Top recruiter reveals alarming work trend growing in Australia

Generation Z Australians are so afraid of interviews that they even bring their parents with them, a top recruiter has claimed.

Tammie Christofis Ballis, 37, a specialist recruiter and career coach at Realistic Careers, told Daily Mail Australia that a growing number of young recruits were incredibly anxious.

“There's a new thing: 'I'm scared of interviews,'” she told Daily Mail Australia. “You have to be uncomfortable to get anywhere, and there’s no concept of that.”

“They say, ‘That’s not in my safe space, so I won’t do it.’ Then they get upset that they don’t have a job.”

She revealed that many suffer from the crippling fear of picking up the phone to speak to an employer or going to a job interview alone.

“I'm not a clinical psychologist, but I feel like the younger generation being more aware of mental health and wellbeing – which is great and should be – is holding them back from moving forward and taking risks,” she said .

“And understanding that sometimes you will fail.”

Ms Ballis noted that it is not uncommon for some applicants to take their parents with them when they take a job – particularly in the hospitality industry.

The career coach (pictured) has become popular online for her direct and direct advice to job seekers

“This happens in nursing too.” “Two people brought their mothers with them to a group interview,” she said.

“You have to show that you can do the work yourself.”

“They also don’t call employers because they are afraid of being “ghosted” and using the phone. Pick up the phone and call.'

Ms Ballis also believes a major challenge for the younger generation is their sense of entitlement and desire to take shortcuts.

“I've even had kids, under 20, saying, 'Help me get a job from home.' They have no work experience. Do you mean that seriously?' she said.

“People being able to work from home is because they know how to do it in the office or on the floor.”

“You have to learn the job first. How justified are you in believing that you deserve this?”

She also warned of a move away from traditional resumes as more employers request video applications.

“There’s no point in reinventing the wheel and confusing people,” she said.

“The fact is that if you look at Seek, Indeed, Linkedin or other job boards, most job boards require a resume.

“People don't want to submit videos.” They're uncomfortable with someone watching a pre-recorded video.

“An employer will ask people to apply, but they may not get the best of the best.”

However, 33-year-old Getahead CEO Sam McNamara believes resumes will soon become obsolete.

“I think resumes work really well for older demographics,” he said.

“For lawyers, accountants or public service – there is definitely some skill in structuring your CV and ways to stand out because so many people in these industries have a similar experience.”

Mr McNamara said that with the advent of AI, many candidates are no longer writing their own CVs.

“Canva and Sago conducted quantitative research on 10,000 people and more than 50 percent of resumes were written using AI,” he said.

“I think this is a clear sign: Are you actually hiring someone who has a well-written resume that they didn’t actually write?”

“Or would you like to know who the applicant is and what personality he has?”

Mr McNamara said CVs were becoming less relevant because they were rarely looked at.

Getahead CEO Sam McNamara (pictured) said 2,000 employers had signed up to its platform in the last year. The app allows applicants to upload a video of themselves instead of a resume. Getahead has had over 536 million views in Australia in the last 12 months

“There are a lot of statistics that show people read resumes for three to four seconds or less,” he said.

Surprisingly, however, Mr. McNamara said office jobs “100 percent” don't require a resume either.

“Let’s just say you needed someone to be on the ground, talking to stakeholders and dealing with office scenarios,” he said.

“Which would you prefer?” A note from someone saying they worked at this company for three years?

“Or a video where they explain their strengths, who they are, what they liked about their last role and what they expect in their next role.

A recruiter has urged Generation Z Australians to be more confident during interviews, revealing some are so scared they even take their parents with them. (Stock image of young Australians at a music festival)

Ms Ballis noted that it is not uncommon for some applicants to take their parents with them when they take a job – particularly in the hospitality industry. (Stock image of young Australians at a music festival)

“It just speeds up the hiring process.”

And in a sign of how recruiting may be changing, Getahead has had more than 2,000 companies join the platform in the last year – that's 2,000 companies that don't require CVs.

“The applicant can upload videos of themselves making coffee if they wish,” McNamara said.

“They can have an 'about me,' they can show their strengths, their passions and what they're looking for.”