<![CDATA[The rapid acceleration of digital transformation within the creative economy necessitates not only advanced technological infrastructure but also workforce readiness to bridge the persistent digital skills gap. This study aims to empirically examine the partial and simultaneous effects of Digital Competence and Innovative Work Behavior on the performance of Generation Z employees within the digital creative industry in Region III Cirebon. Employing an explanatory quantitative design with a saturated sampling technique, primary data were gathered through structured questionnaires from 114 actively employed Generation Z professionals across digital marketing agencies, visual design studios, multimedia production houses, and software development enterprises ( ). Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression via Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) in IBM SPSS Statistics 25 after verifying instrument psychometrics and classical econometric assumptions. The empirical results demonstrate that Digital Competence has a positive and significant effect on employee performance ( ). Furthermore, Innovative Work Behavior exerts a positive and significant effect on employee performance ( ), emerging as the dominant predictor. Simultaneously, both variables account for 66.7% of the variance in employee performance ( ). These findings highlight the vital synergy between technology-based human capital and proactive innovation in fostering multidimensional task, contextual, and adaptive performance. Practically, creative enterprise leaders are advised to establish continuous upskilling initiatives and cultivate psychologically safe work environments that empower young talent to generate and operationalize innovative solutions.]]>
