Suzy Welch’s recent Wall Street Journal op-ed put numbers behind what many managers have been sensing, that there is a real disconnect between what employers are looking for and what many Gen Z job seekers value.

Welch’s research found that only 2 percent of Gen Z respondents listed achievement, learning, and a desire t work, what she calls the “top three” values for hiring managers, in their own top five. The rest prioritized things like self-care, authenticity, and helping others. 

Welch points out that this isn’t just a theoretical issue. At companies like Cohesity, HR leaders are reporting that entry-level hires sometimes struggle with basic work norms, like how to manage a calendar or show up to meetings on time.

But they’re also noticing a deeper challenge where many young professional simply aren’t arriving with the same sense of what work is for. Some want to travel instead of taking a job offer. Others are worried about performance to the point of paralysis. 

Programs like Radical Hope are trying to fill the gap, helping Gen Z build communication and coping skills that previous generations may have learned informally. But the bigger issue, as Welch notes, is that employers and younger workers may not be operating form the same assumptions.