iHire has published a new research report, “Gen Z in the Workforce: Decoding a New Generation of Job Seekers,” highlighting Gen Z’s unique search and career goals, challenges, and preferences. Analyzing the results of a survey of 1,093 Gen Z employees and 252 employers in the U.S., iHire’s report points to a disconnect between this up-and-coming segment of the workforce and today’s employers, offering advice for the two sides to better understand one another.
The following are some of the key survey findings and themes detailed in the report.
- Stereotypes surround the Gen Z workforce. Approximately 34.4% of Gen Z respondents believe negative stereotypes will adversely impact their job searches and career advancement in the coming year, as employers have expressed concerns with this generation’s entitled mentality, lack of commitment, and poor work ethic. However, not all stereotypes were negative—employers also describe Gen Z as “tech-savvy,” “socially conscious,” and “diverse.” In fact, 70.3% of Gen Z say it’s extremely or very important fo their employer’s mission and values to align with their own, and 68% say the same about their company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
- Employers advise an overly confident Gen Z to improve their soft skills. More than half (58.3%) of employers say Gen Z job seekers need to improve their interviewing skills, and 57.5% say they need to communicate better with hiring managers and recruiters. While Gen Z respondents agree with employers in some instances, in other cases, Gen Z’s self-assessments differ from employers’ observations.
- Gen Z is concerned about artificial intelligence (AI) replacing their roles but hesitates to use AI to assist in their job searches. Approximately 33.2% of Gen Z employees fear AI replacing their job or making their role less significant in the coming year. But many Gen Z workers are lagging when it comes to embracing GenAI tools to help them in their job search or career journey. In fact, 42.7% say they never use GenAI tools to assist them in their job search.
- Most Gen Z employees have a dream job and want that role to provide a positive work environment. Contradicting the notion that they are not committed to their careers, 69.3% of Gen Z employees have a dream job they hope to attain in the next 10 years. Respondents say it’s extremely important for their ideal job to provide a positive work environment (82.4%), a fair and competitive salary (82.2%), and the flexibility to achieve work-life balance (81.3%). Further, 36.7% want to work autonomously and with minimal supervision, while only 22% say they want to manage people.
- Despite the perception that Gen Z is a group of tech-savvy “Zoomers,” most want to work in-person. Most (82.4%) of respondents want to work in person at least some of the time—with 55.8% saying they want an entirely in-person work environment and 26.6% saying they prefer a hybrid set-up. Only 17.6% of Gen Z employees want a completely remote job.
- Gen Z job seekers struggle to find jobs they qualify for and believe employers have unrealistic expectations. Approximately 38.6% of respondents say finding jobs for which they are qualified or have the required experience is one their top search challenges. Moreover, 25.6% are frustrated with employers’ overly specific or unrealistic requirements, thus creating high barriers to entry-level employment opportunities.
“Gen Z possesses unique perspectives and values shaped by growing up in the digital age and experiencing the pandemic during their formative years,” says Steve Flook, iHire’s president and CEO. “As Gen Z permeates the workforce, employers need to understand how to recruit, retain, engage, and motivate this group. Likewise, Gen Z candidates must understand employers’ expectations and how to best market themselves to find the right jobs. Our report aims to provide insights to both sides to move the employment market toward a brighter future.”
