It’s a tough time to be entering the workforce in Joe Biden’s America. Since 2020, more people have wanted to work from home, while many others have simply decided to leave the workforce. The resulting shortage of workers has led to higher wages in some industries and a lower standard of employees in others.

Part of the issue can be traced to the hiring pool. The work ethic of Boomers and Generation X is in short supply with the younger generation, and the results are showing it. Generation Z, in fact, thinks personality is more important than ability.

Apparently, the youngest generation in the workforce thinks personality is more important than productivity. Putting an emphasis on pithy comments, banter, and playfulness, the entitled generation has even created a description for themselves, “personality hire.”
One corporate America employee who happens to fancy herself a TikTok influencer is a self-proclaimed “chief vibes officer.” Previous managers, perhaps trying to be nice, have complimented her “energy,” which she considers “the nicest compliment” she has received.

The influencer, Bella Rose Mortel, works for a company called Beehiiv, and her manager allegedly finds her videos and antics hilarious. Mortel recounted a recent meeting at Beehiiv where her boss called on her to lighten the tone: “In a team call yesterday, he was like, ‘Before we get started, Bella Rose, do you want to set the vibes today for our call?’”

Mortel has had a number of views of her videos and has inspired many of her generation to work less and vibe more. Since joking around with your coworkers is more fun than actually working, many Gen Z employees have made it a mission to be the “personality hire.”

Numerous Gen Z folks have commented on social media, likely while at work, and their reactions were predictable. One said: “I have accepted that I am hired to bring the energy, being the personality hire is really fun. I love lightening the mood,” while another slacker said, “Being a personality hire is tough work but someone’s gotta do it.”

Others commented: “The personality hire is also the client whisperer,” while another said, “The personality hire is critical to the social equilibrium of the workplace.” Perhaps the most telling comment came from a clueless employee who said: “I’m definitely the personality hire I never know what’s going on but I for sure can make everyone laugh.”

In a video viewed over 6 million times, Mortel gave some advice to prospective personality hires. She advised: “This is what you gotta do. Every time they’re like, ‘Hey, great job,’ you say, ‘Slay.’ When they begin to say it back, that’s when you know you’ve met your performance goals, or “brought the vibes to the workplace.”

At some point in the workplace, actual work has to be done, and it is unclear who will take the helm when Generation X is gone, but if Generation Z is any indication of what is to come, it is going to be tough sledding for corporate America for some time.