A Running Start
“Only 58% of companies say they will consider hiring a college grad in the class of 2025.” This quote is taken from a recent Resume.org article exploring the fatigue experienced by hiring managers when it comes to recent grads. It is filled with statistics gathered from surveying leaders across different industries that all point in the same direction. More than half of respondents stated that recent grads are unprepared for the workplace, 8 in 10 hiring managers say a recent college grad didn’t work out in the last year, 78% of hiring managers stated that recent graduates spend all their time on their phone, and when asked to share characteristics of recent college grads, the most common were “entitled,” “easily offended,” and “unprepared for the workforce.” “Use phone excessively” is, of course, the most common response, but needless to say, this was a tough article to read.
“Colleges don’t teach students how to behave in the workplace, and there is a lack of transitional support from both universities and employers.” This quote is from Irina Pichura of Resume.com. She goes on to explore how recent grads are, basically, unprofessional. But that isn’t anything new. The older generations have always complained about a lack of work ethic in the younger generations. What has changed is the unwillingness to learn, the inability to try, and the rejection of help. “Entitled” and “easily offended” speak to reasons for why college grads aren’t ready for the workplace, and it has more to do with EQ than IQ. I wrote an article that shared how the percentage of college grads has risen significantly in the US over the last 100 years. We have more means of education, more access to educational materials, and more resources available than ever before.
What is lackin is emotional intelligence. The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as The ability, capacity, or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of oneself, of others, and of groups. This is at the core of why so many leaders are struggling with recent grad hires. They don’t care, and they don’t care to get better. They don’t see their impact on others, or even themselves. Entering the workforce is new for everyone. Being able to step into a new situation and adjust is a fact of life that cannot be avoided. So, it’s expected that many will stumble. In order to be successful in a new environment, you should reach out to connect with others, observe what they do, and ask questions, but that all requires work and a high level of emotional intelligence. This is why so many grads resort to staring at their phone: it doesn’t require of them the skills they haven’t yet developed. In other words, it’s easy.
The lack of support that Irina Pachura mentioned is exactly what is provided by working with DiSC. The assessment will provide all the insight and information that we need to build a college grad into a professional. Authorized Partners are also here to act as colleagues to help you develop and grow, to implement all that you have learned from DiSC. Regardless of your career, now more than ever, you can elevate yourself by improving your emotional intelligence and better understanding how to engage with co-workers. The results of this survey are very clear: managers are desperate for college grads who want to become professionals. Give your career a running start by utilizing DiSC.
