A huge topic of conversation lately has been covering the issue that Gen Zers and young millennials have a smaller presence than any other generation in the workforce. Here’s why:
-
We (mostly) don’t want to be influencers. A lot of the older generations assume that we all want to be internet famous. While that may seem enticing, 90% of us don’t want this. Most of us worked our asses of in college to get a degree and use that to create a steady stream of income. The fact that people genuinely believe we want to be “influencers” is extremely offensive and patronizing. Gen X and boomers are the reason why some people turn to this (see below).
-
All job listings considered “entry-level” require AT LEAST 3-5 years of experience. How can we get jobs when this is a requirement? We have a few months of experience from college internships. Some of us have been laid off after a few months of our jobs. Do our 4 years of studying our specific subject mean nothing? We are more than capable of handling these positions. It is a known fact that sometimes people who have the best experience aren’t the best workers. Some of us are extremely excited to learn and show off our skills and will work very hard at our jobs. But if you deny applicants before the interview stage for not having enough experience, then you will miss out on some very hard working people.
-
Most listings want “senior-level” or director positions. There are barely any entry-level positions as it is. These managerial positions want at least 8 years of experience. Companies don’t care if you excelled tremendously at your previous job and are fit to handle such positions. Only the number of years worked matter.
-
“Ghosting” is real. Recruiters don’t let us know when we’re rejected. It’s completely discouraging and we are unable to understand why we weren’t a fit for the role. Was it our experience? Not the right degree? Interview didn’t go well? If we can’t get feedback we can’t do better at job searching.
-
Low salaries. You can’t expect people to apply for a job with a salary that doesn’t align with the job. You want us to do so many tasks and work outside of traditional hours, but are only willing to pay $40k/year with minimal benefits? We all understand the state of the economy right now, but we also understand that companies are able to compensate us way more than they’re letting on.
-
Lying about remote work on job postings. Now that remote work has become more popular, it has become easier for job-seekers to find more jobs. Saying “remote” on a posting and then telling the applicant they need to come in for a few days a week when they live across the country is unfair. Those are more jobs we can’t do. Some of us have leases we can’t get out of for a while and can’t afford to break them. If you say a job is “remote” then you need to mean it.
We won’t have a workforce in the future if our generation is constantly denied jobs. Recruiters, please do better. Gen Z & millennials are counting on you.