Gen Z is the talk of the workplace, having gained a reputation for challenging behavior and a poor work ethic. Ouch! And it’s not just the media that are perpetuating the stereotypes, but hiring managers, too.
From unmistakable skill gaps to strict workplace expectations, Gen Z faces unique hurdles that can make it seemingly difficult to secure employment. Intelligent surveyed 966 business leaders to explore the attitudes toward hiring Gen Z college graduates. A 2024 study revealed that 75% of companies expressed dissatisfaction with some or all of the college graduates they hired this year.
Here are the reasons they are having problems with Gen Z — and why this young generation is struggling to get hired today.
Lack of Motivation or Initiative
The main reason why hiring among Gen Z doesn’t work out is due to their lack of motivation or initiative. Don’t take our word for it — a whopping 50% of the companies who dealt with unsatisfactory hires revealed this in the survey.
While there may be many reasons why Gen Z experiences a lack of motivation, their mental health could be a contributing factor. Multiple studies identify Gen Z as the “unhappiest generation,” after all, which surely doesn’t help foster a get-up-and-go attitude.
Lack of Professionalism
Lack of professionalism was the second most common problem companies faced with Gen Z (46%).
“Recent graduates starting their first job should demonstrate professionalism, not by conforming to outdated norms, but by being respectful and committed to their work,” Huy Nguyen, Intelligent’s chief education and career development advisor, said in a statement.
Poor Organizational Skills
The survey showed that 42% of companies who had unsuccessful hires were dissatisfied with Gen Z’s organizational skills.
So, what are organizational skills, exactly? According to ClickUp, these capabilities help you stay on top of tasks and make decisions. About one-fifth of the hiring managers surveyed reported that Gen Z workers sometimes struggled to manage their workload.
They also pointed out that this cohort was often late to start work, delayed handing in assignments, and was late to meetings.
Lack of Relevant Work Experience
Of course, with Gen Z just coming out of university, they probably don’t have much real-world experience under their belt. It doesn’t help that Gen Z focuses on extracurricular activities to gain college competitiveness rather than actual job experience.
Holly Schroth, a senior lecturer at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, tells Euronews Next that this lack of experience deprives Gen Z of basic skills and etiquette while setting “unrealistic expectations” about the workplace.
Struggle With Communication
Research shows Gen Z spends more hours on their phone than any other generation. With the recent social restrictions and the rise of online learning, this generation has had much less time and opportunity for in-person interactions.
It’s no wonder, then, that business leaders cite “poor communication skills” as a reason recent college graduates haven’t been successful.
Don’t Handle Feedback Well
38% of the surveyed companies who had trouble hiring said that college graduates struggle with feedback. But is it that they cannot take feedback, or are managers using old-fashioned methods to get through to this new cohort?
According to Avery Morgan at Fast Company, Gen Z can and will take constructive criticism — when delivered in an empathetic way. “Instead of saying, ‘You’re doing it wrong,’ you might find better results by saying, ‘Let’s try it this way. How can I help you with this task?’” she says.
Poor Problem-Solving Skills
Despite the fact that there are more educated people than ever before, 34% of business leaders surveyed say the reason hiring Gen Z didn’t work out was due to their inadequate ability to solve problems.
This is a challenging area for Gen Z. They are so used to acquiring instant information and may, therefore, struggle when it comes to critical thinking.
However, Paige Yousey, an edtech enthusiast and continuing education content manager, notes that this generation can learn with proper guidance and practice.
Insufficient Technical Skills
We could say that Gen Z are tech savvy, but when it comes to the workplace, their skills are not sufficient for tech roles.
Research by global non-profit organization Generation found that more than half of businesses don’t think that graduates have the core technical skills for entry-level jobs. Employers are having to invest in further onboarding, mentorship, and internship programs to increase the size and diversity of their entry-level tech talent.
Difficulty Collaborating in Teams
As Gen Z’s soft skills continue to suffer, so does their collaboration with their team. Gen Z may not yet be accustomed to in-depth meetings, presentations, and collaboration.
When they began their careers during the pandemic, communication was handled via text, Slack, and Zoom calls. They likely did not receive the same training as previous generations did — who got to learn by going into the office each day.
Gen Z is used to alternative forms of communication that might not be considered the norm in the workplace, which would make collaboration a further challenge.
Lack of Preparedness
In the end, much of the reasons Gen Z struggles to get hired comes down to a lack of preparedness. According to Nguyen, after spending about two decades in education, entering the workplace for the first time is a huge change.
College prepares them in a theoretical sense, but the challenge comes with applying that to real-life work scenarios, and that’s a skills gap they have to overcome.
Unwilling To Give the Generation a Chance
Already, hiring managers have a tainted view of Gen Z workers. To give you an idea of the stereotypes, about two-thirds of hiring managers surveyed by Intelligent believe that college grads are entitled, while 55% believe they lack a work ethic.
In addition to this, about 17% of hiring managers are either hesitant or extremely hesitant to hire recent college graduates for entry-level roles. One in seven companies surveyed may not hire college graduates in 2025.
Generalizing Stereotypes
With all these stereotypes, managers may hesitate to take on fresh college graduates. But generalizing like this stops them from tapping into the talent that young minds have to offer.
“It can be easy for managers to buy into typical stereotypes of Gen Z and dismiss them entirely,” says Nguyen.
“However, companies have an equal responsibility to prepare recent graduates for their particular workplace and give them the best chance to succeed,” she adds.
