Gen Z oversharing in job interviews costing them the role

Gen Z value transparency but this HR guru says oversharing in interviews is the latest trend in recruitment - and it’s a bit too much for older bosses.

Should you tell a prospective employer you have ADHD in an interview? Is it okay to share in an interview that you have anxiety? What about talking about your recent break-up?

These are the questions that job hunting Gen Z’ers are asking — and for “generation overshare”, holding back doesn’t come naturally.

Nicole Mathers is a human resources leader and the co-founder of Uncapped Potential, working with companies to create “emotionally intelligent cultures”.

During a group interview, she was given a front-row seat to the difference between Zoomer and older job hunters — and the downside of a #nofilter interview.

“I was hiring for a large hospitality client,” recalls Mathers. “They were opening a business in the activity space, so were looking for people with very fun, high energy.”

With 45 people, which they needed to whittle down to 15 roles, they asked everyone in the room to share a two-minute story about themselves.

“A couple of people stood up and told uplifting stories, and it was fine,” says Mathers. “Then one person stood up and started talking about their recovery from addiction — this was really, heavy stuff.”

This disclosure had a ripple effect.

“After that, every single person did the same,” she says. It went from “tell me a fun fact about yourself” to self-disclosure about mental health challenges, a recent break-up, and the emotional rollercoaster of long-term unemployment.

“It felt like they were doing it to bond with each other,” she adds — but the hiring panel were less impressed.

“For me, it can send a signal to the interviewer that you lack boundaries or social awareness, and you can’t necessarily read a room,” she says. “Are these the kind of conversations you’re going to have with a guest at the bar who just wants to have a drink on a Friday night?”

Gen Z are scene distrupters in modern business but how much is too much to share. Picture: Getty

For Mathers, it was a wakeup call — and made her realise, there’s an incompatibility between Gen Z job hunters, and older recruiters.

“Young people value generally transparency, vulnerability and realness and we see that come across in interview processes,” she says. “One of the challenges is that can tip into oversharing — and that can cloud professionalism and distract from a candidate’s core capabilities.”

On the flip side, Zoomer job hunters want hiring managers to be more honest.

“I find it challenging when a recruiter or hiring manager puts an overly positive spin on the reality of an office,” says Mathers. “If it’s messy, say it’s messy. Don’t say a manager is flexible, if they’re not. In the first week, you’ll lose all credibility.”

To prevent discrimination, it’s illegal in Australia for employers to ask for personal information that has no bearing on your job.

But there are personal topics that Zoomers want to talk about, especially in the interest of reducing stigma.

Reddit forums are filled with people asking the questions: should I talk about my ADHD in a job interview? (The most common response in the comment section is no or at least wait until you get the job.)

When it comes to mental health challenges, telling people at work is a personal choice.

Is it okay to overshare in a job interview? Picture: Getty

According to Job Access Australia, ‘You don’t need to share anything unless there is a safety risk to you or others.’

As for the real reason you left your job? Recruitment experts say, it’s worth being honest — but not too honest. This isn’t the time to “trauma dump” about your ex-boss.

According to Mathers, it comes down to a “context check.”

“If the story you’re going to share is in context and really helps you convey a message then go for it,” she says. If you’re asked about resilience, an anecdote about overcoming adversity might be relevant.

If you’re an over-sharer, it helps to set boundaries. Before the interview “identify two or three stories that show a number of different capabilities and write them down.”

If you have a “vulnerability hangover” afterwards, you might have crossed the line — and you can adjust your self-filter.

It’s not all on Gen Z to share less. With ‘social media screening’ becoming more common in the interview process, there’s a call for managers to become more comfortable with personal revelations.

“The old school process of interviews is changing,” says Mathers. “Now my ultimate goal is to make the person I’m speaking to feel as comfortable as possible because I want to meet you, not an overly rehearsed version of you.”

The downside? “People share things, and you think, ‘Gosh, I probably didn’t need to know that.’”

Originally published as Gen Z oversharing in job interviews costing them the role