“The mindset has shifted, which is not necessarily bad,” said Debera Thompson, a young worker who says people in her age group feel like they’re the ones who have their priorities straight.
She says plenty of people her age would probably scoff at a new study from research group Intelligent, which found nearly four out of 10 employers favor older candidates over Gen Zers when it comes to hiring and who makes a better impression.
“It’s just very much that we are tired post-COVID,” Thompson said. “We are, you know, not being paid necessarily as much as we should be.”
“They are looking for rewards without putting in the work,” said job recruiter Andrea Parks, looking to hire at a job fair in Tampa.
Parks says she’s seen some of what the 800 people surveyed are talking about.
According to the research, more than half said Gen Z candidates struggle to maintain eye contact during job interviews, dress inappropriately for in-person interviews and more than one out of five say a job candidate has refused to turn on their camera for a remote interview.
“I’ve seen them come in shorts, and I’ve seen them come in with flip-flops and workout clothes,” Parks said.
The feeling is mutual for another recruiter.
“They look down, they look away, they don’t look at the person that they’re talking to,” Anika Anderson-Hack said.
Anderson-Hack says the younger generation has spent years with their eyes fixed on cell phones and computers and that many lack the personal skills and work ethic to make a good first impression.
“They are wanting fair pay, good benefits, a work-life balance, none of that is bad,” Anderson-Hack said. “But you also have to understand that you have a job to do and there may be some sacrifices that you have to make in order to be successful in that job.”
But younger workers say they reject a workplace culture that doesn’t fairly compensate them and promotes a work-life balance.
“I know plenty of people who are jumping from job to job just to get a higher pay raise and I don’t blame them, to be honest. If I could do it, I would too,” Thompson said. “I don’t think either one has it right right now. I think there’s some middle ground to be found where we can get the better pay but also the work is, you know, being shown for that good pay.”
Those who do the hiring say job interview skills have been hurt by social media, isolation during COVID-19 and a lack of preparation during college.
They recommend young people take life skills courses or work with a mentor so that their interview skills match those they bring to the table.