# They Love Self-Care, Hate Hustle, and Need a Job — a CEO’s Advice for an ‘Unemployable’ Gen Zer.

1 Opinion October 14, 2025 CNBC ![Suzy Welch headshot](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/2025-09/sw5936.png?itok=eDcc0dc6)By Suzy Welch

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There’s a sharp divide between what Gen Z values and what hiring managers are actually looking for.

My team at Becoming You Labs recently conducted a study using our values-assessment tool, The Values Bridge, which ranks 16 values using 100 behavioral questions. Since May, over 77,000 people have taken it. We then cross-referenced the study with a national survey of 2,100 hiring managers across industries like tech, consulting, banking, and professional services.

The disconnect was clear — and pretty stark: Gen Z’s top three values are self-care, authentic self-expression, and helping people. The people hiring them, on the other hand, are looking for employees who value achievement, learning, and hard work. When you cross-reference the two studies, only 2% of Gen Z shares their bosses’ priorities.

Read the full [*CNBC* article](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/14/they-hate-hustle-but-need-a-joba-ceos-advice-for-an-unemployable-gen-z.html).
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*Suzy Welch is Professor of Management Practice at NYU Stern.*

## More from Suzy Welch

- [For Americans, Family Comes First—or Does It?](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/faculty-research/americans-family-comes-first-or-does-it)
- [Is Gen Z Unemployable?](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/faculty-research/gen-z-unemployable)
- [Never Give These 3 ‘Sudden Death’ Answers at a Job Interview, Says CEO — You’ll ‘Instantly Disqualify Yourself.’](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/faculty-research/never-give-these-3-sudden-death-answers-job-interview-says-ceo-youll-instantly-disqualify-yourself)
- [Success Comes Down to Just 3 Things: Companies ‘Will Be in a Cage Match Over You,’ Says CEO.](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/faculty-research/success-comes-down-just-3-things-companies-will-be-cage-match-over-you-says-ceo)
- [One Stunning Data Point Explains the ‘Gen Z Stare’—and Why it’s Going to Backfire on Them.](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/faculty-research/one-stunning-data-point-explains-gen-z-stare-and-why-its-going-backfire-them)