Rethinking Red Flags: How Gen Z Is Rewriting the Rules for Resumes

Gen Z's impact on resumes and hiring norms

Avoiding the dreaded resume gap has been common practice among job seekers for decades. For generations, applicants have been encouraged by their parents, mentors, and headhunters to find creative ways to work around or explain away any breaks in their work histories. Now, with a little help from Gen Z, that seems to be changing.
 

The modern workforce’s youngest demographic has kicked off its working years very differently than its predecessors, with most of them starting their first positions from home, foregoing traditional career paths, and prioritizing passion and values when picking roles. As the only generation experiencing growth in workforce participation, it’s critical that recruiters take the time to understand where these applicants are coming from and how they view their working lives.

And, for many, that will mean learning which old-school recruitment rules they should stand by and which may be worth leaving in the past.

Rethinking Common Knowledge

Attracting Gen Z talent is increasingly important in the modern workplace. Not only are many of these fresh graduates eager to learn, excited to embark on their careers, and highly engaged with their work, but they may bring a new perspective to workplaces — often changing outdated norms for the better.

It is a reflection of their purpose-driven approach to their careers. They came of age during a time when numerous economic and social factors came together to encourage applicants to rethink their priorities and shift their understanding of what it means to work. It stands to reason those traditional views about “the right way” to work fell away.

That means it’s time for recruiters to follow suit by changing how they think about common recruitment red flags:

● Employment gaps

Once considered a sign of commitment issues, unpredictability, or any other number of negative traits, gaps in employment are becoming a veritable norm. Many Gen-Zers have gaps in their employment histories, and they’re rarely a reflection of work ethic or performance. Regardless of the reason for the gap, many younger applicants use these times to pursue passion projects or learn new skills, both of which can be a benefit to employers.

Recruiters should also extend this leeway on resume gaps to older applicants. The Covid-19 pandemic led to workers of all ages taking time away from work to deal with illness, serve as caretakers, stay home with their children, pursue a new path, or even protect an at-risk loved one from exposure. Furthermore, the ongoing popularity of gig work, contract-based roles, and freelance arrangements have made resume gaps common across demographics. Counting these workers out on that basis alone will likely be riskier than giving them a chance.

● Job hopping, poly-working and career-changing

In a similar vein, “job hopping” used to be interpreted as a sign that an applicant wasn’t loyal or dedicated to their work. While it’s worth noting when an applicant’s resume lacks longevity, writing off younger workers that have this history may mean losing out on talented employees.

In today’s market, it’s common for workers — especially those that are just starting out — to have a varied and sometimes-scattered work history. However, it’s usually due to their desire to earn what they deem a fair wage and their tendency to work in high-turnover sectors like food service rather than disinterest or poor performance. When this is the case, hiring employees with diverse backgrounds can be extremely beneficial.

Applicants with diverse work histories often have diverse skill sets to match, which can help managers expand the capabilities of their teams, develop internal mobility programs, and improve operations with fresh points of view. The same is true for “polyworkers” (those who have held multiple jobs at once) and applicants with unexpected title histories or who are looking to change fields.

● Dressing for success?

Despite changing public perceptions about things like casual attire, heavy makeup, piercings, dyed hair, and tattoos in day-to-day life, many workplaces and recruiters still uphold more traditional views when interviewing candidates. They may even go so far as to write off applicants that don’t present “professionally.” Those who do might find themselves missing out.

A 2021 Y Pulse survey found that 58% of Gen-Zers said they prefer casual office dress codes, while a 2022 report from the organization found that nearly half (46%) of young people (18-39) had tattoos. Furthermore, Gen Z workers are more likely to identify as gender-non-conforming than their older coworkers, which may lead them to reject gendered dress codes in office environments.

While it’s fair to expect workers to look put together, it might be time to loosen up on old-school ideas about office (and interview) attire. Employees in this demographic are generally more motivated by passion and values than their older coworkers, preferring workplaces that allow them to express themselves without limitations that they deem as arbitrary.

The Future of Recruiting Is Right Now

Gen Z is leading this charge, as many of them are just beginning their careers and know little about the old ways of office life. However, these changes in approach are not confined to the youngest among the working population. Millennials, Gen-Xers, and even Boomers have seen the benefits of shifting their approach. They’re more willing to change careers, leave their roles, and seek out flexible options that better fit their lifestyles—all of which may lead to gaps, job hopping, and more.

It’s time for recruiters to do the same and embrace the changes happening before their eyes. In today’s market, the industry standards that may have dictated decisions five years ago no longer apply—and that’s especially true for Gen Z applicants. However, recruiters that remain open to this change are likely to discover that counting out resumes with “red flags” means letting quality talent get away.

Author Bio

Jody Stolt is Senior Director of Talent and Onboarding at Paychex, Inc.