Since entering the workforce, Gen Z have taken an unconventional approach to the way they work and, whether other generations like it or not, they have already had a significant impact on the workplace.
This has been evidenced through widespread trends like quiet quitting, lazy girl jobs and minimized Mondays, as well as an increase in the number of employees valuing flexibility when it comes to work.
Overall, the changes Gen Z is pushing for in the workplace are positive. They are supportive of a healthy work-life balance and, while they understand that work is an important part of their lives, they are rejecting the ideals of “hustle culture” held by previous generations.
However, it turns out that there are some areas where youth workers and their different approaches are failing.
Sydney woman Tammy Christofis Bayliss, an expert recruiter and career coach at Realistic Careers, has noticed a worrying trend rising when it comes to job interviews.
The 37-year-old grew up in the hospitality field. She previously owned a café and her parents ran a fish and chips shop.
One thing she has noticed is an increase in young Australians bringing their parents to job interviews when they are looking for casual or part-time work.
It was a phenomenon Ballis had experienced many times when she owned a café in 2011, but she believes it is definitely “getting worse now”, with parents also raising concerns about their children. Are applying for jobs.
“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 what happens is, they forget how they did it and by applying for a job for their child they think they’re helping them.”
He said managers at fast food chains have told him that parents of applicants are coming in for interviews and then they “can’t understand why the kids aren’t getting the job”.
‘You’re not taking your mom to work’
But it’s not just high school kids that she’s seeing this trend, Ballis says she’s heard stories of graduates bringing their parents to job interviews.
“I’ve also had two graduate nursing recruiters tell me that their parents have come in for graduate nursing interviews,” she said.
She explained that interviews for nursing graduates are often conducted in groups and in two cases recruiters completed the roll call and discovered there was an extra person in the room, who turned out to be the mother of someone who tagged along. Has gone.
“These would be 20 to 21 year old kids. And I just think, you’re not going to take your mother to work, so why would you take her to an interview?” Ballis said.
Gen Zers and their unusual approach to work has been a growing point of controversy in recent years.
Last year, a young woman went viral after claiming she was labeled “entitled” for asking “very reasonable” questions in an interview.
Sarah Trefrain tearfully claimed on TikTok that during a phone interview to apply for trade school, she was “yelled at” when she asked what accommodations there were for people with “time blindness,” leading to A wild debate ensued.
“And then the person I was with interrupted me and acted like I was asking something else and then when we were done they actually started yelling at me and said there’s no one for time blindness. The space doesn’t exist and you’ll never make it if you struggle to arrive on time.” Be able to get a job, Trefrain said in the video.
The American woman later revealed that the “person” who was yelling at her was her mother who was on the phone with her.
While time blindness is not a diagnosis in itself, it is a symptom often associated with ADHD and people can be seen struggling with losing track of time or being unable to accurately estimate how much time has passed.
Youth activists ‘don’t want to be inconvenienced’
Ballis runs a TikTok account with over 65,000 followers where she provides 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 keeps hearing from young people is that they are afraid to go to job interviews because they have “interview anxiety.”
Young people these days are very conscious of their mental health and know the importance of mental well-being, but Bayliss believes it has “gone too far, to the point where they don’t want to be uncomfortable”.
She believes these young employees need to understand that it’s normal to feel nervous, especially when you’re interviewing for a job.
“You’re not going to go in and feel completely confident and happy that you’re going to an interview. You’re meeting someone new, you’re being evaluated, you’re insecure, okay?” the career coach said.
“Of course you will feel nervous. Of course you will feel uncomfortable, but it is a part of life. If you don’t feel uncomfortable in a job situation, you won’t be able to move forward.
