17 Reasons Gen Z Can’t Get a Job, And Employers Stay Away From Them
Is Gen Z not getting jobs because employers stay away from them? Is there a valid reason for the behavior of these employees, or is it due to unfair stereotypes?
Gen Z or Zoomers are individuals born between the years 1997 and 2012; in 2025, they will comprise 27% of the world’s workforce. However, according to a 2023 Intelligent.com survey with 800 managers, 58% believe Gen Z is unprepared for the workforce, and 38% say they favor older employees.
We’ve gathered some of the reasons employers choose to stay away from hiring Gen Zs. Here are the top causes of Gen Z’s job-hunting difficulties.
1. Unreasonable Compensation Demands
Employers claim that Gen Z asks for unreasonable compensation, such as high salaries and additional vacation days. They tend to have unrealistic expectations of the current economy and the market, and employers just resort to choosing older workers.
With the economy not at its best, companies don’t have the luxury to stretch their budgets to accommodate Gen Z’s demands. It makes it a little difficult for employers to be open to high salary demands.
2. Interview Blunders
Gen Z has an awful reputation in job interviews, where employers reveal that they have a high tendency to commit interview blunders that can get them rejected. Many employers share that recent graduates have difficulties maintaining eye contact during interviews which denotes a lack of confidence.
In fact, many candidates who choose virtual interviews tend to decline to open their cameras for a more personal and closer look. It gives employers a negative impression of the candidates, whatever circumstance they may be in.
3. Unprepared for the Workforce
The pandemic disrupted the education of many young people, which led to them being stunted in terms of professional and social aspects. They remain unprepared to work and function in a professional setup.
Considering this major issue, Gen Z needs to be trained and mentored to work efficiently. While employers do provide basic training, dealing with this issue requires more training and commitment from the company.
4. Tech Expectations
Gen Z grew up surrounded by technology and has been coddled by devices that make their lives convenient. They look for the same convenience at work, expecting seamless technologies to help them be productive.
Companies use technologies for productivity, but they’re not as user-friendly as what most Gen Zs are using. Many companies use outdated platforms that don’t meet the expectations of Gen Zs, which leads to frustration and less than desirable work performance.
5. Job Hopping
Younger employees tend to stay significantly shorter in the company compared to older employees. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employers aged 25 to 34 often last an average of 2.8 years in the company, significantly fewer years compared to the 9.8 years of employees aged 55 to 64 years.
With these statistics in mind, employers find it wasteful to hire Gen Zs and invest in their training and skills development. In the end, they may prefer older employees who will stay longer at the company.
6. Being Too Flexible
Gen Z loves flexibility at work and they prefer companies offering flexible workstyle options to achieve work-life balance. Many Gen Z workers prefer hybrid work setups, where they are given the choice of going to the office for work or telecommuting.
With the empowerment of work-from-home during the pandemic, some companies added the option to their working style. But there are plenty of companies who urged their workers to come back to the office, which isn’t something Gen Z is happy with. Workstyle flexibility has become one of their demands, along with health initiatives and meaningful work.
7. Non-Traditional Work Behavior
Gen Zs are non-traditional workers who are not afraid to go beyond the ordinary. While older generations prefer stable jobs that guarantee monthly income, Gen Z explores the world of freelancing and social media marketing that often comes per project.
With this kind of non-traditional approach to working, employers cannot dangle promotion and tenureship as rewards and compensation. Gen Z’s more laid-back approach springs from their desire not to follow the older generation’s struggle for a decent work-life balance.
8. Takes on Diversity and Inclusion
Gen Z values diversity and inclusion in the workplace. For the young generation, being part of a company that values diversity and inclusion is the goal.
The majority of Gen Z job hunters consider how companies and employers integrate diversity and inclusion in their teams. They take into account the company’s commitment to diversity before applying for a position there, which can be difficult for small companies with limited budgets to move around and make initiatives for this.
9. Mental Health
Unlike older generations that focus on the grind, Gen Zs take into account their mental health when choosing what job to apply for. The flexible working style introduced during the pandemic brought forward the possibility of making it a new normal to protect people’s mental health.
Today, you’ll see young workers actively using their leave days and even sick days for a vacation. They also don’t stay in the office for longer than necessary since they have other activities planned to help their work-life balance and maintain good mental health.
10. Social Media
Gen Zs grew around social media and it has become a huge part of their lives. In fact, young people spend over two hours scrolling on social media and acquiring different types of information in the process.
Employers see workers who spend so much time on their social media accounts as a negative sign. For companies, these people are bound to spend time that should be spent working scrolling through their feeds and clicking likes.
11. Search for a Purpose
Gen Zs do not just focus on the grind and the compensation that comes with it. The younger generation goes beyond that and searches for meaning in life, as depicted through their work. They look for jobs that give their lives meaning or purpose, however small it may seem.
Harvard Alumni for Mental Health and Technology director Julie Lee claims that Gen Z aims to have meaningful work and is not afraid to ask for whatever they need. It’s what others may see as being entitled, which employers and companies try to avoid.
12. Demands Immediate Feedback
Gen Z tends to feel anxious about their performance. According to a report, 76% of Gen Z workers are practical and immediately want to know the results of their efforts and if there is room for career advancement.
The need for urgent feedback can be annoying to employers and supervisors. They settle with bi-annual or annual reviews, which may need to be more for Gen Z workers.
13. Difference in Communication Style
Gen Zs and the older generations have different communication styles. Some claim that they can act too informally in a professional setup that demands more formality. However, it’s just a difference in the communication styles they’re comfortable with.
Older generations prefer calls or even personal meetings that often make the interactions more authentic for them. For Gen Zs though, communication through texts and messaging apps is enough to get a message across.
14. Political Activism
Gen Z is the woke generation that has been ridiculed. However, it is the generation that experienced many upheavals from the global pandemic through the increasing cases of mass shootings in the country, especially in schools.
Gen Z are natural activists even in a professional setup, and most see capitalism negatively. They lead union drives and the fight against unfair labor practices, which isn’t something that every employer supports.
15. Too Green
Besides diversity and inclusion, Gen Zs are also active in the fight for the environment. A Pew Research Center survey shows that Gen Z workers believe climate change should be a priority, even in companies.
The young workers look for companies with the same values as them and environmental sustainability is one of these important values. While many companies have created initiatives for the environment, Gen Z may not think it’s enough and can be very persuasive and demanding when it comes to their causes.
16. Globalization
Gen Zs are big dreamers and they believe that the world has become smaller and they can work anywhere in the world. Many look for jobs with potential international opportunities, which are not always available in companies.
While large corporations may offer international positions and programs to their employees, smaller companies do not have the same power. With only local positions available without international opportunities, small companies don’t align with the needs of many Gen Z workers.
17. Age Bias
Employers can be a bit biased with age, which is why many of them prefer the more experienced and easily managed older generation than the more unpredictable Gen Z. A ResumeBuilder report claims that among 1,000 hiring managers, 40% are biased against Gen Z candidates.
Many hiring managers even recommend not putting in your graduation year to stay away from age bias from employers. You can easily be judged by your age alone before even showing what you can do for the company.
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