70% Gen-Z job applications rejected during COVID-19 second wave, 32% suffered pay cut: Report

At least 70 per cent of Gen-Z job applicants failed to get a positive response from employers while a similar number of applicants said their applications were either cancelled or delayed, a LinkedIn report says. According to Gen-Z Indians, fewer opportunities, higher competition, and slow recruitment processes are the top three reasons pulling them down in their search for jobs.

The report also says that 72 per cent of students and 65 per cent Gen Z Indians were professionally impacted during the second wave of COVID-19. Meanwhile, 72 per cent of students said that internship opportunities had decreased significantly during the second wave. Among the current employed Gen-Z lot, 32 per cent suffered a pay cut and 25 per cent lost a job role because the company they applied to took down the role due to Covid.

Safety issues, financial strain, and Covid-induced travel restrictions during the second wave compelled 40 per cent of students and Gen-Z Indians to delay or cancel their higher academic plans. Many are turning towards different learning programmes.

As Covid has turned things upside down for working professionals and students, many Gen-Z Indians are trying to keep up with the changes while trying to retool their academic plans at a crucial time for their careers. The report shows that 85 per cent of Gen-Z Indians are okay with taking up online learning despite distractions at home, internet issues and limited interaction with colleagues. A majority of them say they look at faculty quality, affordability and accessible content.

Over 50 per cent of Gen-Z Indians want employers to hire people based on skills. Even though tech remains on top of the list in the growing digital economy, human skills are also increasingly given a lot of importance. The report says that more people are learning soft skills than hard skills. Creative thinking, problem solving, time management, leadership, and effective communication are some of the soft skills chosen by Gen-Z Indians while data science, marketing, engineering, financial management, and AI and automation are the hard skills pursued.

Given the fast-paced changes in the work culture and employee needs, more than half of Gen-Z Indians want companies to offer flexible schedules, time to learn skills, and equal access to emotional and physical healthcare facilities along with inclusive workplace culture where employers communicate transparently.