2025 Unfiltered Hiring Insights Report

Table of Contents

What behaviors do hiring managers consider deal-breakers? Do social media DMs hurt or help an applicant’s chances of getting a job? And is a job seeker’s age working for or against them in the hiring process?

To find out what hiring managers are really thinking during the hiring process, Resume Genius surveyed 1,000 hiring managers across the U.S. to get their honest opinions on what makes (or breaks) a job candidate in 2025.

Key Takeaways

57% of hiring managers are open to considering applicants who apply for jobs through their company’s social media platforms
- Gen Z hiring managers are 70% more likely than Boomers to consider social media applicants
44% of hiring managers are seeing more candidates compared to previous years
Gen Z and Boomers rank as the least hireable — Hiring managers prefer Gen X 30% more than other generations
- Gen Z hiring managers favor Millennials (72%) over their own generation (65%)
Being late is the biggest turn-off: 38% of hiring managers say it’s their top pet peeve
Boomer hiring managers are the least forgiving of candidate mistakes — They’re 40% more likely than Gen Z to be annoyed by behaviors like arrogance

The job market is getting more crowded in 2025

Nearly half of hiring managers say they’re seeing more applicants per role in 2025.

Here’s the breakdown:

44% are seeing more applicants compared to the previous year
42% say the applicant volume is the same
14% say they’re seeing fewer applicants compared to the previous year

Generational hiring managers don’t agree on applicant volume

The increase in job applicants isn’t being felt equally across age groups.

While younger hiring managers are reporting a noticeable surge, older generations say the numbers have barely changed — or are even dropping.

53% of Gen Z and 51% of Millennial hiring managers say they’re seeing more applicants per role than the previous year, compared to 36% of Gen X and Boomers
Nearly half of Gen X (46%) and Baby Boomers (49%) say applicant volume has stayed about the same, compared to both 37% of Gen Z and Millennials
Nearly 1 in 5 Gen X hiring managers (18%) say they’ve seen fewer applicants this year, compared to 10% of Gen Z, 12% of Millennials, and 15% of Boomers

Being late to an interview is a hiring manager’s biggest turn-off

We asked hiring managers what behavior from candidates annoys them the most during the hiring process.

Turns out, nearly 4 in 10 hiring managers say being late is their number one candidate turn-off.

Here’s the full breakdown of hiring managers’ biggest pet peeves:

Being late to the interview (38%)
Arrogance or entitlement (36%)
Misrepresentation or dishonesty (34%)
Ghosting (failing to show up or respond without notice) (32%)
Lack of preparation (26%)
Poor communication (e.g., failing to respond or provide updates promptly) (26%)
Showing a lack of enthusiasm or passion (24%)
Making unrealistic demands (e.g., unrealistic salary or benefit requests) (24%)
Not following instructions (18%)

What annoys each generation most during hiring

Hiring managers agree that some candidate behaviours are universally frustrating — but how much they care depends a lot on their age.

Boomers are 34% more likely than Gen Z to be annoyed by unrealistic salary or benefit demands
- 29% of Boomers say these requests frustrate them — the highest of any generation — followed by 28% of Gen Z, 25% of Millennials, and 21% of Gen X
Arrogance or entitlement stands out more for older hiring managers
- 40% of Boomers and 38% of Gen X hiring managers say it bothers them most, compared to 36% of Millennials. Only 29% of Gen Z say the same — making Boomers 40% more likely than Gen Z to be frustrated by arrogance
Poor communication is the most frustrating for Millennials
- 30% of Millennial hiring managers say it’s a major annoyance, compared to 24% of Gen X, 22% of Gen Z, and 20% of Boomers
Gen X is the least tolerant of unprepared candidates
- 29% of Gen X hiring managers say lack of preparation or enthusiasm is a top red flag — more than any other generation (27% of Gen Z, 25% of Millennials, and 23% of Boomers)
Ghosting is especially annoying to Gen X and Millennials
- A third (33%) of both groups say ghosting is one of their top frustrations, versus 30% of Boomers and 24% of Gen Z
Gen Z is more likely to be frustrated by candidates who don’t follow instructions
- 23% of Gen Z hiring managers say this is a top annoyance — more than any other generation (19% of Millennials, 16% of Gen X, and 18% of Boomers

Applying for a job through TikTok or Instagram may have once been unthinkable, but in 2025, it’s increasingly common — and even welcomed by many hiring managers.

We asked hiring managers how likely they are to consider applicants who apply through their company’s social media platforms (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook) instead of following the standard application process.

According to our data, 57% of hiring managers say they’re “likely” or “very likely” to consider candidates who apply via their company’s social platforms instead of using a traditional application form:

41% of hiring managers say they are “likely” to consider social media applicants
17% say they are “very likely”
On the other end, 20% say they are “unlikely,” and 5% say “very unlikely”
Another 17% say the question doesn’t apply, as their company has no social media presence

Would your future boss hire you from TikTok? It’s possible. Our research found that the younger the generation, the more likely they are to hire through social media.

Gen Z hiring managers are 66% more likely than Boomers to say they’d consider candidates applying via social media
72% of Gen Z hiring managers would consider candidates applying through their company’s social media, compared to 60% of Millennials, 57% of Gen X, and 44% of Baby Boomers
- This finding includes 46% of Gen Z managers who are likely and 27% who are very likely to consider a social media applicant

Access also plays a role. Nearly 1 in 3 Boomer hiring managers (30%) say their company doesn’t even have a social media presence — five times higher than the 6% of Gen Z hiring professionals who say the same.

Gen X is the most hireable generation, while Gen Z ranks the lowest

When asked which generation best aligns with their company’s culture and hiring preferences, most hiring managers pointed to Gen X.

Across all age groups, Gen X earned the highest score, followed by Millennials, then Gen Z, and finally, Boomers. On average, Gen X scored 30% higher than Gen Z and Boomers in perceived alignment with workplace fit.

72% of hiring managers say Gen X aligns with their hiring preferences and company culture
68% of hiring managers say the same about Millennials, making them the second most hireable generation
56% say Baby Boomers align with their preferences
Only 54% say Gen Z aligns with their hiring needs, making them the lowest-rated generation overall

Gen Z hiring managers are swiping right on Millennials

Here’s a break from the usual generational banter between Gen Z and Millennials: despite their differences in memes, work styles, and social media habits, Gen Z hiring managers are giving Millennials the highest vote of confidence, even over their own generation.

In fact, Gen Z is the only generation that didn’t rate their generation as being the most hireable.

Our survey found that Gen Z hiring managers think Millennials are the most hireable, saying that 72% of them align with their hiring preferences or company culture
Notably, Gen Z hiring professionals rated Millennials higher than their own Gen Z peers (72% versus 65%)
Gen Z also rated Gen X at 64% and Boomers as the lowest at 50%
Millennial hiring managers gave themselves the highest scores, with 76% saying they align well with hiring preferences
- In comparison, Millennials answered 68% for Gen X, 54% for Gen Z, and 52% for Baby Boomers being the most hireable
Gen X hiring managers were even more loyal to their own generation — 82% gave their own generation the highest rating of all
- Gen X hiring professionals also voted 60% for Millennials, 55% for Boomers, and 52% for Gen Z
Meanwhile, Boomer hiring managers showed a strong preference for hiring fellow Boomers (74%), followed by Gen X (66%), Millennials (62%), and Gen Z at just 48%

Conclusion

Hiring in 2025 depends on who’s doing the hiring. While Gen Z and Millennial managers are more open to social media applications and casual outreach, Boomers and Gen X still prefer traditional approaches and are more likely to be turned off by behaviors like lateness, arrogance, or unrealistic demands.

It still pays to submit a polished, traditional application. But if you’re trying something new — like messaging a company on LinkedIn or applying through Instagram — why not? Especially if the hiring manager is younger, it could work in your favor.

The bottom line: tailor your approach based on who’s doing the hiring. Understanding what different generations value can help you stand out in a crowded job market.

Methodology

This report comes from a Pollfish survey launched on January 8, 2025, and targeted a sample of 1,000 participants. The analysis was conducted from February 3–14, 2025. This study examined how hiring managers perceive candidate behavior, generational fit, and non-traditional application methods like applying through social media platforms during the recruitment process.

Qualifying respondents were required to be hiring managers or members of the hiring team in their company. The data was analyzed using the results provided by Pollfish and the raw data in Google Sheets. The results have a margin of error of ±3% at a 95% confidence level.

To minimize bias, Pollfish uses Random Device Engagement (RDE) to ensure a fair and organic selection process. For further details on Pollfish’s methodology, please visit their website or contact eduardo@resumegenius.com.

About Resume Genius

Since 2009, Resume Genius and its resume builder software have been helping people from all backgrounds and experience levels land their next job faster.

Resume Genius also provides a wide range of free career resources, including customizable resume templates, resume examples for different industries, and resume writing guides, to help job seekers find fulfilling work and reach their career goals.

Resume Genius is led by a team of dedicated career advisors and HR experts and has been featured in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, CNBC, and USA Today.

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Years of Experience

Articles Written

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Eva Chan is a Career Expert and Senior Digital PR Writer at Resume Genius. Eva oversees all of the research and data-led campaigns that reveal key trends in today’s workforce and represents the company in media interviews and press features. Her work focuses on guiding job seekers through today’s job market and helping them present their applications and skills with confidence.

Certifications

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) UX Writing Fundamentals Certification

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