By Patricia Johnson and Evelyn Lucado
Elm Staff Writer and Opinion Editor
As many Washington College seniors face graduation and the job field, they soon realize that there are many stereotypes surrounding Generation Z entering the workforce.
According to The Times of India, studies report that 1 in 6 American businesses are reluctant to hire members of Gen Z citing lack of professionalism, poor work ethic, and entitlement as reasons for this reluctance.
Gen Z, born between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s, find employers may be reluctant to hire them due to their age. The stereotype that Gen Z is lazy and entitled misconstrue the true attitude this generation has toward employment, especially concerning their focus on mental health and work-life balance.
While Gen Z may harbor differing values than their predecessors, different does not mean incompatible. Members of Gen Z offer unique perspectives and talents, encouraging difficult conversations surrounding the state of American office culture and technological advances.
According to Deloitte Digital, the three main challenges between Gen Z and older employers are their contrasting views on the importance of empathy, the impact of work on mental health, and disparate perceptions on the importance of work to personal identity.
Raised in the digital age, Gen Z has a unique willingness to discuss mental health concerns, breaking down stigmas, and opening the door for conversations surrounding therapy. This new emphasis on mental health and work-life balance is seemingly oppositional to the values of hard work, loyalty, and productivity shared by older generations.
According to Pacific Oaks College, in comparison to older generations, members of Gen Z have experienced a unique upbringing directly intertwined with the rise of social media and easy access to the internet.
As the first generation to be raised with and on the internet, Gen Z has seen a distinctive rise in mental health concerns, as well as an increased awareness of mental health.
According to the Daily Free Press, surveyed employers are reluctant to hire fresh talent, instead focusing resources on training in-house or even sourcing artificial intelligence to replace basic office jobs. These solutions are bandaids on a much bigger wound and will eventually be rendered ineffective as time passes and Gen Z is forced to fill these roles.
While older employers might be reluctant to change the ways in which they engage with technology. According to Forbes, Gen Z employees bring their distinct experience with social media and ever changing technology to the table, opening new doors for marketing and consumer engagement.
Every generation has faced the sweeping generalizations of their predecessors. These unfair and oversimplified assumptions create unnecessary and detrimental barriers in the workforce. These barriers are especially damaging in times of financial hardship and unstable job markets.
Instead of assuming a person’s values and skills based on their age, it is crucial for employers to get to know candidates. The reluctance to accept change inhibits progress. Recognizing that differing values are not inherently oppositional can open the door for mentorship, growth, and respect across generations.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo Caption: Generation Z struggles to find employment in the face of unfair stereotypes.