I have been reading that new college graduates are having a difficult time finding employment. Articles I have seen claim it is due to a shortage of white-collar jobs in the U.S. economy. The other day I came across a study that provides another explanation. A survey of U.S. business leaders suggests that for them new college grads have a bad reputation. Deserved or not, that reputation affects hiring practices, which might be a factor in why so many college-educated 20-somethings are struggling to find work.
New College Grads Have a Bad Reputation
The study asked 966 business leaders about how they viewed new college graduates. Their responses indicated that for these leaders new college grads have a bad reputation, making them reluctant to hire them. Issues they identified with this age group.
- Unsatisfactory performance
- Lack of professionalism
- Poorly prepared for the workforce
- Lack of motivation
- Poor communication skills
- Difficulty accepting feedback
The phenomenon of older generations complaining about younger generations dates back to Aristotle, so that is nothing new. However, if these results reflect the views of business leaders, they might help explain why this generation is facing a tough job market.
What Universities Can Do
It seems to me that some of what business leaders are experiencing with their young hires can be remedied by the educational system. Universities should pay more attention to work skills like communication and teamwork. In my experience some departments take vocational (and life) preparation seriously, but many do not. Although most majors are not like trade schools, turning out graduates ready to work a particular job (exceptions are accounting, engineering, and nursing), they should provide more than deep knowledge of a discipline. All graduates should acquire skills in written communication, verbal communication, teamwork, and professionalism. They should receive a realistic preview of what life after school is like. They should be taught how the skills they acquire in school applies in the work world. They should receive honest and constructive feedback. Everyone receiving an A, as is the practice in many elite schools, does not help a student in the post-academic world when poor performance receives corrective feedback. Failure to correct action based on that feedback has personal consequences that are unpleasant.
Universities cannot teach all life lessons, but they can pay more attention to preparing students for what comes after graduation. The positive impact on students is self-evident, but there is an important impact on universities as well. After all, if new college grads have a bad reputation, so too do their universities.
Image generated by DALL-E 4. Prompts: Image of college graduates. Fewer students and more diverse.
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