Starting a career in tech is proving a major challenge for Gen Z professionals, especially for women and ethnic minorities, with more than half (54 per cent) taking between 4 to 9 months to secure their first entry-level role. According to Wiley Edge’s Diversity in Tech 2023 report, nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of this generation’s budding tech workers took 10 months or longer to start their careers.
Just 28 per cent of respondents managed to secure a role within three months or less, meaning many are facing anxious waits to start their careers after university. As a result, almost two-thirds (62 per cent) of Gen Z respondents said they found it harder to secure a role than they had expected.
Many employers in Big Tech are slowing down or freezing recruitment, yet despite these headwinds, Gen Z remain interested in working for Big Tech according to the research.
More than half (53 per cent) of Gen Z tech workers said they wanted to work for Big Tech over any other sector. Financial services was the second-favoured sector, but it was only the preferred choice for 16 per cent of respondents.
Problems with recruitment in tech are clearly felt by the latest generation of employees entering the workforce, but businesses are also feeling the pressure. The research found that 92 per cent of businesses face challenges when recruiting for entry-level tech roles.
Khadijah Pandor, Head of Partnerships at Wiley Edge said: “While it’s promising that so many Gen Z professionals are trying to make a name for themselves in technology, it’s disheartening to see that so many are facing long waits to make their career dreams a reality.
“Education is paramount in helping tech careers become more accessible. Gen Z professionals need to be made aware of the rewarding and good-paying tech roles outside of Big Tech. Whether in smaller firms or sectors such as retail, healthcare, finance and manufacturing, opportunities for skilled tech workers are abundant, but knowledge of these opportunities is less so.
“Tech roles are also hugely skills dependent, and our findings highlight that many recent graduates looking to start their career are not meeting the skills requirement employers set. Bridging the skills gap must be a priority for businesses to ensure more impactful recruitment in the long-term.
“University qualifications can’t always keep up with the pace of technological change, therefore future generations will benefit from additional job-specific training. Businesses also need to discover new ways to introduce and nurture talent from diverse backgrounds into their workforce to level the playing field for talent and overcome the digital skills shortage.”
