inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Manpower considers it important for Generation Z to hone their soft skills as it will expand opportunities, both for getting a job and developing a career.

"Companies are somewhat reluctant to hire Gen Z because their soft skills are somewhat lacking," said Head of the Ministry of Manpower's Labor Market Center, Surya Lukita Warman, Friday (9/26/2025).

Soft skills, which include skills in communication, teamwork, creativity, and time management, are considered to help young workers be more adaptive in the dynamic world of work.

"Gen Z also has to adjust (their attitudes and characters) to the work they will do later. Like it or not, they have to adapt. Don't get it the other way around," said Surya.

The Ministry of Manpower also recognizes that the character of the generation born between 1997 and 2012 has quite different characteristics from previous generations, such as millennials and boomers.

One of Gen Z's characteristics in the workplace is their tendency to leave jobs if they don't find purpose or meaning in their work, not just to earn a living.

Therefore, Surya assesses that with this characteristic, it is important for Gen Z to find a type of job that suits their values of flexibility or work that can provide them with balance in life.

"Perhaps jobs such as content creators, live streaming hosts, and others are suitable for that character. But if you really want to enter sectors such as the manufacturing industry or banking, maybe that character is less suitable. So, Gen Z also has to adjust," said Kapus Surya.

However, this is not a "problem" for Gen Z alone, but also requires intervention from the government and educators/educational institutions so that the development of soft skills for young people can be equipped from an early age.

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