Employers are opening up about their experiences with hiring Gen Z employees - and it’s not a pretty picture.
Fifty per cent of general managers have been forced to lay off Gen Z workers with claims that they “lack motivation” and are “easily offended”, with one young boss recounting an interview where a young person arrived wearing a hood and a tracksuit, according to Daily Mail.
Recruitment company ResumeBuilder began a study where they asked team leaders about their experiences in the workforce - and the results were shocking.
The study showed that out of the 1300 respondents, 74 per cent feel Gen Z is the hardest to work with compared to any of the other generations.
Various employers called in to Avneesha CADA radio complaining about their Gen Z workers, with one saying they were not “able to say good morning”, with another revealing that “they don’t want to show up.”
A woman named Alana called in to shed light on a recent interview she had conducted.
The manager, who is a millennial, revealed she’s been working since the age of 14, so she knows that “young people can work hard”, however her experience with Gen Z workers - born between 1997 to 2012 - is “shocking”.
“We just interviewed a person the other day and she rocked up on her bed in an online interview.
“Hoody, trackies, everything.
“And then when the interviewer asked her ‘Oh, you know hey, how you doing?’ She just goes ‘good’”.
Another caller, Omar, is a GP and revealed he struggled with employing Gen Z receptionists.
“I’ve experienced the ins and outs of all sorts of reception. And I have to say by far the worst is the Gen Z. Really.
“A simple ‘Hello, good morning’ doesn’t come out of their mouth in the morning.
“They’re on their phones 24/7, but have no vocal skills. The best receptionists are the old Margarets.”
However, Nadia - a Gen Z herself - revealed she‘d had “eight jobs in 12 months” because she balances her work with study time.
A woman working in rapid technology said having Gen Zs in the workplace is “great” because “they understand the changing industry”.
Reasons for managers’ dislike of Gen Zers include their lack of technological skills (39 per cent), effort (37 per cent) and motivation (37 per cent).
Gen Z workers are also viewed by employers as too “easily distracted” (36 per cent) and “easily offended” (35 per cent).
Akpan Ukeme, head of HR at SGK Global Shipping Services, spoke to the site, revealing his challenges with the Gen Z workforce.
He said: “In our organisation, the Gen Zs I have interacted with can be exhausting because they lack discipline, and they like to challenge you.”