In HR circles, predictions for 2025 are centered on the unstoppable march of artificial intelligence, a retreat from DEI programs, the effects of an ageing workforce and skills gaps. Global consultancies have not noticed a trend that is making waves: failure to show up for work.
Career catfishing or “ghosting”, is a sport that is mostly played by young people. However, surveys show it has spread to older workers.
A report published by CVGenius in the UK earlier this month found that 34% Generation Z workers don’t attend work their first day or any other day without even an email explaining why.
Yakov Filippenko is the CEO and founder at Intch. The platform connects part-time workers with flexible jobs. He says that the phenomenon reflects the increasingly chaotic nature of recruitment: “In the early years of my career, about 15 or so years ago, my father told me that he would never hire me. As many millennials do, I switched jobs about every year, which was in direct conflict with his idea of what a good employee is.
“Fast-forward to today and I’m in a similar situation to him back then.” What’s happening now with Gen Z is chaos.
He says that the influence of social media is evident: “If you, like me didn’t take memes seriously, then the joke’s now on us, they’ve turned into reality.” Gen Z sees work as a meme.
It’s difficult to determine if the return to office is a matter of maintaining control, or merely a desire to have a front row seat to the show” – Yakov Filipenko, Intch
But issues like returning to the office will continue to be a source for conflict in the near future. He says that workplaces where generations clash have become a more heated battleground. “Honestly, I can’t tell if this push to go back to work is to maintain control or to get a front row seat to the circus.”
Filippenko says that younger people see office work in a different light than older people. This is backed up by the CVGenius study, which found that 53% would prefer to work remotely to working at an office, even if that meant they had no chance for promotion or higher wages.
Some commentators believe that catfishing is a response to poor recruitment practices. CVGenius refers to the frustrating and protracted job search process, which includes endless rounds of interviews, submitting dozens and dozens of applications and waiting for updates from slow hiring managers. After a demeaning recruitment process, younger people may see catfishing to show that they are powerful too.
GenZers say they ghost in response to a company’s behavior. Resume Genius, another online CV company, claims that its research shows nearly 80% of hiring manager have stopped responding to applicants during the application process.
Chloe Berger writes in Fortune that the situation is actually quite logical: “At this time, Gen Z is fighting an uphill battle to secure an entry-level full-time position.” The class of 2020 is expected to apply for more jobs than previous graduating classes. Already, this summer they submitted 24% more job applications than last year’s seniors.
Handshake reports that 2024 graduates applied for 64% more positions than their cohort. The number of jobs listed has decreased from levels in 2023, which means there is greater competition to fill the available roles. It’s easy to see why Gen Z candidates don’t express their gratitude for job offers, especially when they are worried about student loan debts.
According to a General Assembly report, only 12% of US executives believe that entry-level employees are ready to enter the workforce.
Jourdan hathaway, General Assembly’s chief business officer writes: “The entry-level pipeline is broken.” Companies need to rethink their approach to sourcing, training, and onboarding employees.
According to research, 24% of the millennial generation, aged 28-43, also engage in career catfishing and may be prioritizing their own needs over corporate culture.
AI is now screening candidates and changing the way people work. This may lead to a lack of warmth in recruitment, which can be conducive to ghosting. But in the end, young people will still need to earn money and any cultural conflicts must be resolved when they start their new jobs.
Filippenko says, “Unless GenAI saves the day, eventually they will have to find a way to meet in the center.”
