Gen Z’s Newest Concern: Job Discrimination

In recent years, aging baby boomers seeking new jobs have claimed they’ve faced increasing discrimination. But in a surprise development, the youngest generation of job seekers now say they are being discriminated against even more.

According to a new survey of 2,000 people, more than one in three UK Gen-Z candidates believed they were discriminated against while applying for work. Only 12% of older job candidates made the same complaint. The specifics of the discrimination Gen Z cited included age, ethnicity, weight, and hair color. “These perceptions are their reality,” says Neelam Chohan, associate client partner in Korn Ferry’s ESG and DE&I practices. “In reality, your beliefs drive your behaviors and actions.”

A slew of recent stories about Gen Z’s work habits, with managers complaining about the younger generation’s lack of dedication and unwillingness to collaborate, may be making these candidates wary, even anxious. But Emma Burgess, vice president for client solutions for Korn Ferry’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing practice in EMEA, says many companies aren’t providing enough—if any—feedback to candidates. As many as 77% of people seeking work claim employers ghosted them after the COVID-19 lockdowns. The absence of a concrete reason for not getting a job can create a mental vacuum. “The easiest thing when you don’t know what’s happening becomes applying your own logic,” she says. “Some candidates assume it's discrimination.”

Perception also comes down to worries about applying for roles. One survey shows 32% of Gen Zers don’t even bother applying for certain jobs out of a fear of potential discrimination. “Candidates need to feel they are applying to work at an inclusive employer,” Burgess says, adding that she believes more companies need to treat their potential talent as a consumer-led experience. Either way, on a global level, the stakes for Gen Z are high: Experts forecast it will make up the largest portion of the workforce as soon as next year. As Burgess sees it, a diverse workforce needs to include the full generational spectrum, including Gen Z, in order to produce more innovation and improve financial performance. “There is a direct correlation between diversity and share price,” she says.

Traditionally, some hiring managers have sought candidates who fit in with the corporate culture, Chohan says. But to grab more Gen-Z workers, experts say, firms need to look beyond academic qualifications, since many younger workers are focusing more on skill sets, not degrees. “The future workforce is about what skills you can bring, and what skills the company can leverage,” she says. “That’s more important than what degree you earned.” Savvy executives know that attracting Gen-Z candidates requires things like a digital approach, feedback (so individuals can do better next time), and transparency, Burgess says. “Gen Z gets engaged when they use the latest recruitment technology, including AI,” she says. “So many companies don’t offer that.”

Some experts say companies also need to use more sophisticated techniques to identify the traits, competencies, and experiences required for specific positions, says Drew Hill, a Korn Ferry senior client partner. Firms should focus on a particular attribute only when it is a key to success, he says, and they should dismiss any variables—such as age, ethnicity, or gender—that might disadvantage a particular group. 

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