By Mackenna Moralez, Associate Editor

March marks five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. All industries were hit hard by the pandemic, as many companies were forced to lay off employees in order to adhere to safety guidelines and limit the exposure of the virus. Members of the healthcare industry, however, worked non-stop in the early days of the pandemic, leading to people quitting because of burnout. Unemployment reached record levels, and even five years later, industries have yet to rebound from this time. 

Just this year, the facilities management industry will have 53 percent of jobs open, according to UG2. Nearly 20,000 people leave the trades each year due to career changes or retirement. With an already aging workforce, that number is expected to substantially grow in the coming years. Despite this, managers are still hesitant to hire Gen Z, claiming that they don’t meet their qualifications. 

Gen Z, born between 1997 – 2012, hasn’t had the easiest time when entering the workforce. The oldest of the generation is turning 28 this year and had just started their careers when the pandemic first began in 2020. Many Gen Z employees were either laid off or watched their peers get laid off from their first jobs. Since then, they have tried to reenter the workforce, only to be labeled as “lazy” and be told that “no one wants to work anymore.”  

According to a study by Intelligent, one in eight hiring managers are avoiding hiring recent college graduates in 2025, saying that the generation lacks worth ethic and are unprepared for the workforce. In addition, survey respondents said that they felt that Gen Z was entitled (29 percent), easily offended (27 percent) and don’t respond well to feedback (25 percent). 

While survey respondents may have negative experiences with the younger generation, it isn’t necessarily fair to label a whole subgroup of people as unworkable. It is important to remember that since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the way that people work has drastically changed. Over the last five years, many Gen Z employees have had to navigate a remote or hybrid working world. For the first crucial years of their career, they did not have side-by-side learning opportunities that were traditionally given in  order to thrive in new working environments. And while that can be seen as a negative to many hiring managers, Gen Zers are more adaptable to new technologies and willing to learn and integrate into new systems as opposed to their older counterparts.  

On the contrary of being unable to take feedback, many managers believe that Gen is more likely to have transparency with their bosses about their career trajectory, The Wall Street Journal reports. The younger generation has made it clear that they want their bosses to be coaches or mentors to them, not just manage them. A study by Dewalt found that more Gen Zers are committed to enhancing their careers compared to other generations, but they face a series of obstacles that prevent them from furthering this professional development. If managers keep focusing on young people being “lazy” or “unmotivated,” they will fail to see the people who are striving to grow in their careers and continue to limit critical training.  

Related Content: Skills Gap Remains Wide in Facilities Management

Adding to this, The Wall Street Journal recently labeled Gen Z the “Toolbelt Generation.” more younger people are interested in joining trades than ever before. Enrollment has increased 4.9 percent since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, trade schools were experiencing a 2.3 percent decline as more students were pushed toward traditional four-year universities. There isn’t an exact explanation for the sudden uptick in enrollment, but it’s easy to make some guesses as to why. Why the oldest of Gen Z was just entering the workforce when the pandemic began, a majority of the generation are still teenagers. They are able to remember the devastation of their loved ones losing their jobs and how uncertain that time felt. To them, a job in trades symbolizes job security.  

According to the Dewalt study, 68 percent of students enrolled in skilled trades are fully committed to their career choice, while 77 percent are somewhat or extremely optimistic. Over 80 percent of respondents believe they will be hired immediately after graduation, while 67 percent have already had conversations with potential employers.  

Each generation has been hit with complaints by the older ones – it's almost inevitable at this point. But the difference between Gen Z and the other generations is that they are not taking it personally. These new workers are making it known that they are different than previous generations. They are prioritizing companies that have a positive company culture and access to mental health. They are also demanding a positive work-life balance so that they are able to stay in the workforce longer. According to the Dewalt survey, one of every three respondents said that they won’t stay in a job and leave the industry permanently if they cannot achieve a healthy work-life balance and do not have a clear advancement path. 

And now is not the time to be overtly picky. Baby boomers are retiring at a rapid rate and more people are experiencing burnout due to the labor shortage. Deterring the younger generation from joining the trades industry is only going to hurt organizations. The dream candidate does not exist, there is always a caveat to it. While some managers say that they are avoiding hiring younger employees, they must remember that they were once new too. We have to give Gen Z a fair shot and building their skills and proving themselves to be a viable member of the team. One bad employee should not ruin a whole generation worth of talent. Gen Z is eager and willing to learn, managers just need to be able to find coachable moments and give them the tools and time to learn.  

Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market and the host of the Facilities in Focus podcast.