Worker left in tears after claiming she was denied a job for being Gen Z

A Gen Z job seeker has turned to TikTok with claims she wasn't hired due to being a part of the younger generation.

"If you’re wondering what the job market looks like right now, look no further than my swollen eyelids," Alejandra (@fungalmicrobe) started the clip that's racked up more than 800,000 views.

Alejandra claimed that she was left in tears when a Gen X hiring manager said she wasn't hired because she was Gen Z.

For context, she explained how she once worked for the company where she "excelled" and got along with colleagues. They told her they'd inform her when a job opening came up.

She was offered an interview for the position and felt "really good" about it.

Following the interview, Alejandra said she hadn't heard back and decided to chase the outcome on several occasions.

By chance, she ended up in the lift with the hiring manager who told her the position had been filled.

Alejandra asked for feedback, to which they reportedly said it was "concerning" that she didn't have a five-year plan, which the hiring manager called a Gen Z trait. She even recommended that Alejandra should've "just made something up on the spot".

It's worth noting that Alejandra mentioned her disability, and for that reason, it had changed her previous five-year plan.

She recalled the manager saying: "'Yeah, I have this issue with my son as well, and to be quite frank with you, I think it's a Gen Z problem. You have to understand, it's all about perception and optics.'"

The hiring manager also said that Gen Z "need to understand" that they don't "need to share everything about [themselves]".

Alejandra rounded off by suggesting the company would "prefer to hire someone who is lying".

It didn't take long for fellow TikTokers to flood the comments to defend Alejandra, with one writing: "Hard to have a five-year plan when EVERYTHING is uncertain."

Another wrote: "'Don’t share everything about yourself' but Gen X and above coworkers have asked me the most invasive personal questions in the office, shared their insensitive opinions unprovoked, then gossips if u don’t."

Meanwhile, a third penned: "A lot of adults at my workplace have the same idea 'that Gen Z don't wanna work like us' yet me and my other Gen Z co-workers are arguably the best ones on our team."

It comes after a recent study revealed that a staggering four in five Gen Z workers have found that generational stereotypes have cost them jobs and promotions – despite putting in extra effort.

"When employees are unfairly labelled as 'lazy' or 'entitled,' it can be incredibly demotivating and create barriers to their career progression,” says Intelligent.com’s chief education and career development advisor, Huy Nguyen.

"Gen Z grew up in a digital-first world that shaped their approach to work, emphasising flexibility and mental wellbeing. While these values sometimes clash with traditional workplace norms, they should not diminish perceptions of their capabilities or commitment."

Gen Z's place in the workplace continues to be a much-discussed topic online. A businesswoman blasted one Gen Z job application as the 'worst ever' recently, while others are commending Gen Z workers for ditching CVs and creating job applications on TikTok instead.

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