An employer has sparked heated debate after being so shocked that a Gen Z job seeker refused to spend 90 minutes on a hiring test because it “seemed like a lot of work” for him to vent about the situation on X, formerly known as Twitter.
People who have recently been looking for a job have probably quickly discovered that getting hired is no longer as simple as submitting a resume followed by an in-person interview or two.
Job seekers today are often expected to prove that they are a perfect fit for the role, through seemingly endless interviews, aptitude tests and presentations.
It amounts to hours of preparation and work with no guarantee of a job at the end of it – and for those who are unemployed and interviewing at multiple companies, it can feel like a full-time job.
But as this Gen Z candidate learned the hard way, cutting back on such tasks could cost you the job.
Me: really enjoyed the conversation. See the attached financial modeling test
Gen Z applicant: This seems like a lot of work. Without knowing where I stand in the process, I don’t feel comfortable spending 90 minutes in Excel
Me:…well…I can tell you where you are now
– M. Stanfield (@mu2myoc) April 23, 2024
The CEO, who goes by M. Stanfield on Elon Musk’s social media platform, admitted that he was immediately excluded from the potential employee after they refused to complete a financial modeling test.
The tweet read:
“Me: really enjoyed the phone call. See the attached financial modeling test
“Gen Z applicant: This seems like a lot of work. Without knowing where I stand in the process, I don’t feel comfortable spending 90 minutes in Excel
“Me:…well…I can tell you where you are now”
In a follow-up tweet, he posted that “if an analyst can’t figure that out in 90 minutes, he or she isn’t the right person” for the investment analyst gig.
Speak with FortuneStanfield, who declined to confirm the name of his company, said such tests are quite common in his industry because they are used to identify the skill level of potential employees.
During an initial screening interview, “the steps in the application process” were fully explained, he added, and candidates were also told that the test in question “should not last longer than one hour.”
“If you want to get hired as an investment analyst, at least at my fund, you have to demonstrate your ability to analyze an investment,” he said, adding that the job did not involve a live project, but an example situation.
“I think it’s quite common in the investment world to do model testing,” the Boston-based employer concluded. “How else is an employer supposed to know if you have the skills to do the job?”
The candidate’s application did not go beyond the test.
‘Boomer mentality’
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it didn’t go well when you declared that you were turning away a young job seeker because he or she didn’t want to do unpaid work.
“If you can’t pay the person for their work, you’re not the right employer,” one person wrote.
“Applicant is right,” another added. “Unless you offer to compensate for those ninety minutes. He has no idea how many candidates are still in the procedure. He probably has interviews with other companies. Effort versus reward certainly does not apply here. Good for him.”
From the applicants’ perspective, they are applying for dozens of jobs. They don’t have time to go through hours of interviews and tests with every potential employer, most of whom don’t have the decency to send a rejection letter. Employers poisoned the well.
— Ambar Keluskar, PharmD (@ambarkeluskar) April 23, 2024
Some accused the hiring manager of having a “boomer mentality,” while others shared their own experiences of spending hours away from work taking tests after job interviews, only to be overshadowed by the employer.
In Stanfield’s defense, he insisted that he would have “happily paid and probably hired” the unnamed General Zer if they had said, “Give me $1,000 and I will work out this deal in astonishing detail.”
However, he also suggested that the entire generation should do so “Would benefit from more fistfights at a young age. A few bumps and bruises go a long way.”
Generation Z is shaking up the world of work – and the expectations of recruiters
Gen Z job seekers have been criticized by recruiters on social media lately for being “always late” and having long lists of demands, despite their lack of experience.
Meanwhile, even young workers who have made it through the recruitment process catch employers off guard with their unusual requests, such as asking to skip a mandatory meeting to go to the gym.
However, it’s possible that both employers and hiring managers won’t complain about their young recruits for long.
As Generation Z becomes increasingly influential – set to overtake boomers in the job market this year – the youngest generation of workers is expected to shake up traditional business practices as executives looking to attract the hot commodity will have to reevaluate their expectations .
As Glassdoor Chief Economist Aaron Terrazas previously shared Fortune: “With fewer boomers and more zoomers in the workplace, companies are being forced to adapt the benefits they offer and their employee engagement strategies.”
Have you ever resisted an employer’s tasks or tests during an interview process? Contact Orianna.royle@fortune.com
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com
