"Gen Z Knows Reels, But...": Bengaluru CEO Tests Job Interview Candidates With Class-5 Math Question

Bengaluru-based CEO Ashish Gupta has sparked a heated debate on LinkedIn, highlighting his concerns that Generation Z's social media proficiency may be coming at the cost of essential skills like problem-solving and financial literacy. In his LinkedIn post, "Gen Z Knows Reels, But Not Real Math", Mr Gupta argued that the younger generation's expertise in digital trends may not adequately prepare them to handle real-world challenges.

Mr Gupta shared his experience from a recent campus recruitment drive, where he interacted with over 50 students from various streams, including BBA and BCA. As part of the selection process, he presented a simple mathematics question, typically taught in Class 5. To his astonishment, only two students were able to answer correctly, while the rest of the group struggled to solve it.

The question was: "If a car travels the first 60 km at 30 km/h and the next 60 km at 60 km/h, what is its average speed?"

"Yet, when I asked them how they would market our product, they had tons of ideas about Instagram reels, viral content, and digital trends. This highlights a stark reality—Gen Z is highly skilled in social media but lacks fundamental problem-solving, logical reasoning, and financial literacy. If these trends continue, we may have a generation struggling with personal finance, decision-making, and analytical skills. As educators, employers, and mentors, we must bridge this gap. Critical thinking and basic numeracy are non-negotiable life skills,'' he wrote. 

See the post here:

Mr Gupta's post has ignited a lively online debate, with opinions divided on the issue. While some people agreed with Mr Gupta's concerns about the younger generation's math skills, others said it;s not right to generalise. 

One user wrote, "Sir, you've raised a valid point regarding math skills, however, I would like to understand what this question has to do with you hiring them. Are you hiring them for a sales profile? Then answering this question is irrelevant. If you're hiring a maths tutor, then I can understand your concern. Also, I can assure you this, lot of CEO's themselves cannot answer this question, yet they are where they are. Relevance of skills should be the main criteria, not basic aptitude tests."

Another joked, "Ashish Gupta , That was still tough, next time ask them 100 divided by half." A third said, ''Sir it may even be a problem of that particular cohort of the institute and may not be true for all."