Initiative
They have zero—really, zero—motivation. I’ve always enjoyed hiring young people because they bring energy, fresh ideas, and a new perspective on things we’ve grown tired of. But for the first time, I’ve had to let go of four out of five young hires because they added nothing to the team.
Expectations
They demand before they’ve even proven themselves, something I’ve never seen before. Their expectations are unrealistic, leaving us baffled alongside other managers. One guy told me on his trial day that three days of remote work per week wasn’t enough and that he wouldn’t arrive before 10 a.m. when coming in. What?!
Punctuality? Forget it!
They’re late everywhere. They don’t show up on time, and while I’m usually lenient about that, it’s a different story when they stroll in 15 minutes into a meeting. And the worst part? They don’t even rush! They arrive so casually it drives me nuts. When I warned that if they’re more than 10 minutes late, I wouldn’t pay for that hour, they were outraged. One girl looked at me like I was a serial killer, while a guy just shrugged and started coming in an hour late. (He was shocked when I fired him.)
Dress Code
I’m not asking my team to show up in tuxedos or evening gowns. Tattoos and piercings are totally fine here. Even business casual can be relaxed. But how these young people dress? It’s often unacceptable. And when you gently mention it, they just don’t care and keep dressing however they want.
Handling Pressure
They can’t handle pressure at all. Even the smallest stress breaks them down. I hired a girl who graduated with excellent results and was confident and charming at the interview. In her first week, she called me crying because she had a task with a tight deadline. The task was simple, and one of my average employees solved it in about 20 minutes, so I couldn’t understand why she was so upset.
Communication
They can’t hold a conversation! We’re not discussing Russian realist poetry or quantum physics here, but they don’t know words that even someone with an eighth-grade education knew in my day—let alone a college graduate! What are they learning at university?!
Social Skills
They don’t know how to deal with people. I’ve reached the point where I don’t let new hires interact with clients or customers because it’s a disaster. They freeze up when handling complaints, even after I’ve given them several role-playing sessions.
Attitude
They have no clue what a positive attitude means. I get that young people’s situation isn’t easy, and I try to be empathetic, but I’m at a loss with a generation that starts their first job already burned out. This isn’t their fault—it’s a societal issue we need to explore—but as long as they’re like this, I can’t keep them on.
Challenges
Where do I start… They can’t manage their time and have no sense of how long tasks take. They lack practical skills, aren’t independent, and need hand-holding for every little thing. I don’t know if it’s the pandemic’s effect, but they’re immune to feedback. They either overreact, cry or get offended, or just ignore it altogether.
