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| Are employers showing newly minted college grads the door soon into their first jobs?
A recent survey conducted by Intelligent.com, an online researcher that focuses on higher education and young professionals, raises concerns. The survey, which made the rounds in the business press in the United States, found that 75 percent of nearly 1,000 companies surveyed reported that their college grad hires were unsatisfactory. Sixty percent of respondents said they had already fired a college graduate they hired this year, and one in six hiring managers say they are hesitant to hire Gen Zers. The top reasons for why they feel this cohort has not been successful at work? Gen Z’s perceived lack of motivation or initiative, a lack of professionalism, and poor organizational and communication skills.
Of course, this survey is just one data point, dramatic as its results may seem. It’s important to remember that while it’s difficult to transition into the working world, it’s also not easy for those who have been at it for longer. The evolving way we work is often complicated, and disengagement across organizations, not just in entry-level positions, remains high, according to research from McKinsey senior partner Vincent Bérubé and coauthors. Another gut check: a decade ago, similar alarms were sounded about a younger generation—the media was quick to highlight millennials’ shortcomings, namely a lack of professionalism and work ethic. Sound familiar?
For companies, losing any employee stings; attrition is costly and can hurt morale. But a little rockiness shouldn’t be a signal to employers not to hire Gen Zers. Instead, it can be a call to action: employers should examine their hiring processes and new employee development programs if they want to retain Gen Zers. This includes an assessment of the employee value proposition, or the pitch on what it’s like to work for a given organization. And companies shouldn’t necessarily hire candidates with all the skills required to complete a role but the most critical skill or the hardest-to-find skills, notes McKinsey senior partner Brooke Weddle. That’s where an organization’s learning and development programs come into play.
Gen Z bears responsibility, too. Gen Zers should understand what’s expected of them in a new job, reading job descriptions carefully and assessing where their own skills apply or fall short. It’s also important for Gen Zers to research whether they will thrive in a company’s culture. They can do so by having conversations with current and former employees and by scanning reviews on career platforms. Once Gen Zers are in a new job, they can seek out learning and development resources as well as sponsors or mentors.
There are plenty of Gen Zers who are ambitious and thriving in their first jobs. For those who are struggling, it’s time to turn that dismay into development. | | | | | | | | | | | |
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—Edited by Alexandra Mondalek, editor, New York
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