Generation Z applicant refuses to attend 90-minute interview with CEO

After a real estate CEO interviewed a Gen Z candidate, he quickly turned to “X” to criticize the candidate for rejecting one of his requests: “That email blew my mind.”

In his misguided attempt to label Gen Z candidates as “lazy,” he falsely made one thing abundantly clear: He was far removed from the reality of ethical interviewing, hiring processes, and market practices and expectations of candidates.

This Gen Z candidate refused to attend an unpaid 90-minute interview and was ridiculed online by the CEO.

A Generation Z candidate was unsettled when, after completing an interview and moving on to the next phase of the process, the CEO asked him to take an “interview test.”

The applicant was expected to spend 90 minutes on an unpaid “financial modeling test,” but he politely declined the CEO’s offer.

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“That looks like a lot of work,” the CEO recalls the applicant's letter. “Without knowing where I am in the process, I don't feel comfortable spending 90 minutes in Excel.”

In many industries, including technology and commercial real estate, it makes sense for candidates to participate in assessments and complete projects to demonstrate their required skills.

However, it is common practice and an ethical principle to pay them for their work.

The CEO “couldn’t believe” that the Gen Z candidate refused the 90-minute test “in this job market,” even though he admitted it was unpaid.

While this company executive's argument about “the job market” had some merit, his reasoning was flawed. In this turbulent job market, why would someone waste an hour and a half on an unpaid test that is not guaranteed to get them the job?

Whether they are compensated for their time is a whole other discussion. But expecting candidates to sacrifice hours in the interview process—and receive little to no compensation or consideration from management—is unfair, unethical, and rude.

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“Candidates who work for hours or days on a job without pay feel exploited and undervalued,” digital marketing expert Natalia shared on Linkedin. “This can create a toxic power dynamic where candidates feel like they have to do whatever it takes to get the job, even if that means working for free.”

Not only is this hiring practice unfair to applicants with financial difficulties, it also creates division and exclusion because only those applicants who are willing and able to take these tests have the money, time, and additional resources needed to complete these tests.

This not only widens the gap in an already turbulent labor market, but also creates corporate cultures that deliberately exclude certain groups of applicants and perspectives.

While some claimed that Generation Z applicants were “lazy,” others admired their standards and valued their time.

“Well, I can tell you where you stand now,” the CEO continued, alluding to his dislike of the Gen-Z candidate's boundaries. Despite the anger that oozed from his social media post, many commenters and other career experts online supported the candidate, saying his boundaries were entirely justified and smart, to say the least.

“It's really important that those of us who are joining companies, especially in the current job market… aren't taken advantage of,” Gen Z worker Talia shared on TikTok. “I was definitely taken advantage of after going through three weeks of interviews, a three-pronged assignment, and a project with a 24-hour turnaround time. This is so unethical and insane.”

Comments under the CEO's tweet suggested that he would have compensated the candidate if he had said, “I'm good at this and I don't work for free. Give me $1,000 and explain the deal in detail.” However, it's clear that there was a misunderstanding – or clear manipulation – here, because why not pay the candidate up front?

Why offer an unpaid interview test when you know that this type of work should be compensated, and then ridicule the candidate if they choose not to do it because they feel taken advantage of?

It is a testament not only to the incredible ego of this CEO, but also to the inability of many corporate leaders to address the problems of Generation Z and other young job seekers in the current job market.

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Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango, focusing on health and wellbeing, social policy and human stories.