The inclusion of Gen Z in the workforce is getting extensive media coverage, just as Millennials did back in the day. This generation’s new values and habits are forcing companies to make specific changes to retain this cohort.
One of the main characteristics of Gen Zers is the excessive emotional and functional dependence on parents that experts have observed in their job search.
Gen Z is the future. Each generation has undergone a systemic acculturation process in which young people entering the job market discover what companies expect of them. In turn, the organizations that plan to hire them adjust their policies to fit the new generation’s values. This process happened with Gen X (late 60s and 70s), millennials (80s and early 90s), and now with Gen Z (late 90s and 2000s).
According to Whatsthebigdata.com, Gen Zers represent 30% of the world’s population. Given that they'll make up 27% of the workforce by 2025, companies have to address their concerns and values.
Overdependence on parents. The employment services company ResumeTemplates surveyed 1,420 Gen Zers in U.S. to gain insights about this group's journey through the job market. Notably, the results revealed that this generation depends primarily on their parents when finding a job and navigating an interview process.
The data showed that 70% of the young people surveyed asked their parents for help during the job searching process. While there’s nothing wrong with seeking advice from someone with more experience, 18% of young people asked their parents to write their entire resume. In addition, 24% say their parents sent out job applications on their behalf.
Overwhelmed by the change in their lives. However, parental involvement goes far beyond just writing resumes and sending out job applications, showing a severe lack of independence when taking on roles in the labor market. According to the ResumeTemplates survey, 34% of Gen Zers said they ask their parents for help because they don’t know how to communicate with recruiters. Meanwhile, 32% confirmed that they do so because they feel unmotivated to find a job. 22% cite poor mental health and difficulty breaking into the job market.
Family interviews. One of the most striking data points from this survey is that 31% of the young people surveyed said that one of their parents accompanied them to their job interviews, and 29% also participated in a video call with the recruiter during remote interviews.
Strikingly, 37% of Gen Zers said a parent accompanied them to the office where the interview took place, 26% sat in the next room during the interview, 18% introduced themselves to the recruiter, and 7% of parents answered the recruiter’s questions on their behalf.
Image | Unsplash (Redd F)
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