"Disloyal, but fair." What is known about the new generation?

Although Generation Z (Zet), born between 1997 and 2012, makes up the majority of the world's workforce, employers are reluctant to hire this generation.

According to public opinion polls, there are several reasons behind this behavior of leaders: their lack of work experience, differences in professional behavior, the habit of changing jobs quickly, and concerns about this generation after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lack of professional experience

According to a survey conducted by the ResumeBuilder Center, about 80% of employers complained about the lack of experience of Generation Z. This is because a large part of this generation entered the labor market during or after the pandemic. Because they did not have enough opportunities to acquire professional skills through training in a traditional work environment during this period. Lack of professional experience prevents the Zet generation from adapting to work requirements. In the developed world, this prevents them from being appointed to highly skilled positions.

The habit of changing jobs frequently

Employers are also concerned about the frequent job changes of representatives of this generation. It is noted that 63 percent of recruiters complain that the Zet generation leaves their jobs with flimsy excuses. This situation is due to cultural and technological changes, which lead to a shorter average length of employment compared to previous generations. According to Gallup, a consulting and research center, 60 percent of Gen Zets are less committed to their workplace if they don't see opportunities for learning and growth. These behaviors encourage companies to invest more in training and developing the next generation.

Unprofessional behavior

Differences in the priorities and values of Generation Zet compared to adults include the ability to maintain work-life balance and preference for flexibility in the workplace, the report said.

Some studies show that Gen Zets tend to resist traditional work patterns and seek environments that act as stepping stones to their goals. These new values may be interpreted by some employers as inappropriate behavior or a lack of commitment.

Poor work ethic and irresponsibility

Almost one in two recruiters have doubts about the reliability and professional ethics of Generation Zet. Many CEOs complain that Generation Zets are not as committed to work as their predecessors, such as Generation X (born 1965-1980) or Millennials (born 1981-1996). Some attribute this to the influence of technology and a shift away from rigid professional traditions. That's because Generation Zets use modern technology to make more of their tasks easier. There is also a gap between generational expectations and the traditional work environment.

Negative consequences of the COVID19 pandemic

Due to the impact of the COVID19 pandemic, these challenges have been exacerbated for Generation Zet. The shift to telecommuting and the lack of hands-on training delayed their acquisition of key employability skills. As a result, their chances of achieving professional success are reduced.

According to Stacey Haller, chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder, many companies during this period lacked the support and training they needed. These reasons put the Zet generation in a difficult situation. Microsoft found that 54 percent of Generation Zets had difficulty communicating with colleagues and managers in a virtual work environment.

Focus on environmental and social issues

While focusing on social and environmental issues is seen as a positive asset by some, such activism may be viewed negatively by some traditional business managers. Career consultant Brian Driscoll says that companies that don't cater to Generation Zets, who are increasingly interested in social issues, may be missing out on new and broader perspectives. No matter how negative the Zet generation may be, not using them can leave companies without access to technological advances and solutions to environmental and social problems. This has a negative impact on the ability of groups operating in different sectors to adapt to long-term market changes.

Religious views

People of this generation feel lonely due to their increasing internet addiction and naturally they are depressed. Unfortunately, this is evident in recent years in the increasing trend of suicide among young people in many developed countries of the world. Therefore, it is useful to build a bridge to the hearts of the younger generation through the comforting aspects of Islam: it helps to ease their worries and reduce their mental suffering. In this place, it was observed that performing religious activities, zikr meetings, and reading the Qur'an also relieves youth from depression.

A number of advantages of the Zet generation - the fact that they are not indifferent to the environment and its protection, value justice and equality - play an important role in their interest in Islam. Trust in the creator is the most basic need for people. A person who cannot satisfy this need cannot achieve true happiness. Modern life has created artificial desires in people and made them forget their real needs. As a result, humanity experiences tragedies such as anxiety, depression, and suicide. In fact, believing in the existence of God means that one's servant can escape from the difficulties of life and find refuge.

Unfortunately, today's Zet generation faces a number of difficulties in understanding Islamic truths. This is caused by the anti-religious rules established in the society, the presentation of those who follow their religion as "fanatics", "terrorists", and the rise of propaganda against Islam in social circles and mass media.

According to the Bursa Uludag University (BUU) research, Muslims living in societies where Islamophobia is deeply rooted avoid being or appearing to be religious. According to those who participated in the survey, they can be accepted as modern people in such societies by presenting themselves as non-religious or having a different worldview. Expressing the true Islamic experiences, it is possible to face some kind of pressure or to be ridiculed.

But another factor that determines the religiosity of Generation Zets is their dress and appearance. In order to consider a person as religious, they choose the motto that he should look like that, or in other words, "either look like you are or be like what you look like." We can call this "apparent religiosity." It also means that a Muslim is distinguished from others by his clothes and appearance. However, it is a mistake to attribute this situation to hypocrisy and insincerity.

Although Generation Zet is described by many analysts as a "secular generation," BUU research has shown that a large proportion of them believe in God, prophets, and the Last Day. It can be said that the Zet generation attaches great importance to individuality in life. In particular, the participants of the survey emphasized that it is permissible to respect the choice of others in the absolute sense.


Najwan Ahmad is a journalist of "Al Jazeera".