Since entering the workforce, Gen Z has taken an unorthodox approach to how they work and, whether other generations like it or not, they’ve already had a significant impact on the workplace.
This has been evidenced through widespread trends such as Relaxed Vacation, Lazy Girl Jobs and Minimal Bare Mondays, along with an increase in employees who place greater value on flexibility when it comes to work.
Overall, the changes that Gen Z is looking for in the workplace are positive. They are advocates for having a healthy work-life balance and, while they recognize that work is an important part of their lives, they are rejecting the ideals of “rush culture” often held by previous generations.
However, it turns out that there are some areas where younger workers and their different approaches are falling behind.
Sydney woman Tammie Christofis Ballis, a specialist recruiter and career coach at Realistic Careers, has seen a worrying trend rise when it comes to job interviews.
The 37-year-old grew up in the hotel sector. She previously owned a cafe and her parents ran a fish and chip shop.
One thing she has noticed is an increase in the number of young Australians bringing their parents to job interviews when they are looking for casual or part-time work.
It was a phenomenon Ballis experienced several times when she owned a coffee shop in 2011, but she believes it’s definitely “getting worse now,” with parents even applying for jobs on their children’s behalf.
“I don’t know if these parents forget what it’s like to apply for a job when you’re that age,” she told news.com.au.
“I think that seems to have happened, they just forgot how they did it and by applying for a job for their child they think they’re helping them.”
She said she’s had managers at fast-food chains tell her that parents of applicants are going to interviews and then “don’t understand why the kids aren’t getting the job.”
‘You’re not taking mom to work’
But it’s not just high school kids she’s seeing this trend, with Ballis saying she’s heard stories of high school seniors bringing their parents to job interviews.
“I’ve had two graduate nursing recruiters also contact me about having parents come to graduate nursing interviews,” she said.
She explained that graduate nursing interviews are often done in groups, and on two occasions recruiters have ended the call to find there is an extra person in the room, who turned out to be the mother of someone who tagged her.
“These would be 20 to 21 years old. And I just think you’re not taking your mother to work, so why would you take her to an interview?” Ballis said.
Gen Zers and their unconventional approaches to work have been a growing point of contention in recent years.
Last year, a young woman went viral after claiming she was called “straight” for asking a “very reasonable” question in an interview.
Sarah Trefren sparked a fierce debate after she took to TikTok to tearfully claim she was “sucked” when asked what accommodation was available for people with “time blindness” during a phone interview to apply to a trade school.
“And then the person I was with interrupted and acted like I was asking something else and then when we were done they actually started yelling at me and telling me that there are no conditions for time blindness and if you struggle to be on time , you will never be able to find a job,” Trefren said in the video.
The American woman later revealed that the “person” who shouted at her was her mother, who was sitting on the phone with her.
While time blindness is not a diagnosis in itself, it is a symptom often associated with ADHD and can see people struggle with losing track of time or not being able to accurately estimate how much time has passed.
Young workers ‘don’t want to be uncomfortable’
Ballis runs a TikTok account with over 65,000 followers where she offers tips and tricks for young people starting out in the workforce.
She often does live videos where her followers can ask her questions, and a common thing she hears over and over from young people is that they dread going to job interviews because they have “interview anxiety.”
Young people these days are very in tune with their mental health and know the importance of mental wellbeing, but Ballis believes it has “gone too far, to the point where they don’t want to be uncomfortable”.
She believes these young workers need to understand that it’s normal to feel nervous, especially when interviewing for a job.
“You’re not going to walk in and feel completely confident and happy that you’re going into an interview. You’re meeting someone new, you’re being judged, you’re vulnerable, aren’t you?” said the career coach.
“Of course you will feel nervous. Of course you will feel uncomfortable, but that is just a part of life. If you don’t feel comfortable in a work situation, you won’t move forward.”
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Image Source : nypost.com