One in 4 hiring managers have found recent college graduates are unprepared for job interviews, and 33% said they lack work ethic, according to a December survey from Intelligent.com.

The education-focused site surveyed 1,000 U.S. managers involved in hiring for entry-level roles on Dec. 30, according to a Jan. 7 article. The results showed that 1 in 8 hiring managers plan to avoid hiring recent graduates in 2025.

About 25% said recent graduates are unprepared for the workforce, citing struggles with eye contact, negotiating compensation and dressing professionally. Nearly 1 in 10 hiring managers reported a candidate bringing a parent with them to a job interview.

More than half of those surveyed said they have had to fire a recent graduate in 2024.

Some of these challenges may stem from how Generation Z, which includes those born between 1997 and 2012, entered the workforce during the pandemic, with many holding fully remote internships that limited side-by-side learning opportunities needed for workplace acclimation.

Despite these concerns, hospital and health system leaders have noted there is much to learn from Generation Z's workplace mindset, including their grasp on recent technologies and their ability to adapt to change.

"We can no longer think that when it comes to Gen Z, they want to replace their boss," DeLancey Johnson, DBA, senior vice president and associate chief talent officer for Dallas-based Parkland Health, told Becker's in September. "They want to be a better version of themselves. So you can't look at it as vertical career ladders -- you have to look at it as horizontal enrichment opportunities."

Other leaders emphasized to Becker's that Gen Z employees want to build career paths early, making it critical to discuss the subject frequently.