Almost one-quarter (24 percent) of U.S. hiring managers consider young Gen-Z workers “unemployable” due to lack of workplace skills, according to a survey recently conducted by the job-seeker-resource website ResumeTemplates.com. The study — which defined “young Gen-Zers” as those, currently 18-23 years old — found that many respondents were critical of the age cohort’s lack […]
Almost one-quarter (24 percent) of U.S. hiring managers consider young Gen-Z workers “unemployable” due to lack of workplace skills, according to a survey recently conducted by the job-seeker-resource website ResumeTemplates.com.
The study — which defined “young Gen-Zers” as those, currently 18-23 years old — found that many respondents were critical of the age cohort’s lack of work ethic, absence of accountability, and/or generally poor work ethic.
The survey was conducted in July 2024 among 1,000 hiring managers in the U.S. who were age 25 or older and currently employed at a company with 11 or more employees.
Some additional insights from the survey indicate a widespread skepticism of Gen-Z’s workforce readiness among hiring managers and their employers. These findings include the following data points:
- 17 percent of respondents said their employers were either “not very” or “not at all” willing to hire young Gen-Zers for full-time positions.
- More than half (56 percent) said their employers were offering the age group part-time roles including contract work and internships.
- More than one-third (38 percent) said their employers offer young Gen-Zers lower pay than older co-workers for similar roles.
- Almost four in 10 (37 percent) respondents said the young Gen-Z age cohort is “not very” or “not at all” reliable in the workplace.
- 42 percent say young Gen-Zers are not well-prepared for the workforce.
- A similar percentage (41 percent) believe young Gen-Zers are not receptive to constructive criticism.
- 39 percent said the generation has unrealistic career expectations.
Julia Toothacre, a chief career strategist at ResumeTemplates.com offered some perspective on the generally negative findings, saying, “One thing to remember is that every young generation goes through this kind of criticism. Millennials were called lazy and entitled. Gen Z is getting branded as lacking work ethic and accountability.”
A full summary of the survey’s findings is available at: https://www.resumetemplates.com/1-in-4-hiring-managers-say-young-gen-zers-are-unemployable/
