Why Gen Z is getting fired after being hired

This episode of USA Today's The Excerpt explores the growing trend of employers firing Gen Z workers shortly after hiring them, examining whether the issue lies with the generation or the modern workplace. Host Dana Taylor interviews Susie Welch, NYU Stern professor and researcher behind the 'Values Fridge' test, which reveals a stark 98% mismatch between Gen Z's core values—self-care (eudaimonia), authentic self-expression (voice), and helping others—and the values employers prioritize: achievement, work centrism, and scope (learning and adventure). Welch argues that this values disconnect, amplified by AI replacing entry-level roles and remote work eroding soft skill development, is driving high turnover. She emphasizes that Gen Z isn't 'wrong'—they're simply different—and that successful companies like JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs are hiring the 2% of Gen Z who align with their values. The episode concludes with advice for Gen Z: define success on their own terms, accept trade-offs, and seek employers who value their unique priorities.