From the evolving job market landscape, it has become apparent that employers face a mounting struggle when it comes to finding suitable talent from the younger generation. As the workforce welcomes Generation Z, many managers have encountered difficulties, leading to a significant number of employee terminations. Reports suggest that these workers lack motivation and display an alarming tendency to be easily offended. Shedding light on this issue, ResumeBuilder, a renowned recruitment company, has conducted a study that delves into the makeup of contemporary teams and highlights the shortcomings of Generation Z workers.
Based on the comprehensive ResumeBuilder study, which gathered insights from 1,300 individuals, a staggering seventy-four percent of respondents found Gen Z workers more challenging to collaborate with compared to their counterparts from previous generations.
During a conversation on Kian & Yaz with Avneesha at CADA radio, employers expressed their concerns regarding Generation Z workers’ behavior in the workplace. Some lamented the fact that these employees struggle with basic greetings, while others cited instances where they simply failed to show up for work altogether.
Alana, a millennial manager with extensive work experience since the age of fourteen, acknowledges that young people can indeed work diligently. However, she is astounded by the apparent ineptitude displayed by those born between 1997 and 2012.
“Just the other day, we interviewed a candidate who appeared for an online interview while lying on her bed. Wearing hoodies and trackies (tracksuits), the whole shebang. When the interviewer greeted her with a simple ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ she merely replied, ‘good.'”
Omar, who works as a general practitioner, called into the radio show to share his struggles in finding a Generation Z receptionist for a vacant role in his office. According to him, the younger candidates seem to lack basic communication skills, hardly uttering a simple “hello” or “good morning” in the workplace. Despite being glued to their phones twenty-four-seven, their vocal abilities are noticeably deficient. In Omar’s opinion, the best receptionists are the seasoned ones like Margaret.
Meanwhile, Nadia, a Generation Z worker, claims to have experienced a whirlwind of jobs, often changing employment faster than she can even apply for them. Her motivation behind this frequent job hopping is to strike a perfect balance between work and school.
From the perspective of a tech industry employer, Generation Z workers possess a theoretical advantage due to their understanding of the ever-changing landscape. However, their lackadaisical work ethic makes it challenging to retain them.
Managers consistently find Generation Z workers challenging on multiple fronts. Thirty-nine percent of them lack essential tech skills, while thirty-seven percent display a lack of effort and motivation during working hours.
Akpan Ukeme, the head of HR at SGK Global Shipping Services, candidly admits that working with Gen Z workers proves to be an exhausting endeavor. He attributes this exhaustion to their lack of discipline and their propensity for challenging authority.
