Ah yes, it’s the beginning of 2025. That has symbolically and traditionally meant the start of a new and bright career for new grads. All new high school and college graduates are Gen Zers. However, unlike previous generations employers who recently hired Gen Z graduates have already started firing them. That’s backed up by a recent survey which stated that 60% of companies and employers who hired a Gen Z graduate last year have already let go of at least a few of them. Why is this the case? The answers are in this article.

Why Are So Many Gen Z New Hires Already Getting Axed?

Gen Z grew up immersed in digital technologies. So, logically social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Linkedin, SnapChat, and a few others that even I have never heard of, were only an arm’s reach away from them. They worshipped posts that went viral, especially ones on TikTok. However, TikTok is notorious for posting questionable, unconventional, and dangerous content.

After all, do you remember that post that was trending on the social media platform a few years ago which suggested that people marinate their chicken in NyQuil cough syrup before cooking and eating it? These types of posts gave Gen Zers unrealistic expectations about the workplace. They even (the posts) convinced Gen Zers that socially taboo or frowned upon behavior was actually normal in the office.

Here are a few good examples that may inspire a few chuckles. Showing up to work 15 minutes late every day, not coming into the office on a birthday, and showing up to work in pajamas?! Unfortunately, these examples are only a few of many that Gen Z has exhibited in the workplace. You and I may think they are funny and even cute. However, most employers don’t agree.

Employers refer to the values that motivate this type of behavior as a lack of ethics, responsibility, and discipline. And that’s not all they are complaining about what they perceive is wrong with Gen Z workers. I will present you with a more comprehensive list of employer and company gripes:

• Lack of motivation
• Unprofessionalism
• Lack of the desire to take initiative
• Inadequate organizational skills
• Poor communication skills
• Inability to accept or implement constructive criticism and feedback
• Inadequate relevant work experience
• Poor problem-solving skills
• Not enough technical skills
• Not fitting into corporate culture
• Not being a good team player
• Inability to multi-task
• Not showing up to work on time
• Unprofessional dress, behavior, and communication

To be sure, the first job after high school or college may well be the first real exposure to the professional world for many Gen Zers. So, they are not used to nor do they completely understand corporate world expectations. Most Gen Zers are more accustomed to the supervised and structured academic setting and environment of the K-12 and higher educational systems.

Consequently, they tend to not have the practical insights and soft skills coming from real world experiences. That may or may not be resolved by future Gen Zers working in retail or other lower-end service positions.

Companies and Employers Can’t Get Rid the Bad Taste of Gen Z Employees

If hiring Gen Zers was like eating chopped liver for companies and employers, then it’s safe to say that these corporations have already gotten a very bad taste that will be hard to get rid of. A recent study done by Intelligent.com may prove that. Intelligent.com surveyed almost 1000 enterprises and discovered that six out of every ten of them have already given Gen Z workers the pink slip. Worse still, close to 70% of employers are hesitant to hire Gen Z graduates next year.

Social percetions of Gen Z as workers only contribute to the stigma. Global society, and especially Western society, collectively view Gen Zers as suffering from severe and chronic ADHD. Ironically, Gen Zers love interest, social media, has promoted the image of Gen Z as being lazy and preferring a healthy personal and social life over concern for corporate productivity. Interestingly enough, addiction to digital devices may have cultivated these traits.

The fact that unsavory posts regarding world events and opinions often go viral and capture Gen Zers collective attention further compounds the problem. They tend to drag and publicize the underlying issues in their workplaces. That may disrupt workflow, create tension in the office, and create headaches for bosses and supervisors.

About three-quarters of the companies included in Intelligent.com’s survey stated that Gen Z employees’ collective performance and values was unacceptably poor. Many experts blame the educational system for being too forgiving and emphasizing theoretical work and learning too much.

Of course, some of these perceptions are stereotypical. So, not all Gen Zers fit these molds. Also, every generation has been unfairly judged by previous generations. Many employers and companies not included in Intelligent.com’s survey value Gen Z’s emphasis on a healthy work-life balance and meaningful work, stating that these values drive and motivate them to be more productive and produce higher quality work.

How Gen Z Can Improve Their Prospects of Keeping a Job

Gen Z has popularized the trend of bringing their parents to interviews. That practice not only bewildered companies and hiring managers, but it also created the perception among employers that Gen Z workers were collectively not independent thinkers and wokers.

Parental involvement hasn’t ended there. ResumeTemplates’s most recent survey discovered that 70% of the 1,500 youth surveyed asked their parents to help them look for a job. Many Gen Zers resort to unethical practices like asking their parents to create resumes for them and fill out and submit job applications on their behalf.

Employers value willingness to take initiative and having a positive attitude. So, Gen Zers should focus on that when searching for and applying for jobs. They must display both during the interview process. They should also get part-time jobs and internships when still in high school  and college.

It would also help for them to keep workplace discussions neutral and professional. Gen Zers should post appropriate content on social media platforms because employers are notorious for checking them. Some employers have fired Gen Z workers based on their social media posts.

It’s time to come up with a checklist that ranks traits and qualities employers want from new hires by order of importance:

• Willingness to show and take initiative.
• Show a positive attitude.
• Have a strong work ethic.
• Be adaptable and flexible.
• Be open to and willing to implement constructive criticism and feedback accordingly and appropriately.
• Show up to work on time and be a reliable team player.
• Have strong technical skills.
• Cultivate great interpersonal skills.
• Have prior practical work experience.
• Keep professional social media profiles.
• Engage in neutral conversation at the work place.

How Employers Can Accommodate Gen Z Workers Better

Employers can take these steps to make their workplaces more attractive to Gen Z workers:

• Get rid of office hierarchies – Gen Zers are confused by the top-down office structure and culture that characterized the workplace for the past 70 or so years. Employers must be mindful of that by flattening organizational structures. They must also emphasize equal collaboration and team participation. Junior employees must be given the same respect and status recognition as the most senior workers.

• Don’t make office work spill over after hours – GWI recently did market research and realized that 7% of Gen Zers value a work-life balance. Many experts believe that this preference may have been started during the pandemic. Deloitte did its own survey and discovered that 49% of Gen Zers apply to companies emphasizing the work-life balance.So, employers who understand that workers have a life outside of the office are most likely to hire and retain Gen Zers and glean the greatest amount of productivity from them.

• Prioritize your employees’ mental health – employers must realize that no one has wealth without health. That’s especially true for employees. Gen Zers are into mental health like no other generation, even Millennials. Mental health issues affect Gen Zers more often and more profoundly. Recent surveys report that 29% of Gen Z have suffered from anxiety in the recent past.Middle and top leadership and management must be mindful of that. They must support Gen Z workers’ mental well being through special and specific accommodations and resources. That will help create a work environment and culture that Gen Z is comfortable with.

• Understand that Gen Zers work to learn – I am not surprised by that statement since I have read and heard it before. I also write to learn and not so much to earn because writing is my passion. Gen Z wants to learn and continue to develop professionally and personally on the job. Many recent studies indicate that 74% of Gen Z employees value employee development at work and would quit a job that didn’t offer that opportunity in a heartbeat.Managers need to remember that when creating job ads. They must build positions and workplaces/corporate cultures around skill development, training, upskilling ,and career growth.

• Gen Zers want to climb the corporate ladder – Gen Z workers are more likely to leave and job hop if they don’t see a clear, quick, and easy path to career advancement. Managers who recognize that early on and offer ample opportunities for advancement, career guidance, and feedback will have extremely productive and happy Gen Z employees who stay for years.That raises another important point. Gen Z workers are more loyal to companies that make climbing the corporate ladder easy and fun. So, managers should always emphasize the importance of and direct relationship between upskilling and faster and easier career advancement.

• Personalization matters – Gen Z is a bit different. They don’t understand the old unspoken norm of keeping personal and professional matters separate. That applies to managerial styles too. Managers who get it will take some time to understand their younger workers’ individual strengths, weaknesses, differences, preferences, and goals. But they have to go one step further.They have to offer assignments and projects/work that strengthens employee strength and weaknesses. They also have to offer personalized coaching, training, and feedback. This level and type of tailored approach makes Gen Z feel valued as workers and human beings. They are more likely to stay since they will love their jobs.

  Smart managers will ‘get a feel for new hires’ by conducting individualized strength and personality tests. They can also give new hires feedback forms to understand their employees on a more personal level.

• Recognize that Younger Workers are humans – Managers must be empathetic when working and interacting with Gen Zers. They must also be genuinely compassionate. Managers who can do both successfully will forge a real connection with younger team members and will resonate well with them.The result is to create a supportive and caring work environment and culture which is most important to Gen Z employees.

• Clearly communicate expectations – managers must communicate clearly. They also have to spell out expectations exactly using a language and tone that younger workers understand and are comfortable with. Managers should read the latest McKinsey reports which state that Gen Z employees want managers to be honest with them and set realistic and reachable goals.Gen Z employees want supervisors, superiors, and co-workers to tell nothing but the truth in the workplace. Managers must be clear and transparent when communicating roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations. Gen Z workers feel empowered to understand and explore their duties and roles better in these types of environments and cultures.

  It’s also important for leadership to customize communication to the preferences of individual employees.

• Do routine check-ins – Gen Z want managers to provide regular feedback sessions becuse they (employees) think that these sessions allow them to grow as professionals, work better, be more productive, and give them a real sense of direction and purpose. Feedback sessions also allow managers to point out areas of improvement and offer real support and resources to help employes become better at their jobs.Gen Z also expects managers to recalibrate goals and even responsibilities during regular feedback sessions as they grow and improve as professionals and in their work. Managers who can do this successfully foster employee loyalty among younger workers by genuinely empowering them.

• Flexibility – the 8-5 office hours and traditional office space rules are gone forever thanks to the pandemic. Sure, companies like Amazon may be trying to intimidate employees into coming back to the office regularly. However, such efforts wil likely alienate and drive away most Gen Z workers. Gen Z is one of the most diverse generations in the history of human civilization. Managers who understand that and accommodate accordingly will have high employee retention rates.So, companies need to offer flex working schedules, WFH options, hybrid and remote positions, and/or a compressed work week. Gen Z employees feel like their employers genuinely value their needs and see them as real humans when they offer this type of flexibility. Employers should also offer more paid time off to allow young workers to explore personal passions and pursuits.

  Employers who are flexible will be rewarded with greater productivity, happier and more loyal employees, and greater and longer employee retention.

• Independence matters – employers who give Gen Z workers as much autonomy as possible will see the greatest loyalty and productivity improvements. They wil also enjoy much higher retention rates. Gen Z who get autonomy feel empowered and as though they matter at their workplaces and that their jobs and work have meaning.Besides, autonomy fosters innovation and encourages employees to be more creative. That’s something that all employers need in the hyper-competitive world.

Gen Z is Rewriting the Rules

Millennials may have overhauled the workplace culture and rules substantially, but they still kept the basic form and structure fairly intact. Gen Z is completely rewritign the rules and culture partly because it makes its own rules and is a generation who has been taught to answer to no one. Companies who recognize that about the upcomiong batch of workers and adjust and accommodate accordingly will benefit hugely.

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