A new survey finds that many companies are firing Gen Z workers just months after hiring them, and several employers say they are hesitant to hire new graduates due to concerns about their work ethic, communication skills and job readiness.
According to a survey conducted by Intelligent.com, six in ten employers said they have already fired a graduate this year, and one in seven said they plan to hold off on hiring new graduates next year.
Nearly 1,000 business leaders participated in the Intelligent.com survey, and the results were Newsweek reported.
“Many recent college graduates may struggle with their first job as it may be very different from the environment they are accustomed to throughout their education,” Huy Nguyen, chief adviser for education and career development at Intelligent, said in the report.
Nguyen said employers are wary of hiring people born around the turn of the century because they are “often unprepared for a less structured environment, the cultural dynamics of the workplace and the expectations of autonomous work.”
“They may have some theoretical knowledge from university, but they often lack the practical, real-world experience and soft skills they need to be successful in the work environment,” Nguyen said.
Unlike previous generations, Gen Z suffers from a public perception of being chronically limited by the by-products of growing up in a digital world: short attention spans, laziness, and a strong need for work-life balance.
And given recent domestic turmoil, younger workers are seen as more likely to be “inspired” and inspired by social media-driven political and social movements that could disrupt work flows and cause headaches for their bosses.
The survey found that 75% of companies said some or all of their recent college graduates were dissatisfied employees.
Half of employers said Gen Z workers are most likely to demonstrate a lack of motivation, and 39% said they lack communication skills, according to the survey.
Nearly half (46%) said Gen Z workers lack professionalism at work.
Some experts have criticized the education system for “not preparing students for real-world jobs.”
“Education today is more about theory than practice. Sure, studying Greek mythology is interesting, but if that's not what you're teaching, how is it going to prepare you to communicate effectively or demonstrate professionalism in a corporate meeting? It doesn't,” human resources consultant Brian Driscoll told Newsweek.
Some say these generalizations about Gen Z are misplaced.
“Most of these stereotypes are ingrained in the culture of each generation, and the short torch is passed on every 20 years,” Jessica Kriegel, chief strategy officer for workforce and labor at Culture Partners, told The Washington Post.
Kriegel said millennials, who were born in the early 1980s and came of age just before the arrival of smart phones, were considered “problem kids” until recently.
“Now Americans have made their collective judgement their next target,” Kriegel told the Post.
Instead of fixating on a prospective employee's birthdate, employers should dig deeper, Kriegel said.
“In reality, it's not a generation that makes a great worker, but a set of values and beliefs acquired from a lifetime of experiences,” she said.
Scott Baradel, CEO of IdeaGlobe, a Dallas-based B2B digital marketing company that employs many Gen Z employees, told The Washington Post.
“I don't understand the hesitancy towards Gen Z workers,” Baradel said.
Baradel said he's unfazed by the perception that Gen Z is too demanding.
“If anything, it's their desire for flexibility and a sense of purpose that makes them more engaged and more motivated,” he said.
“They don't just want a job, they want to make an impact. That's a huge advantage for any business.”
Baradel said companies that shy away from Gen Z employees are “missing out on the next generation of talent that can propel them forward.”
Carla Trotman, owner and CEO of Pennsylvania-based electronics contract manufacturing company Electro Soft, agreed with Baradel, telling The Washington Post that companies should cater to Gen Z workers by offering perks like tuition reimbursement, flexible paid time off policies, hybrid work environments and comprehensive health insurance for both physical and mental health.
“Manufacturing businesses especially need to hire Gen Z workers to survive, and they shouldn't be shy about hiring them, but they need to appeal to them appropriately,” Trotman told The Washington Post.
