Gen Z Information-Seeking Behavior: Rising Distrust in Corporate Text Content Amid Generative AI Adoption; 70% Prioritize Efficiency in Video Consumption, Revealing Strong 'Time-Performance' Awareness

As a collaborative project between the program "Mimi Dake Intern" (broadcast on FM Sarus starting in July) and "Data Force Research Presents: The Power of Numbers," a survey was conducted targeting first- to third-year company employees on "Information Gathering and Cultural Fit in Corporate Selection among Gen Z."

We are now partially releasing the survey results obtained through this collaboration.

In recent years, corporate recruitment outreach has diversified across various channels, including corporate websites and dedicated recruitment sites. Furthermore, with the widespread adoption and integration of generative AI, companies have significantly reduced the labor required for content creation (such as text writing and rewriting), making it easier than ever to disseminate large volumes of information. However, how are job seekers—the recipients of this information—responding to this trend?

This survey reveals the realities of "AI skepticism" in an era of information overload, as well as the intense "time-performance (tai-pa) awareness" among job seekers striving to efficiently process vast amounts of corporate information.

An Era Where Polished Text Triggers Suspicion of 'AI Rewriting'

First, we investigated concerns and distrust when reading "text-based" information such as corporate recruitment websites and employee interviews.

When asked, "Have you ever felt concern or distrust when reading text-based information?", the most common response was "I suspect the content has been neatly rewritten by generative AI or similar tools to present things favorably (31.4%)". This was followed by "I feel only favorable aspects (benefits) from the company's perspective are presented (30.6%)" and "I can't tell if these are really the employees' own words (25.9%)".

These results suggest that the ease with which generative AI can produce polished, convincing text has ironically fostered suspicion among job seekers—that the content might be generic, corporate-sanctioned rhetoric tailored to the company's interests.

While AI-driven resource and labor savings offer significant advantages for companies, the trade-off is a homogenization of content quality, making it harder to convey a company's originality and genuine passion.

Job Seekers Turn to Video for 'Authenticity'—But 70% Prioritize Efficiency in Practice

Given this distrust toward text-based information, what types of corporate content do job seekers prefer when seeking a company's "true voice" or "authentic atmosphere"?

When asked which content best conveys "authenticity" or "real company culture and employee vibe" (regardless of official or unofficial sources), "video content on social media (TikTok, PIVOT, YouTube, etc.) (32.8%)" ranked highest, followed by "employee interview videos or corporate recruitment videos (30.8%)" and "podcasts or radio (25.4%)".

Video and audio media dominated the top responses, surpassing traditional "job listing sites" and "official corporate websites".

This trend indicates that Gen Z prefers dynamic formats—such as video and audio—through which tone of voice, facial expressions, and mannerisms can be directly perceived, over static information like text or photos, in their quest to understand a company's true atmosphere.

However, it may be premature for companies to assume that "videos will be watched" or that "richer videos will convey our authenticity." While demand for video content is rising, a deeper look into actual viewing behaviors reveals a pragmatic reality unique to today's job seekers.

When asked about their preferred viewing style for obtaining corporate information from video content (e.g., YouTube or social media videos), the top response was "watching at accelerated speed (1.5x to 2x) to finish quickly (26.9%)", followed by "mostly listening passively, glancing at the screen occasionally (25.2%)" and "background playback (using another app or closing the screen), listening to audio only (18.3%)".

In fact, approximately 70% (70.4%) adopt efficiency-focused viewing styles such as accelerated playback, passive listening, or audio-only consumption.

Notably, the combined share of "passive listening" and "background playback"—where viewers do not actively watch the screen—exceeds 40%. This is a critical point for companies to recognize. No matter how much budget and effort a company invests in producing rich videos showcasing stylish office scenes or employees' facial expressions, there is a very high likelihood that "these visuals are not actually seen by job seekers and are consumed primarily as audio content." For job seekers, being visually tied to a video is perceived as poor time-performance, leading to the mainstream practice of "consuming video content as audio (while doing other tasks)."

Audio Content: The Inevitable Solution to Overcome Text Distrust and Align with Time-Performance Awareness

Based on these findings, the major challenges facing modern recruitment PR—and their solutions—become clear. Job seekers strongly desire to understand a company's authentic voice and workplace relationships, yet they face a dual dilemma: (1) they distrust text content due to suspicion of AI rewriting, and (2) they lack the time to watch videos thoroughly.

Therefore, corporate communication through "audio content (podcasts or radio)"—which does not demand visual attention and allows parallel processing alongside other tasks—emerges as an extremely effective method in modern recruitment.

When asked, "How would you feel if a company you're interested in published employee interviews as a podcast (audio)?", the top response was "I'd feel I could hear unfiltered, genuine opinions, increasing my trust in the company (30.1%)", followed by "It would likely reduce the gap between expectations and reality after joining (28.1%)" and "I could gather information efficiently through passive listening, offering good time-performance (22.9%)".

Given the earlier concerns about text-based information, it's clear that job seekers are seeking more authentic insights from companies. Audio media, where editing and rewriting cannot easily mask the truth and where spontaneous interactions and atmosphere are conveyed directly, effectively dispels distrust toward AI-generated text.

Moreover, the unique advantage of audio—"enabling passive listening"—aligns perfectly with the younger generation's strong preference for time-efficiency, as seen in previous responses. Audio content thus appears to be a promising solution that satisfies both the desire to "hear unfiltered truths" and the need to "gather information efficiently."

It can be said that audio content is gaining recognition among job seekers for meeting these dual needs.

Summary

The survey results highlight that while generative AI has made corporate content creation easier, it has simultaneously triggered strong skepticism among job seekers, who question whether the polished text is merely corporate posturing. Relying solely on traditional text-based communication is no longer sufficient to win trust or convey a company's genuine passion.

In reaction to this text-based distrust, job seekers are turning to video content for authenticity. However, even here, the intense "time-performance awareness" unique to Gen Z—who must compare and process vast amounts of information—remains a significant barrier. Even when watching videos, about