Gen Z face job challenges, managers hesitant to hire grads

Author: Esly Davis
Published: Updated:

More than 17 million Gen Z’ers are transitioning from school to creating a career. However, stepping into a job right after college is proving difficult for some.

At the same time, many managers find it challenging to work with Gen Z. One in seven managers said they might not hire recent college graduates in 2025.

WINK News Reporter Esly Davis shared insights into this issue.

“Unsatisfactory,” said 75% of managers surveyed by Intelligent when describing recent graduates they hired. 60% said they even had to fire someone.

Some top reasons include a lack of motivation, unprofessional behavior, poor communication skills, and being unprepared for the job.

“You’re coming out of college, you’ve got big dreams, big aspirations, and then you hit the wall,” said Dwight Bain.

Bain encourages Gen Z to remember that education doesn’t stop with graduation.

“Even though you know a lot technically, you may not know a lot about your industry. There’s a lot to learn when you finish school,” he said.

Experts say starting a new career in an office setting is crucial rather than working remotely.

“If you’re only at home, and it’s only remote, the opportunities are gonna be tremendously limited,” said Bain.

Networking is also key to early success.

“The more you network, the more connected you are in your career, the more doors it will open,” he explained.

Additionally, Gen Z should not be afraid to get involved and volunteer for projects.

“To take a chance and push yourself will create greater opportunities,” he said.

According to Forbes, other ways Gen Z can build career confidence include understanding the workflow of the office, observing team habits, and trying to solve problems independently first.

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