Employers have a message for Gen Z: We’re not your parents!

Well, it’s finally happening.

Employers are on a Gen Z firing spree, letting brand new employees go mere months after hiring them.

In fact, new research shows that a whopping six in ten companies that hired fresh college grads this year have already sent many of them packing. 

It’s not because these kids aren’t “smart,” they’ve got all the credentials they need. It’s because they’re unprepared. Turns out there’s a big difference. They’re showing up to work without the basic skills to handle a real-world job, and employers are tired of dealing with it.

I mean, who can blame them?

Young adults are coming out of college thinking the world owes them something, but the real world doesn’t hand out participation trophies, and employers definitely don’t think they owe their employees anything but fair compensation for a job well done.

Now, three out of four employers say their new hires simply aren’t cutting it—whether it’s showing up late, lacking initiative, or simply not being professional—the Gen Z hiring pool is turning out to be a bigger risk than potential benefit. 

That’s a huge problem.

And honestly? It’s not just the kids’ fault.

This is what happens when you raise a generation in a culture that values feelings over facts, rewards effort over results, and teaches kids that everyone’s a winner—no matter what. When they hit the workforce, reality smacks them in the face, and they’re not ready for it.

So they get fired.

Turns out, it’s not just degrees that these companies are looking for. They want people who have skills and abilities that don’t come from a classroom.

Companies want employees who show up ready to hustle, take initiative, and actually have the grit to do hard things. These young men and women simply haven’t been taught these essential, non-academic skills.

In our newest book, The Tuttle Twins and the Medals of Merit, we teach kids about the value of merit—of earning your success, rather than expecting it to be handed to you.

It’s a lesson our kids today desperately need to learn.

When we teach our kids that merit matters, we’re showing them that hard work, determination, and personal responsibility are always the keys to thriving in the real world. We’re raising them to be the kind of people employers are begging for—people who don’t just do the bare minimum, but who go above and beyond to earn their place.

Business leaders like Richard Branson and Andy Jassy are all saying the same things right now: Attitude matters more than a degree.

They want people who work hard, take initiative, and bring a positive energy to their teams. At the very least they want people who make eye contact when talking, can communicate in professional language, and who don’t expect three raises in the first year, simply for showing up.

This is what is painfully missing in today’s young adults. It’s why we wrote Medals of Merit. We want to help parent teach their kids that they’re capable of achieving great things—but only if they’re willing to put in the effort and earn it.

Meritocracy isn’t dead—it’s just been forgotten in a world that values shortcuts and entitlement. It’s still true those who work hard will make it to the top.

I’m reminded of a quote, often attributed to Thomas Edison: 

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Isn’t that the truth.

But the good news is, we have time to help our kids and grandkids avoid the pitfalls that are hamstringing the current generation of young adults.

Here’s what we can do:

Teach our kids the value of hard work. Get them involved in real-world activities where they can experience the satisfaction of earning something. Show them that success comes from effort and initiative—not from waiting for things to be handed to them. Employers are desperate for people who understand this—and they’ll reward those who do.

And maybe most importantly? Let them fail. Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve ever learned are from my failures. It isn’t loving or merciful to protect our kids from failure—it robs them of vital lessons that will shape them and change them for the better.

Raising kids with a strong work ethic and a mindset of merit isn’t just about making them employable—it’s about helping them thrive in every area of life.

I’m excited about the work we do because I know we are giving parents tools they need to raise kids who are ready to take on the world with confidence and competence. Kids who know they’ve earned their place. 

Thanks for letting us help. 

— Connor