Gen Z: How Not To Get Hired In Today’s Job Market

Oh, Gen Z, Gen Z.

Look, I’m not going to slam Gen Z. I’m not going to call them the Tik Tok Generation or Zoomers or snowflakes or anything like that.

I have three humans of my own in Gen Z!

But, I could not help but share these two anecdotes with you.

Bring Your Parent To Work Day?

I spoke with a client yesterday who made a job offer to a candidate that the client considered qualified. Said candidate responded that he was interested in the job, but first, he needed to tour the office with his dad.

I am not kidding.

So, Candidate and Dad toured the client’s office, and after the tour, Candidate thanked the client but said that his dad thought the commute would be too much for candidate. Could he work from home at least three days per week? (No, there was no request for an accommodation for a disability.)

Needless to say, the company rescinded Candidate’s offer of employment.

As if Dad alone was not a big enough red flag, the job description explicitly stated that attendance in the office was an essential job function.

Telling An Potential Employer to Stuff It

If you like that one, here’s another: on a Friday, a non-profit offers a job to a Gen Z candidate who had been unemployed since the summer.

On that same day, the candidate thanks the organization for the offer and promises to respond substantively by Monday.

The following Wednesday, he writes to the organization, apologizing for the delay, and says he had been caught up “with stuff.”

Stuff?

This guy has been out of work for months. What kind of stuff should be prioritized over a job offer?

When the candidate finally spoke to the hiring person, he both asked this person for a higher starting salary and told the hiring manager that he was not 100% interested in the job.

What the…?

This is an excellent way not to get hired.

What’s a Well-Meaning Employer To Do?

Besides run?

No, I’m kidding.

While we warn employers not to discriminate based on age, (see my law partner Rich Cohen’s posts about age discrimination here and here) these anecdotes present a cautionary tale to employers, employees, and candidates alike.

Employers should ensure that their hiring practices are inclusive and fair, providing equal opportunities for candidates of all ages. This includes:

• Avoiding age-based assumptions: Do not make assumptions about a candidate’s abilities or preferences based on their age;

• Use inclusive job descriptions: Use language in job descriptions that is inclusive and does not deter candidates of any age from applying; and

• Equal opportunities for development: Provide training and development opportunities for employees of all ages to ensure everyone has the chance to grow and advance within the organization.

  What an employer does not have to do is accommodate a candidate’s father’s opinion that a commute is too long or hire someone who seems uncommitted to the job.