Young people may have age on their side, but it isn’t helping them land a new job, new research suggests. Employers are actually trying to avoid hiring recent college grads, instead preferring older professionals for a number of reasons, according to a new survey.
Intelligent, an online magazine focusing on student life, polled 800 hiring managers, directors and executives in the U.S. last month and found:
- 39% of the employers say they actively avoid hiring young applicants for positions they’re qualified for in favor of older job seekers.
- More than half (58%) say recent college graduates are just not prepared for the workforce.
- The Gen Z job seekers aren’t making a great impression during job interviews, as 53% of the employers say the young applicants struggled to make eye contact during the interview and 50% say they asked for unreasonable compensation.
- Nearly half also showed up wearing inappropriate attire, while 21% refuse to turn their cameras on for virtual interviews.
- But the worst offense of all? One in five employers say a recent college graduate actually brought their mom or dad to the job interview.
- Those lucky enough to get the job aren’t starting off on the right foot, as 63% of employers say young professionals can’t manage their workload, 59% claim they miss deadlines often and 53% report they’re frequently late to meetings.
- Gen Z’s attitudes are also an issue, with 58% of employers saying the young job seekers get too easily offended, 55% find they don’t respond well to constructive feedback and 52% claim they have poor communication skills.
- To attract the older professionals they prefer to hire, 60% say they’re offering more benefits, 59% are offering higher salaries and 48% are offering remote or hybrid opportunities.
Source: NY Post