A Gen Z CEO and TikToker, @rainjg13, posted a video explaining why she has finally accepted the stereotype that Gen Z is the worst generation of workers. The video has garnered close to 611,000 views and 1,924 comments, with the creator arguing that some corporations may be hesitant to hire Gen Z workers because of their attitudes toward work.
Rain said she runs a six-figure social media agency and has experienced similar attitudes from Gen Z applicants she has personally interviewed. Of course, she said she also has a few Gen Z employees who are extremely hardworking and productive. However, some applicants simply don't show the same enthusiasm for their jobs.
She began by sharing an example of an interview she had with a Gen Z intern. She explained that many of these interns are recent college graduates who have gone on to secure full-time positions within her business. So, she was excited to see how this particular interview would go.
As a CEO, she said one of the main things she asked the Gen Z applicant was whether they had taken the time to learn about the business. Specifically, she asked, "Did you take a look at our website, or our Instagram?" She then took it a step further and asked, "Did any of our clients stick out to you as something that you found particularly interesting?"
The CEO Says Some Gen Z Applicants Are an Exception, but the Stereotypes Persist
Rain explained that these questions gave her a chance to see whether the applicant had taken the initiative to learn even a little about the business. The applicant vaguely replied that she had seen a few podcast clips on the website. So, Rain dug a little deeper and asked which clients she found most interesting.
When Rain realized the applicant was unsure how to answer, she asked her to be straightforward. That's when the applicant finally admitted that she hadn't looked at any of the content on the website. At that point, Rain said the interview was over because the exchange told her everything she needed to know. She then admitted that the online discourse stereotyping Gen Z as unprofessional and lacking a work ethic might actually have some truth to it.
In reacting to the video, many of the commenters, both managers and employees alike, agreed with the Gen Z stigma. One commenter said that their recent interviewer said they were the only one who knew anything about the company. They wrote, "I just had an interview with a company and they told me 'You're the only person who knew about us. No one else knew anything about us.' Like HUH?"
Another commenter disagreed and said many Gen Z workers are doing well for themselves. They wrote, "I'm not sure why there is such a target on Gen Z. There have been unprofessional people in every generation. So many of us are doing great!"
A separate commenter said they interviewed a young lady who ate McDonalds throughout the entire interview. They wrote, "Millennial manager here. Had a girl take McDonalds out of her bag and start chowing down for a 30 minute interview. Got annoyed we kept asking her questions while she was eating."
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made by TikTok creator @rainjg13, which are based on her personal account shared in the video.
