An American chief executive has divided the internet after calling out a Gen Z jobseeker who refused to complete a 90-minute task as part of a hiring process because it looked like “a lot of work”.
The Boston-based employer, who goes by M Stanfield on X, formerly Twitter, vented his frustrations on the platform last week.
His post read:
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“Me: really enjoyed the call. Please see attached financial modelling test.”
“Gen Z applicant: this looks like a lot of work. Without knowing where I stand in the process, I’m not comfortable spending 90 minutes in Excel
“Me: …well … I can tell you where you stand now.”
The post quickly went viral and was seen by 7.9 million people, with many quick to share their thoughts on the potential candidate’s conduct.
When asked if it had been made clear the modelling test would be part of the process, the boss said “absolutely” and that it was one of the first things discussed in the interview.
“I’m hiring an investment analyst. Underwriting potential real estate investments is the bulk of the job. No one was surprised when I sent the test,” he said.
The employer, who didn’t want to confirm the name of his investment company, told Fortune the modelling tests were “pretty customary in the investment business”.
“Otherwise, how is an employer supposed to know if you have the skills to do the job?” he said.
In another response to his X thread, a teacher who said she currently teaches Gen Z students said the candidate’s reply didn’t surprise her.
Stanfield replied that Gen Z members would “benefit from being in more fistfights at a young age” and that “a few bumps and bruises does a lot of good”.
This reply didn’t go down too well.
“OK Boomer,” one person said.
“I’m 30 and I’ve been in fist fights. I don’t think the fighting helped my employment record,” another said.
Those who came to the defence of the applicant said they were right to stand up for themselves against what some called “free labour”.
They argued companies often just use a “test” as an excuse for work they haven’t done to be completed.
“I stand with that applicant. I also congratulate them on their professionalism when pushing back on that massive red flag,” one person said.
“How hard is it for you to tell a candidate where they stand in a process before asking them to work for free?”
