As of 2024, Generation Z, born between 1996 and 2012, makes up approximately 27% of the U.S. population, or around 89.3 million individuals. This generation is noted for its racial diversity, being the most ethnically varied generation in the United States.
Gen Z’s characteristics and behaviors reflect their upbringing in a digital age, emphasizing their significant impact on social, economic, and cultural trends.
Remarkably, Gen Z also makes up approximately 27% of the global workforce, translating to over 1 billion workers worldwide. This demographic shift reflects Gen Z’s increasing influence and presence in various industries and job roles. Their entry into the workforce is characterized by unique preferences and expectations, such as a strong desire for flexible work arrangements, competitive compensation, and a healthy work-life balance.
Of course, this data is critical in discovering how to recruit Gen Zers, but successfully harnessing this talent still comes down to the interview process. Structured interviews allow talent acquisition professionals to assess qualified candidates in a fixed-format setting. As a result, every candidate shares the same interview experience, and every hiring team member can easily compare candidates’ answers to the same questions.
This is especially critical when a new generation enters the workforce during low unemployment. Talent acquisition professionals aren’t just meeting with members of a new generation; each new hire holds more importance as companies actively compete to attract and retain top talent.
We reached out to professionals interviewing Gen Z candidates. They’ve shared their strategies and top structured interview questions to assess Gen Z. Use these questions to screen and hire top Gen Z talent effectively:
Table of contents
1. If you were working as a cashier at McDonald’s, what would be your biggest challenge?
In my experience, Gen Zers are not usually willing to do “boring” work and are not used to connecting with older generations. Their answers will shed light on their readiness to perform routine tasks, their ease of getting along with people of different age groups, and their overall motivation.
Illia Termeno, Extrabrains Marketing Agency
2. Recall the last time when you had to work on a project in college that wasn’t interesting. How did it make you feel?
The vast majority of Gen Z respondents (76 percent) in a recent Monster report believes they are the owners of their careers and will drive their own professional advancement. Another 49 percent want to have their own business.
Gen Zers often see themselves as mini-CEOs. This question allows talent acquisition pros to assess their readiness to work on tasks that are not super exciting. You will see if the candidate is eager to motivate themselves by the reason and necessity of the boring task.
Illia Termeno, Extrabrains Marketing Agency
3. What do you expect to learn from this job?
This youthful generation has been coined as independent by experts Jeff Fromm and Angie Read. However, that independence shouldn’t be looked at as arrogance or an unwillingness to learn. In fact, Dell’s, Gen Z: The future has arrived report found 50 percent want the ability to learn new skills and have new experiences.
Some Gen Zers may believe that since they graduated, they have the latest knowledge and it’s time to share it with others rather than continue learning on the job. You will see if the candidate is process- or people-oriented, and if they have aspirations of self-development and career growth within your organization.
4. Do you have a friend or family member who seems as though they have the best job on earth?
A mere 19 percent of 5 to 17-year-olds in 2018 worked during the previous year, according to a 2018 Pew Research Center trends report. That’s compared to 30 percent of millennials in the same age range in 2002. This generation doesn’t just have youthful inexperience. They’re less experienced than those in previous generations.
The oldest talent in Gen Z are about 22 and are just entering the workforce. They often don’t have prior work experience to draw on. This question helps us determine if the job they are applying for lines up in some way with the job they admire or aspire to claim.
Tasia Duske, Museum Hack
5. Describe a problem you used to have that you solved by using technology.
The majority of Gen Z respondents (80 percent) in Dell’s Gen Z: The Future Has Arrived report want to work with cutting-edge technology in their future careers.
It’s likely that the majority of Gen Z will have some sort of digital footprint by their early twenties, using tech comes as second nature in a way no other generation has been able to do. We like to ask this question to see ways the candidate is leveraging this unique generational trend to improve their lives as opposed to just taking tech for granted. As our company relies largely on technology, we want to make sure we are attracting top tech talent.
Tasia Duske, Museum Hack
6. Are you open to this job being a long-term opportunity?
Gen Zers remember their parents’ stress and worry during the Great Recession and are therefore more security-oriented than millennials. Asking this question cues to the interviewee that we are open to them staying with us for the long run.
7. What do you know about our organization’s needs, goals, and challenges?
This response will demonstrate whether the Gen Z applicant has done their homework about the company where they’d like to be employed and whether they are eager and passionate about being a part of the organization.
Rafe Gomez, VC Inc. Marketing
8. What would motivate you to make a move from your current role?
Jeff Fromm and Angie Read, authors of Marketing to Gen Z: The Rules for Reaching This Vast–and Very Different–Generation of Influencers describe Gen Z as competitive, determined, and hard-working.
Gen Z is competitive. This tests their competitive spirit and desire to grow professionally. You want to make sure this candidate represents their generation well. Sure, they might not have great emotional intelligence, according to Dr. Steven Stein in his book The EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and Your Success. However, the position may require more of a competitive spirit, like sales, where they can shine.
The major interview red flag here would be the candidate saying they moved on for personal reasons, like a disgruntled co-worker. You’re looking for the candidate to discuss their growth to see if it aligns with your company’s open role.
Roger Maftean, Ph. D., ResumeLab
9. Tell me about a time you had a conflict with your supervisor. How did you resolve it?
This is a classic question when it comes to testing the emotional intelligence of a candidate. Despite having more of a collaborative nature, Dr. Steven Stein suggests Gen Zers have lower emotional intelligence than other generations.
This means they may not be able to easily identify and manage their emotions or perceive the emotions of others. You’re assessing to see whether the person had a problem interacting with their managers. The major red flag there is if the candidate criticized the manager instead of self-assessing. If the blame is passed on, you know the candidate lacks accountability.
Roger Maftean, Ph. D., ResumeLab
10. How comfortable are you with a traditional office setup?
Even though a company might have a great deal of options for flexibility, it’s imperative to ensure the comfort and individual level of flexibility for switching between flexible hours and traditional ones.
You need to understand if Gen Zers are willing to swap terrific work-life balance with extra hours of work if required and if they’re able to offer hard work, discipline, and perseverance whenever it’s asked from them.
Gargi Rajan, Director of Human Resources
11. How do you find your motivation and inspiration in a long-drawn project?
Gen Z candidates are undeniably going to be the future leaders of your organization. The age in which Gen Z is growing, makes them increasingly bent toward instant gratification and super quick results, which in a real-life scenario is far from reality.
This question brings their consonance with reality to the forefront and lets you understand their comfort level with projects that require the individual investment of time and energy. Furthermore, it shows if they would be able to work for a long time with a team requiring patience and collaboration for long periods of time.
Gargi Rajan, Director of Human Resources
12. What part will this position fulfill in your short- and long-term career goals?
Since Gen Zers are just starting into their career, they could lack dedication toward the position they are interviewing for. They might even have some other career plans, no plans at all, or are just interested in testing the waters. As an interviewer, you can use a structured interview process to understand how a role at your company fits within the Gen Z candidate’s future.
Gargi Rajan, Director of Human Resources
13. Do you work well on a team?
Fifty-eight percent of Gen Z employees prefer to work as part of team vs. working independently, according to Dell’s 2018 report, Gen Z: The future has arrived.
This is a great question to ask Generation Z candidates to see if they would rather get their heads down and work to further themselves individually or work well with the rest of your staff to succeed. Social media and society increasingly promote individual success over working together. This will help you find out if your candidate has essential teamwork skills rather than being glued to their phone, laptop, or console.
Steve Pritchard, Ben Sherman
14. What are you hoping to get out of this experience?
Just because you’re focused on “structure” doesn’t mean the information you receive will be uniform. Structured interview processes must be designed to highlight the priorities and ambitions of each candidate. Gen Zers revealed a few of their workplace wants in Dell’s report, Gen Z: The future has arrived:
- 91 percent say the technology offered by an employer would be a factor in choosing among similar job offers
- 45 percent want work that has meaning and purpose beyond just getting paid
- 38 percent want to work for a socially or environmentally responsible organization
Many of our priorities are the same in life. From baby boomers to millennials and even Gen Z, people in every generation will have similar priorities, which is why this question helps you get to the heart of why the candidate is interested in working for you. All of us are looking to learn new skills and find out what we do and don’t like. Asking this question often shows how open and ambitious the next generation is.
Steve Pritchard, Ben Sherman
15. In what ways have you worked toward gaining professional experience?
As some of the youngest candidates, Generation Z is likely to have little traditional professional experience compared to older candidates but likely possess other qualities that really stand out. Anyone who has volunteered, interned, or worked in any working role stands out as being the most ambitious. This shows they’re not afraid to get involved, work hard, and deal with failure as well as success.
Steve Pritchard, Ben Sherman
16. Another employee isn’t meeting your expectations. They are performing below average. How do you handle it?
This is a way to test a person’s leadership qualities and transparency. You want to see if a candidate can be honest and understand the importance of giving constructive feedback. Gen Z candidates can be fiercely independent.
The idea here is to see how mature the candidate is when delivering tough feedback. It’s about showing how important it is. It’s a red flag if the person goes behind the back of the lacking employee and tells others how this person isn’t pulling their weight.
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