Stat: Gen Z shuns the values most desired by hiring managers

US – New research from behavioural-science company Becoming You Labs reveals that only a small fraction of American Gen Z hold the three main values that hiring managers are currently looking for. 

The report, Hiring Managers vs. Gen Z Priorities, analysed responses from more than 7,500 Gen Zs alongside those from 2,100 US hiring managers to study the values gap. Managers overwhelmingly favour three values connected to productivity and visible performance: achievement (defined as ‘professional success’, 30%), scope (‘learning and action’, 23%), and workcentrism (‘comfort with hard work’, 22%). Together, these three values account for 75% of hiring managers’ top priorities for new hires.

However, the data reveals a structural values mismatch. Only 2% of Gen Z surveyed rank all three of these in-demand hiring values in their top five core priorities.

For organisations with significant resources, the focus must shift to aggressively competing for this small cohort of value-aligned candidates. Recruiting needs to become more targeted, and pipelines more competitive for the early identification of this scarce 2% of Gen Z talent. 

Find more insights on Gen Z’s attitudes to work in our Gen Z Now and Next: From Vision to Contradiction macrotrend report.