Young Gen Zers are unemployable, lack workplace skills, work ethic: 1 in 4 hiring managers surveyed

ResumeTemplates.com, the leading platform for free professional resume templates and examples, has published a recent survey report highlighting concerns among hiring managers regarding the employability of young Gen Z workers. In July, ResumeTemplates.com surveyed 1,000 hiring managers in the United States to understand their perceptions of the newest entrants into the workforce.

According to the survey, 24 percent of hiring managers believe young Gen Zers (defined in the survey as those between 18 and 23 years of age) are “unemployable” due to a lack of necessary workplace skills. The most commonly cited deficiencies include lack of work ethic, lack of accountability, and poor work ethic.

“One thing to remember is that every young generation goes through this kind of criticism,” says Julia Toothacre, chief career strategist at ResumeTemplates.com. “Millennials were called lazy and entitled. Gen Z is getting branded as lacking work ethic and accountability.”

“One thing to remember is that every young generation goes through this kind of criticism,” says Julia Toothacre, chief career strategist at ResumeTemplates.com. “Millennials were called lazy and entitled. Gen Z is getting branded as lacking work ethic and accountability.”

Other key findings from the survey include:
Seventeen percent say their employer is not very (15%) or not at all willing (2%) to hire young Gen Zers for full-time roles.

Fifty-six percent say their employers are offering part-time roles instead; 47% are offering contract work, 45% paid internships, and 17% unpaid internships.

Thirty-eight percent say young Gen Zers at their workplace are offered lower pay than older coworkers for similar job roles; nearly half of this group believes that the current job market allows employers to offer lower pay to this age group.

This survey was conducted in July 2024.

In total, 1,000 U.S. respondents completed the survey. To take the full survey, respondents had to answer that they were very involved in their employer’s hiring process. They also had to identify themselves as age 25 or older, currently employed for wages, working at a company with 11 or more employees, earning an annual household income of at least $50,000, and as one of the following job roles: owner or partner, president/CEO/chairperson, C-level executive, middle management, chief financial officer (CFO), chief technical officer (CTO), senior management, director, human resources manager, business administrator, or supervisor.

To view the full survey report: https://www.resumetemplates.com/1-in-4-hiring-managers-say-young-gen-zers-are-unemployable/.

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