New Research by Bixa and B2Linked Shows Young Job-seekers Aren’t Using LinkedIn—and Why
By Sarah Weise & AJ Wilcox

If you’re reading this article on LinkedIn, you’re likely over 25. 

Right now, Gen Z is the largest living generation, representing nearly 2 of every 5 American consumers. This year alone, millions of early 20-somethings will seek to enter the workforce: well-educated, hard-working job seekers who are tech-savvy and highly accustomed to online communities and social media... and yet they’re not using LinkedIn.

Just eight months ago, this older Gen Z cohort was poised to start job-hunting during one of the longest economic expansions in U.S. history with record-low unemployment.

Today, it feels hopeless. 22-year-old Stephanie of Baltimore, MD called her job hunt, “The most exhausting and frustrating thing I’ve ever had to do.” She explains, “I know I’m strong candidate. But the uncertainty makes it overwhelming. How long can this continue for?”

Many older Gen Z’s 18-24 in age have moved back in with their parents to celebrate virtual graduations and help their families during this pandemic… all while frantically searching for entry-level positions they will likely not get.

Stephanie has been applying to entry-level marketing positions for months. She graduated from a strong state university with nearly a 4.0 GPA in her desired field. She’d had summer internships with top-name companies. But when COVID essentially slammed the economy to a screeching halt in March, she had to wait months for job openings to reappear. Even when they did, she could no longer compete because these entry-level jobs—typically designed for recent grads—were being filled by candidates highly over-qualified. 

Generation Z is the largest living generation today. They are the most educated, most digitally-connected group we’ve seen enter the job market to-date. They have been desperately looking everywhere for jobs. 

Everywhere, that is, except LinkedIn. 

Over the course of a 10-month study, Bixa and B2Linked conducted qualitative interviews with nearly 150 young adults ages 19-24 across the country about their LinkedIn usage. 

What we found is that while this is massive group with never-before-seen influence and purchase power, for the most part, THEY ARE NOT USING LINKEDIN.

With over 706 million professionals on its platform, LinkedIn processes over 55 job applications each second. According to LinkedIn’s own About Page, there are over 20 million open jobs on LinkedIn Jobs right now. Professionals who spend time here are finding jobs, generating leads, selling business, recruiting the right people, making valuable professional connections, and consuming and sharing valuable industry content. 

Here are the highlights from the study:

Over 50% of young adults in the US age 19-24 have a LinkedIn account, yet 96% of this group rarely or never uses it.

Those who have accounts were asked (and often required) to create an account either by a well-intentioned parent or their university as a part of a career class or by a Career Services department.

LinkedIn makes inexperienced job-hunters feel overwhelmed and inadequate.

When young 20-somethings do use LinkedIn, they use it only to look for jobs. With surgical precision, they get in and get out as quickly as possible. They do not browse the news feed. They do not connect with others. It is purely transactional.

They don’t see a difference between LinkedIn and any other job board like Indeed.

They do not think of LinkedIn as “social media”

With these key findings, we have to wonder: 

Is LinkedIn failing today’s youth? 

What could LinkedIn do to fix this?

The entry of Gen Z to the workplace marks a gargantuan opportunity for LinkedIn right now. And it’s a great opportunity for Gen Z as well, if it worked for them.

This article has been a long time coming. 

In March of 2019, I published a book for business leaders and marketers called InstaBrain: The New Rules for Marketing to Generation Z (psst… check it out on Amazon or get your free chapter here #shamelessplug).

Immediately, I started getting DMs on Instagram and emails from readers asking, “Why didn’t you talk about LinkedIn?” (ironically, I’ve never gotten this question ON LinkedIn).

The answer was a tough one: LinkedIn wasn’t discussed in the book because in nearly two years of research with a Gen Z demographic, the topic of LinkedIn rarely came up.

So I called my friend AJ Wilcox who runs an impressive LinkedIn ad agency out of Salt Lake City, B2Linked. AJ and I met 5 years ago when we were both speaking at a digital marketing conference. Our relationship began with a heckler in the audience and was solidified by some well-timed karaoke. And yes, that just about sums up every marketing conference, ever.