Who’s Workforce Ready?
It’s essential to be properly trained to perform the duties of a job, but are recent graduates truly workforce ready?
After many discussions with parents, I’ve come to believe that high schools and colleges are missing essential elements in preparing young people to enter the workforce.
Yes, students have a sound understanding of many subjects and should be well versed in the career path they’ve chosen, but this is not enough.
What Else They Need to Know
Here’s a shortlist:
- How to look for a job
- How to research companies before applying
- How to prepare for an interview
- What questions to ask prospective employers
- What questions prospective employers can’t ask
- Know and understand their rights as employees
- Consider what benefits are important to them
- Read and retain the employee handbook
- *Understand and follow the company social media policy
- Adaptability – duties and responsibilities change
- How to collaborate with colleagues
- Understand how to prepare themselves for advancement
- How to keep up-to-date with changing labor laws
*Violation of social media policy has been the ruin of new and expierenced employees from fast food workers to corporate executives.
How many of these items are recent grads able to clearly explain or answer?
Fill the Workforce Ready Gaps
This partial list is important for all new workforce entrants but especially for women and minorities, who often encounter greater scrutiny.
From my admittedly unscientific survey, many young people entering the workforce are woefully unprepared. Some don’t know the minimum wage in their state/city. Others possess an inflated sense of their value to an organization that leads to unrealistic positions and salary expectations.
This needs to change.
Have conversations with your child about the additional knowledge they need, while keeping in mind that many things have changed since you started working. Encourage them to ask questions of you and to speak with people who are in hiring positions.
The employment landscape is vastly different than it was a decade or more ago. New workers need to be knowledgeable about workplace expectations today.
The flip side of this subject is how businesses are or aren’t adapting to the “future of work,” which will be examined in a future post.
Share your thoughts as a parent, employer or both in the comments section.
Leave a Reply