Classical Nature of Job interviews
Job interviews were always 2 way street . At least on paper it was always the case . For most of the time as millennial the candidates were more kind and silent in this process towards the other side .The most common diligence my friend circle used to do while appearing for IT jobs was pay scale .However the Gen Z are turning the tables . I have seen them matching the Hiring manager and HR questions with equal scrutiny .
Gen Z has different attitude towards Jobs
A typical “why did you change company so often ” is matched by “what is your turnover rate” . A “Tell me about your skill sets” is matched by “what are my leaning opportunity”. A “The salary you are asking is high” is cleverly countered by “what is your growth rate/hike rate etc” .A probe on hard work , flexibility , learnability is match by “what is support system/work arrangement ” . Ofcource these are my wording and slice of my socio-work sphere .
In many cases where start up and stock options were applicable these generation shows equal grasp of these dynamics .In many case my senior friends form these circle told me that “inspiration” ,”growth”,” making dent in universe ” are not having the impact it used to be during there conversation .This attitude is seen candidates from not so elite colleges also !.
Gen Z mindset shift
But a good amount of Gen Z have started looking at workplace as lifestyle choice (now/India) as opposed to earning “opportunity” earlier . In 90’s IT pioneers in India used to talk of themselves as offering social upward mobility for first generation Engineers from rural India .That basically summarizes work place as employment opportunity ,trend that previous generation displayed . However when I specifically probed about this strata assuming that folks from this segment might still be seeing world like my generation things did not change .The youngsters with no so privileged background seem to have caught the same attitude (as that of urban/settled section ) towards work and workplace .This is how social scientist define a generation ! The attitude change is generational and here to stay .
Changes the hiring side needs to do
What this now means is that people on the other side of “conference call” have to now shift the mindset from “hiring”-“recruiting” to “teaming up”-“tribe formation” .We are no longer giving them job .Instead they are choosing to spend their life with us . to A big shift for my generation of people .
PS : these are my observations and not a scientific study with large-diverse sample space .My slice of the world in india/IT centric …..But it made sense to plot this point in space for anyone to spot the trend .