In recent hiring cycles I’ve seen a pattern among clients and within my own circle of friends and family members that I can’t ignore: strong students and interns - smart, credentialed, often from top schools - are stumbling in interviews or faltering in their first year of work.
This isn’t just “kids today.” It’s a cohort-wide aftershock of COVID-19 that we haven’t yet factored into our hiring models.
Interrupted Development
Many of today’s entry-level candidates were in high school when the pandemic hit. They missed the end of junior year and much of senior year - years that should have been packed with milestones that build maturity and independence. Research confirms that prolonged school closures and social isolation disrupted social-emotional growth and delayed conflict-management skills (National Library of Medicine).
Prior to Spring 2020, these students often had rich extracurricular lives: sports teams, part-time jobs, arts, clubs, music. Those outlets suddenly vanished or limped along on Zoom. Even when activities resumed, seasons were shortened, rules changed, and many teens simply never rejoined. Those “practice fields” for resilience and teamwork disappeared right when they mattered most.
A Softer College Experience
College didn’t fully bridge the gap. Many universities, parents, and professors created support systems to keep students afloat - meal plans extended, assignments adjusted, emergency funds expanded, special COVID housing, etc. Especially for more affluent families, the leap to independence was cushioned. Students struggled for little, and the usual slow build of autonomy continued to be delayed.
Mental-Health Headwinds
The numbers are stark. Young adults now report higher rates of anxiety and depression than pre-pandemic peers (Springer study). New graduates in high-stress professions, such as nursing, describe “persistent stress and diminished well-being” in early career transitions (WorkplaceNL report).
Why the Interview Misleads
Traditionally we assumed an interview shows a candidate at their peak. For many 2025 graduates, the opposite can be true. Short, high-stakes interviews amplify anxiety and mask potential. A technically strong grad may present as hesitant or disengaged - not because they lack ability, but perhaps because they’re managing untreated anxiety or panic in real time.
Rethinking the Interview Process
If we keep filtering talent through the old lens, we’ll keep missing high-potential people.
Consider:
Multiple touchpoints. Give candidates chances to warm up; perhaps standing or walking introductory conversations, simulated short exercises, or multi-stage conversations instead of one 20-minute screen or a panel of multiple people on one candidate (which is overwhelming and not ideal for almost any job seeker).
Contextual questions. Ask about their experience during Covid, what they did to persevere, what impact they think it had on them, and how it might help them on the job rather than just the typical question set.
Stronger onboarding. Ensure strong early-career onboarding processes and programs exist; create or build on peer support networks and connections.
The Bottom Line
This generation’s challenge isn’t a lack of talent - it's been more of a developmental detour. They were denied the everyday practice fields of adolescence, then met a workforce that still judges them by outdated signals. If we want to secure tomorrow’s leaders, we need to meet them where they are - and where the pandemic left them. The opportunity to win great talent is out there for the taking.
