Gen Z Worker's Refusal To Do 90-Minute 'Test' As Part Of Job Interview Sparks Heated Debate

We should all be able to agree that it's harder to get a job than ever before.

Out are the days of being able to land a job the same day by walking into a workplace with a firm handshake and paper copy of our resumes, and in are the days of too many applicants, too few positions, and far too high of standards and degree requirements for entry-level jobs. *Le sigh*

But while we might concur that it's hard to land a job, we can't seem to come to an agreement about what is acceptable to expect in a job interview or sample work.

In what is now a viral thread on X (Twitter) about sample work and knowing our worth, a recruiter issued a complaint.

The X user had recently conducted an interview that presumably went very well—well enough for them to reach out to the applicant to say as much, and to also request that they complete a sample test for the job.

But the applicant, who they clarified was Gen Z, did not see this as a valuable use of their time, since they weren't sure they'd get the job.

The employer posted:

"Me: Really enjoyed the call. Please see attached financial modeling test."

"Gen Z applicant: This looks like a lot of work. Without knowing where I stand in the process, I'm not comfortable spending 90 minutes in Excel."

"Me: ...Well...I can tell you where you stand now."

As the responses poured in, the employer specified that their issue was the lack of willingness to communicate what the applicant needed, and instead jumping straight to an "I'm unwilling to do this" attitude.

If the applicant had, for instance, asked to be paid for the sample test, the employer would have been happy to pay them, and more than likely would have offered them the job.

The employer specified:

"A response I would have actually enjoyed would have been, 'I'm good at this and [don't] work for free. Give me $1000, and I'll break this deal down in amazing detail.'"

"Would have gladly paid and probably hired."

Despite the employer's presumed willingness to discuss payment, many X users understood the applicant's reservations.

But other X users who also had hiring experience sided with the employer's concerns.

While it might be disheartening for employers to see more reluctance from younger potential hires to invest time before getting hired or to perform free labor, the job market is so over-saturated, it's hard to guess what will be a valuable investment of time and what won't be.

While some of these investments will lead to being hired or at least making a really good connection, most of these will lead to another candidate being chosen, being ghosted, or even having ideas repurposed by the team's staff, so it's sort of no wonder that potential candidates are getting shy about sharing their ideas and offering up their time with no guarantees of reciprocation.