‘Work is not the place to be your best self’: TikTok reacts to survey on why Gen Zers are getting fired

Gen Z is back in the headlines. (Color me shocked.) This time, they’re getting fired. According to a new report, six in 10 employers say they have already given Gen Z workers the boot after hiring them fresh out of college earlier this year.

After experiencing a number of issues with young new hires, one in six bosses say they’re hesitant to hire college grads again, with one in seven bosses admitting that they may avoid hiring them altogether next year. Three-quarters of the companies surveyed by the website Intelligent.com said some or all of their recent graduate hires were unsatisfactory in one way or another.

TikTok creator @justwaynecreative, who works in an organization that hires recent graduates, weighed in on the issue. In his video, which has amassed 176.9K views, he points to a distinct mindset around the individual among Gen Z workers: “that they have a special idea of what is and isnt, what should and shouldnt be.”

@justwaynecreative #greenscreen Gen Z getting fired right after getting hired ♬ original sound – Just Wayne

@justwaynecreative #greenscreen Gen Z getting fired right after getting hired ♬ original sound – Just Wayne

#greenscreen Gen Z getting fired right after getting hired

@justwaynecreative added that Gen Z has snatched the “entitlement” title from millennials’ open arms. “No generation has ever had more accommodations, more specializations, more curation than Gen Z,” he said.

He argues that while older generations understand that work is not the place to fully express one’s authentic self, Gen Z doesn’t see it that way. In every other aspect of their lives, they’ve been encouraged to be their best, most authentic selves, he said. They don’t view it as entitlement; they see it as a right, to be exactly who they want to be and live how they want to live in every space they occupy.

This mindset, he believes, causes friction with older generations who see the workplace as somewhere you contribute labor in exchange for a wage, not a place for self-expression. “Every other generation understands work is not the place to be your best self.”

He added that Gen Z isn’t contributing enough—either to workplace culture or to the company’s bottom line—to justify the demands they’re making. Ultimately, it boils down to a fundamental difference in how Gen Z sees and experiences the world. “It’s not to shame Gen Z, that’s the reality,” he said.

In the comments, some agreed with @justwaynecreative’s assessment. “What they fail to realize is you are incredibly replaceable if you don’t fall in line. Business is business – it’s not a social club,” one comment read. “There’s a difference between a workplace being abusive and having rules and expectations. They don’t understand the difference. Imho,” another added.

But some sided with Gen Z, questioning why workers can’t be their best selves at work, and just because other generations have gotten used to being miserable at work, why should they? As another comment pointed out, “these same articles were everywhere when millennials entered the workforce.”

Gen Alpha, you’re next.