BUILDING RESILIENT EDUCATORS: EXPLORING HOW EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE AND WORK READINESS DRIVE WORK ENGAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE AMONG GEN Z TEACHERS IN SURABAYA

Abstract

 The regeneration of educators through the massive recruitment of Generation Z teachers as State Civil 
Apparatus presents a critical challenge in maintaining the quality of learning, where the gap between individual readiness and the rigid bureaucratic ecosystem has the potential to create a systemic performance crisis. This study develops an integrative model that examines the effect of Work Readiness on Employee Performance with Employee Experience and Work Engagement as parallel mediating variables in Generation Z ASN teachers. This quantitative study involved 233 Generation Z ASN teachers in the Surabaya City Education Office who were selected through a total sampling technique (census). Data were analyzed using Structural Equation ModelingPartial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). All seven research hypotheses were accepted with statistical significance (p < 0.05). Work Readiness was shown to have the strongest influence on Work Engagement (T-Statistic 22.172), while also having a significant effect on performance both directly and indirectly through the mediation of Employee Experience and Work Engagement.  These findings underscore the urgency for the Education Office to adopt strategic human capital management investing in employee readiness, experiential workplace design, and engagement-centered leadership to optimize workforce productivity, reduce turnover costs, and achieve sustainable organizational competitiveness.