Bengaluru: A CEO's hiring strategy has ignited an online debate after he claimed that Generation Z's (Gen Z) social media expertise is coming at the cost of basic problem-solving and financial literacy.

In a viral LinkedIn post, Ashish Gupta shared his experience from a campus recruitment drive where he posed a Class 5-level math question to over 50 students. To his surprise, only two answered correctly.

The question: “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?”

Gupta noted that while students excelled in Instagram marketing strategies, they struggled with fundamental numeracy. “Gen Z is highly skilled in digital trends but lacks logical reasoning and financial literacy. If this continues, they may struggle with personal finance and decision-making,” he wrote.

The post triggered mixed reactions. While some agreed that basic numeracy is essential, others questioned its relevance in hiring. “Why is average speed important for the job?” asked one user, while another acknowledged the need for math skills but questioned its connection to workplace competence.