Return-on-investment | Gen Z are hyperfixated on the ROI they get, and why shouldn't they be?

Gen Z gets a lot of grief about supposedly expecting too much from their employer and being unwilling to compromise for what they want.

This attitude has been perfectly exemplified by a recent story of a Gen Z candidate refusing to complete a 90-minute task as a part of the job applicant process.

In the viral post on X, the employer shared the candidate said the task “looked like a lot of work” and they “didn’t feel comfortable” spending that amount of time when they didn’t know where they were in the process, or what they were likely to get out of it.

To some bosses, this attitude may be perceived as lazy or spoilt. But to me, I think this attitude exemplifies what employers have been saying for a long time now – that Gen Z are entrepreneurial. And a major aspect of this entrepreneurial spirit is expecting a return on investment in the things they put time and energy into.