Young workers are getting fired at an alarming rate in the US, with experts suggesting the troubling trend could start to plague Australia.
According to a report, 75 percent of American companies weren’t happy with their recent Gen Z hires, meaning anyone age 27 or younger.
The survey by Intelligent found that six in 10 employers had already axed their recently hired university graduates within a year.
The main problems employers found with this generation of workers were that they weren’t prepared, often wanted to leave early, start late and had poor communication skills.
Recruitment expert Roxanne Calder said that while young people in Australia aren’t getting fired at the same rapid rate as young people in the US, workplaces are still suffering similar issues.
“The messages I’m getting back from managers and employers is a mixture of starting salaries being too high and expectations not being normal,” she told news.com.au.
Calder explained that it isn’t abnormal for a university graduate to earn $80,000 for an entry-level role in 2024, but “poor Gen Zers” don’t realize that with a greater salary comes greater expectations.
“If you’re going to get $80,000 for your first job, then the company is expecting you to come on board and fire and Gen Zers don’t have the technical or soft skills to do that,” she said.
Of the companies surveyed, 79 percent said they had put younger staff on performance improvement plans, with 60 percent eventually sacking them.
Calder said she’s seen an increasing trend of Gen Zers struggling with communication at work and being unable to take on feedback.
“They find it difficult when their manager gives them feedback. They find it really difficult,” she said.
Sometimes, Calder will have a conversation with a young worker and then afterward send them an email asking if they have anything to add, because she finds they struggle so much with face-to-face communication.
Calder said that in her own experience as a boss, when she offered a younger staffer some extra responsibilities so they could learn more, instead of thanking her for the opportunity, they instantly asked if they’d be paid more.
There’s no doubt in the recruitment expert’s mind that Gen Zers are struggling in Aussie workplaces, with many companies telling her they simply won’t hire younger workers in the first place.
“I hear a lot of reluctance to hire Gen Z staff,” she said.
Calder said bosses are increasingly concerned that they didn’t “integrate” well into the workforce and were “difficult with expectations.”
“They don’t want feedback, and they want the dream career, and then the reality hits, and they struggle to reconcile the two,” she said.
Speaking about the report online, Baxate Carter, a young American content creator, acknowledged that his generation had “unique challenges,” but said it was important for young workers to try to improve on their weaknesses.
His dad sent him a link to the study, simply — and tellingly — writing “hmm” after it.
Carter claimed that so many young people “cheat” their way through college, come out with no skills and then experience a “rude awakening” when they land their first job.
Saying it was unreasonable to “expect a great work-life balance and high-paying job” straight after graduating from university, he also encouraged Gen Zers to dress nicely, speak up, and work on communicating effectively.
His advice amassed more than 4 million views on TikTok, and young people were quick to share their stories of being fired from their workplaces.
One Gen Zer admitted they were “terminated” after falling asleep during an internship, another said they got the ax because they weren’t prepared to be treated “poorly” by managers, and a third claimed she was fired because she “defended” herself.
Another young worker said they’d tried doing the “whole professional” thing, but they still got “fired,” and “at some point, you just don’t care anymore.”
Other comments defended Gen Z and claimed companies were to blame for the high turnover rate.
“The corporate structure is a throne of lies, and Gen Z sees the game for what it is,” one wrote.
“These companies have unrealistic expectations,” another claimed.
Others were quick to point the finger at workers under 30, claiming commitment and work ethic were lacking.
“My husband’s Gen Z co-worker only does exactly what he is told, then he plays on his computer until they figure out he is done,” one claimed.
“All of the Gen Zers making excuses in the comments instead of working hard proves the point,” another wrote.
