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Gen Z Isn't The Problem. We Are. Some Leaders Are Brave Enough To Own It.

Forbes

13 hours ago

Business
Forbes

Gen Z Isn't The Problem. We Are. Some Leaders Are Brave Enough To Own It.

The headline was hard to ignore. It spread across national media like wildfire—equal parts funny, frustrating, and concerning. What was the headline? '26% of Gen Z Applicants Brought a Parent to a Job Interview.' Many laughed. Some were outraged. But behind the humor is a growing anxiety in boardrooms and break rooms alike: Is Gen Z truly ready for the workforce? According to a survey by Resume Templates, this statistic isn't a joke—it's a reality. One that's revealing what employers across the country are already experiencing: a generation entering the workplace with immense potential, but in many cases, lacking the social-emotional and professional readiness to yet, we've seen this movie before. Every generation gets labeled. Boomers were rebellious. Gen X was disengaged. Millennials were 'entitled.' Now Gen Z—tech-savvy, deeply aware, but often disconnected—is under the microscope. But this moment feels different. This time, rather than mocking or blaming, some leaders are stepping up to ask the harder question: What's our role in this? I recently saw quote that really hit home for me. It's literally brilliant and so spot-on that I can't stop thinking about it. 'The future of the workforce can only be built through belief and possibility. When we commit to training and mentorship, we don't just fill roles, we unlock potential.' ~ Warner L. Thomas, President and CEO, Sutter Health Thomas, who oversees a massive healthcare system in Northern California, is right. Pointing fingers, placing blame, or even paying more for a more seasoned candidate isn't going to solve the problem of an entire generation entering the workforce without the necessary socialization, skills, and attitudes to thrive. Curious, I reached out to Warner and a few other experts who know a lot more about hiring Gen Z than I do. And, I asked them: 'How do we train a generation that isn't ready to enter the workforce? And, how do we take accountability for a situation we created?' Tracie Meier, Vice President, Early Careers at Oracle: 'We're building the products of the future, which means we need to be recruiting the best and brightest talent,' Meier told me. '…and they have to have the necessary hard and soft skills. If Early Career employees aren't prepared for the workplace—socially, emotionally, and professionally—then we'll struggle with them technically and intellectually as well. So, if we want world class, we need to evolve leadership and take action.' Ken May, Former CEO of FedEx Office and TopGolf: 'What's going to happen to workplace culture if the entering workforce isn't equipped to handle workplace culture?' May asked. 'It will erode. As leaders we need to take responsibility—and that means we need to take care of the employees who come to work for us. Generational situations will always create new behaviors and attitudes. It's not our job to say 'You're wrong.' As leaders, it's our job to say, 'We can help you.' Warner L. Thomas, President and CEO of Sutter Health: 'It's unrealistic to expect different outcomes if we're unwilling to train different approaches,' Thomas said. 'This starts by understanding the unique and individual perspectives of your people so that as leaders, we know where to invest in their training.' Chester Elton, New York Times Bestselling Author of Leading with Gratitude: 'Relationships are key to performance,' Elton said. 'And, when we dive into a discussion around generations, we're really just talking about the relationships. Relationships are difficult to build if we just say one group is wrong. We're all individuals. It doesn't matter when you were born. We all want to be recognized and appreciated. It's that simple.' David M. Carlisle, MD, PhD, President, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science: 'Workplace readiness means much more than resumés and credentials. At Charles R. Drew University, we shape and celebrate healthcare leaders who bring purpose, equity, and authenticity to everything they do.' Cynthia Teniente-Matson, EdD, President, San Jose State University: 'Our students are never a problem to fix, but a promise to fulfill. It is our obligation and opportunity to meet them with the tools they need to succeed and thrive in the current workforce and the ones to come.' Scott Kuykendall, Superintendent, Stanislaus County Office of Education: 'This generation didn't just grow up with phones, they grew up inside them. The result? Fragmented attention, less depth to social connections, and rising anxiety. Part of our job in education today is to help them reclaim identity, purpose, and real connection.' Sara McMann, U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist, Gold medal coach, former UFC and Bellator fighter, Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame: "Strength alone doesn't win…not in combat sports, and not in life. You win when you know who you are, what you stand for, and why you do what you do. Tapping deep into who you are gives people that edge. It also gives meaning to our actions that ultimately define us…With purpose comes performance.' Dennis Olympios, Co-Founder and CEO of LinkedInSuperPowers: 'It's a new world. While Gen Z is the first generation to grow up with social media at their fingertips, they're also the only generation to publicize their entire lives—seeking approval from countless people they'll never meet. This concept is now baked into our global culture. We no longer just live in our local communities. We have personas that have lives online. And, we ALL must learn to be proactive and purposeful with our global personas.' Gemma Mayman, VP Global ATTR Marketing at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals: 'Trust and connection start with two-way, honest dialogue. Be clear about expectations, but also listen, really listen to what individuals want,' said Mayman. 'What drives your people? What do they need? When we understand that and show how their unique capabilities support the mission, we set people from every generation up to succeed.' Which brings me back to Warner Thomas' quote at the start of this post. Sure, the quote is catchy—but, more importantly, it's true. There are numerous workforce challenges right now. But we won't resolve those issues by casting blame on any generation. Instead, we need to train our way out of those challenges. Sutter Health, to their credit, isn't just talking about changing training in the hospital. They're funding it for the community. Through their community health team, Sutter has invested in initiatives to build healthier communities—not just physically, but emotionally and economically. One such investment? A strategic partnership with Seity Health, an organization focused on core skills, wellbeing, and workforce readiness. Hearing about this collaboration, I sat down with the physician founders to learn more about Seity's approach to training. In a nutshell, the company teaches young adults to understand and live by their own personal core values—and in doing so, improve their soft skills, professionalism, and wellbeing. 'As family practice/sports medicine physicians taking care of patients in diverse environments like South Central LA, elite college sports and student health at University of Texas, and now for the past two decades in an underserved rural community in the Central Valley of Northern California, one of the things we recognized is that in every environment, people need to know their why before creating sustainable change in their how…' said Chris Hawley, MD, CMO and Cofounder of Seity Health. Makes sense, I thought… then without hesitation, Sam Romeo, MD, Seity's CEO and Cofounder went on to say, 'We loved when Simon Sinek reminded the world about the importance of finding our why because at that same time we were working closely with Stanislaus County Office of Education and researchers from Cal State Stanislaus to build and scientifically validate a quick way for people to discover their unique set of Core Values which IS our why…Our personal Core Values are our source of meaning, purpose, and intrinsic motivation.' 'But discovering it is just the start, do you know why?' asked Dr. Hawley. Avoiding the temptation to call out his pun, I said, 'Do tell.' And these guys who seem to complete each other's sentences said, 'Because the science is clear on this…when you know who you are, build a strong self-identity, and live a value-aligned life three things happen: 1. Your wellbeing goes up, 2. Your psychological stress goes down, 3. Your performance goes up… in everything…' Boom… suddenly all the dots connected in my mind. You? Consider these numbers: Add skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout—and it becomes clear this isn't just a talent development issue. It's a public health issue. Which brings us back to Sutter. Sutter has figured out that community health isn't just about disease care and hospitals. It's about helping people—especially young people—build lives of meaning, contribution, and wellbeing. That's why Sutter's decision to support Seity's programming for the communities they serve isn't just smart. It's bold. It's forward-looking. And frankly, it's necessary. When I think of my own 3 Gen Z kids, I already see how they're seeking meaning, wellbeing, and connection at work. 'We know the workforce of tomorrow is in crisis today,' said Warner Thomas. 'If we want better outcomes, we need better approaches. That starts with listening, discovering who people are, investing, and building together.' And that seems to be what's happening in Northern California right now: a huge healthcare system, a small physician startup, and Northern California communities are coming together to solve a generational challenge—not by blaming but by building. There's still work to do. No single program will fix decades of disconnection. But if we want Gen Z to feel hopeful, capable, and prepared, it's going to take more than headlines and hashtags. It's going to take leadership. And, it's going to take the courage to say, 'We created this issue. Let's fix it—together.'

Welcome to your job interview. Your interviewer is AI

Khaleej Times

08-07-2025

Business
Khaleej Times

Welcome to your job interview. Your interviewer is AI

When Jennifer Dunn, 54, landed an interview last month through a recruiting firm for a vice president of marketing job, she looked forward to talking to someone about the role and learning more about the potential employer. Instead, a virtual artificial intelligence recruiter named Alex sent her a text message to schedule the interview. And when Dunn got on the phone at the appointed time for the meeting, Alex was waiting to talk to her. 'Are you a human?' Dunn asked. 'No, I'm not a human,' Alex replied. 'But I'm here to make the interview process smoother.' For the next 20 minutes, Dunn, a marketing professional in San Antonio, answered Alex's questions about her qualifications — though Alex could not answer most of her questions about the job. Even though Alex had a friendly tone, the conversation 'felt hollow,' Dunn said. In the end, she hung up before finishing the interview. You might have thought AI was coming for your job. First it's coming for your job interviewer. Job seekers across the country are starting to encounter faceless voices and avatars backed by AI in their interviews. These autonomous interviewers are part of a wave of artificial intelligence known as 'agentic AI,' where AI agents are directed to act on their own to generate real-time conversations and build on responses. Some aspects of job searches — such as screening resumes and scheduling meetings — have become increasingly automated over time, but the interview had long seemed to be the part of the process that most needed a human touch. Now AI is encroaching upon even that domain, making the often frustrating and ego-busting task of finding a job even more impersonal. Talking to AI interviewers has 'felt very dehumanising,' said Charles Whitley, 22, a recent computer science and mathematics graduate from Santa Clara University who has had two such conversations in the past seven months. In one interview, for a software engineering job, he said, the AI voice tried to seem more human by adding 'ums' and 'uhs.' It came across as 'some horror-movie-type stuff,' Whitley said. Autonomous AI interviewers started taking off last year, according to job hunters, tech companies and recruiters. The trend has partly been driven by tech startups like Ribbon AI, Talently and Apriora, which have developed robot interviewers to help employers talk to more candidates and reduce the load on human recruiters — especially as AI tools have enabled job seekers to generate resumes and cover letters and apply to tons of openings with a few clicks. AI can personalise a job candidate's interview, said Arsham Ghahramani, the CEO and a co-founder of Ribbon AI. His company's AI interviewer, which has a customizable voice and appears on a video call as moving audio waves, asks questions specific to the role to be filled, and builds on information provided by the job seeker, he said. 'It's really paradoxical, but in a lot of ways, this is a much more humanizing experience because we're asking questions that are really tailored to you,' Ghahramani said. Propel Impact, a nonprofit in Vancouver, British Columbia, that teaches young people about financial investing, began using Ribbon AI's interviewer in January. That allowed the organization to screen 500 applicants for a fellowship program it offers, far more than the 150 applicants who were interviewed by people last year, said Cheralyn Chok, Propel Impact's executive director. 'There's no way we would have been able to successfully recruit and set up offers to 300 people to join our program,' she said. Chok said the AI interviews also saved applicants the hassle of doing multiple interviews with outside financial firms to determine their fellowship placements. Instead, Propel Impact sent the recorded AI interviews to those companies. And there was still a human element, she said, since the organization told applicants that they could ask her team questions at any point. Humans cannot ultimately be taken out of the hiring process, said Sam DeMase, a career expert at ZipRecruiter, an online job board. People still need to make the hiring decisions, she said, because AI may contain bias and cannot be trusted to fully evaluate a candidate's experience, skills and fitness for a job. At the same time, more people should expect AI-run interviews, DeMase said. 'Organisations are trying to become more efficient and trying to scale faster, and as a result, they're looking to AI,' she said. That's bad news for people like Emily Robertson-Yeingst, 57, of Centennial, Colorado. In April, she was interviewed by an AI named Eve for a role as vice president of product marketing at a software company. Robertson-Yeingst was required to keep her camera on during the call, with Eve showing up as a little gray box in a corner of the screen. Eve asked Robertson-Yeingst to talk about herself, and then later asked her to 'tell me about a time you had to build a team from scratch,' among more than half a dozen questions. After almost an hour, Robertson-Yeingst asked Eve about next steps in the hiring process. Eve was unable to answer, she said. In the end, Robertson-Yeingst never heard back — from a human or an AI — about the job, which she later saw posted again on LinkedIn. The entire experience left her feeling 'used,' she said. 'It starts to make you wonder, was I just some sort of experiment?' she said. 'Were you just using me to train the AI agent? Or is there even a job?' Others said they liked talking to AI interviewers. James Gu, 21, a college student majoring in business in Calgary, Alberta, spoke to a robot interviewer for a summer analyst position through Propel Impact in February. Being drilled with questions by someone stresses him out, he said, so part of him was relieved not to speak with a person. During the interview, the AI asked Gu to 'tell me more' about his experience running an entrepreneurship club on campus. He said he had felt freer to 'yap' to the AI. 'It felt like it was interested in learning about me,' said Gu, who landed the job. Dunn has had about nine job interviews over the past two months, she said. Only one was with an AI like Alex, she said, for which she was 'grateful.' Given the choice, she never wants to interview with AI again. 'It isn't something that feels real to me,' she said.

New York Times

07-07-2025

Business
New York Times

Welcome to Your Job Interview. Your Interviewer Is A.I.

Bunnings is slammed for 'dehumanising' move: 'You are treated like a number'

Daily Mail

23-06-2025

Business
Daily Mail

Bunnings is slammed for 'dehumanising' move: 'You are treated like a number'

Bunnings has come under fire as it becomes one of several large Australian retailers to use artificial intelligence in its recruitment process. The application process involves a chat and video interview powered by Sapia AI, a tool designed to screen candidates. According to Sapia's website, the technology was 'built on the foundation of making hiring inclusive, efficient and effective'. Bunnings describes the AI interview as comparable to a traditional phone interview with a recruiter, but highlights several benefits. 'You can take all the time you need and edit your answers until you're happy with them,' the company explains in its FAQ for job applicants. 'There are usually five questions, and most people finish in about 30 minutes.' For those who don't have access to the required technology, Bunnings reassures candidates they 'can arrange an alternative format for you to complete the same interview questions'. The retailer emphasises that the AI interview is designed to be fair and impartial, focusing solely on responses to a standardised set of questions. Sapia is used by a number of businesses across Australia, including Woolworths, Qantas, David Jones, Suncorp and Starbucks. It was founded by Barb Hyman, a former HR executive who is based in Melbourne. Sapia claims that companies using its software are saving up to 20 hours a week in recruitment time, while also cutting the time-to-hire in half. They report a 90 per cent satisfaction rate among job applicants. Recruiter Tammie Ballis, who owns Realistic Careers, expressed scepticism about the approach, calling it 'dehumanising'. 'It's a cost-cutting feature, it's also a screening tool,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'You are treated like a number now more than ever, especially if you are applying to jobs for the big retailers.' She did acknowledge that businesses were trying to save money, saying the HR process is often 'expensive'. A screenshot of a job advertisement promoting the use of Sapia AI was shared to Reddit where social media users were divided 'My suggestion to you as a recruiter is don't touch the big retailers, you are more likely to get a personal and human experience when applying to a small or medium sized business,' Ms Ballis said. A screenshot of a job advertisement promoting the use of Sapia AI was shared to Reddit, where social media users slammed the change. 'Pro-tip: If they were actually interested in hiring you, they'd speak to you in person. Don't put up with this dehumanising c***,' one wrote. 'We're cooked,' another wrote. 'It won't be long before people are selling optimal answers for AI interviews, it'll be like SEO for Google,' a third added. 'As long as someone knows the key words/phrases they'll nail the interview.'

Latest news with #JobInterview

Gen Z Isn't The Problem. We Are. Some Leaders Are Brave Enough To Own It.

Welcome to your job interview. Your interviewer is AI

Welcome to Your Job Interview. Your Interviewer Is A.I.

Bunnings is slammed for 'dehumanising' move: 'You are treated like a number'

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