Half Of Employers Say Gen-Z Job Seekers Lack Motivation And Initiative, Leading To Early Terminations

A new report reveals that one in six employers have cut ties with Gen-Z employees hired earlier this year upon receiving their college degrees.

Employers are parting ways with Gen-Z employees months after hiring them, citing unprofessionalism and unpreparedness as issues when hiring students fresh out of college.

A new report reveals that one in six employers have cut ties with Gen-Z employees hired earlier this year upon receiving their college degrees. While many company leaders have complained that the generation is “difficult to work with,” others say that their lack of preparation for the workforce greatly influenced their decision to let them go.

According to the data, 50% of management surveyed say that the recent college grads’ lack of motivation or initiative was also grounds for them to be terminated from their fairly new positions as they look to navigate life after school. Moreover, leaders reveal that the generation born between 1997 and 2012 is often late to work and meetings, does not abide by work dress codes, and uses unprofessional language.

While there are no set factors as to why Gen-Z struggles with authority in the workplace or maintaining a professional attitude, it is important to note that this is the first fully digital native generation compared to the millennials who came before them. Most of today’s youth cannot recall life before the smartphone, whereas millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, lived through the rise of the Internet, experiencing cable television and landline phones.

For Gen-Z, the digital landscape is all they know, especially regarding social media.

In a study conducted by the platform on a mission to help young professionals navigate their future in the workplace, Intelligent.com surveyed approximately 1,000 leaders in the U.S. and determined that the issues with the Class of 2024 will directly impact future graduates.

One in six bosses says they are skeptical about hiring college grads in the future. Moreover, one in seven bosses revealed plans to avoid hiring young people next year. Three-quarters of the businesses in the survey noted that many, if not all, of their recent graduate hires were not up to par with workplace demands in some form or fashion.