, and the line between work and personal life can often get blurred. 

“I think it definitely is a call to action for HR teams to train up their managers, and also executive teams, to be much more cognizant of resource planning,” says Lee. “They definitely should be taking that as direct feedback as if it were their own employees. Chances are, not all employees feel comfortable enough to share feedback like that directly.”

While boundary-setting is a vital skill set that resonates with younger generations, the humor of these videos is just as necessary in driving engagement and discussion. Creator Sagar Parekh said that he found his niche on TikTok by making humorous videos about being Indian in corporate America, which particularly resonate with South Asian users. 

Read More: 5 myths about Gen Z workers

Parekh, who now boasts 40,000 followers, with videos surpassing over 500,000 views, says the majority of his user base is within the 21-25 age range. Unlike some of his peers, he often posts about going the extra mile at work — and those videos, he says, garner the most negative comments on average. 

“I always tend to get hate on those videos, like, ‘Why would you do that? You don't get paid to work past 9-to-5,’” he says. “But I enjoy my job and I'll go the extra mile.”

Parekh’s observations, along with TikTok trends, point to a clear finding: Gen-Zers and younger millennials are possessive of their personal time and prioritize a healthy work-life balance. These influencers’ videos are an outlet to express constructive criticism about employers in a creative way. 

Parekh and Lee both agree that the younger generation is breaking the mold of what corporate structures used to look like. Although Gen-Zers and millennials are not keen on sacrificing free time, they are still ready and willing to work hard. 

“You can be a rockstar and set the right boundaries, Lee says. ‘Those aren't mutually exclusive. It is possible to exist in both worlds.”