Are recent college graduates trained for what is expected in the workplace?

Did COVID lower a college graduate’s likelihood of success in the workforce?

Are recent college graduates set up to succeed or fail post-COVID? Are you a manager hiring recent graduates? Today’s post uncovers a phenomenon I don’t think employees or hiring managers have realized. This post isn’t your “generational differences in the workplace.” This post covers:

• Unconscious habits that post-COVID graduates are bringing to the workforce
• Unconscious expectations that hiring managers will expect in a post-COVID work environment.

Prior behavior is an indicator of future behavior

I recently talked with a professor friend who teaches at a nationally known university. The university is a top school and not an easy one to attend. 

I always find myself picking his brain about upcoming graduating classes. These college graduates will be my next class of customers as they enter the workforce. In my opinion, behavior in college is a leading indicator of how they will perform in the workforce.

If you are wondering, “What professor would dumb themself down enough to talk with HRNasty?” you aren’t the first. You can call it a mercy conversation. I think the Professor and I find these conversations morbidly fascinating. He sees the writing on the wall regarding study habits. I report on workplace behavior, and we compare notes. He sees the train leave the station with no brakes. I see it go off the tracks. 

We both subscribe to the “Prior behavior is the best indicator of future behavior/success” school of success.

This is why grades matter for a new hire entering the workforce. For many candidates, grades are the only indicator the hiring company has as a baseline for success. If you were getting Cs and Ds in school, believing you will suddenly be an A performer in the workforce is tough. Students pay the school for the privilege of earning C’s and D’s. Companies pay employees for performance and want A players.

How COVID changed teaching 

During COVID, universities went 100% remote. Classes were reduced to delivery via video, and students could attend at their convenience. Want to wake up at noon, watch Days of Our Lives, and then the lecture in bed? That is no problem. At least you have your priorities straight.

This Professor works at a university where professors can choose their teaching platform(s). Post-COVID, professors at this university can:

1. Conduct classes 100% remotely.
2. Teach a hybrid curriculum with remote classes and in-person instruction.
3. Conduct classes 100% in the classroom.

HRNasty’s theory of entry-level employee performance

My initial questions were specific and purposeful.

• Do students attend in-person classes?
• Are students showing up on time?
• Does showing up count toward their final grade?

Talk to me about participation, Professor!  

The observation in the workplace

Yes, I had specific directions for my questions. I see that college grads aren’t always exercising their “Show up” muscle in the workplace. I believe the “Showing up” muscle is exercised in the classroom. Graduates entering the workforce seem handicapped in “showing up,” interacting, and, most importantly, collaborating with others.

I fear this lack of showing up and collaboration will transfer to the real world. Guess who gets to deal with these problems?

Disclaimer: I realize that this is a sample size of one. There have always been students who earned top grades, and there have always been students who didn’t show up. But I am a professional. I “gots” ta ask!

Are students prepared for the workforce?

Readers of this blog know I have concerns about whether higher education prepares students for the workplace. Are college graduates REALLY learning how to interview for a job? Are students learning how to work in the corporate world? Do students learn how to communicate with a manager?  Are students aware of the criteria for promotion? Students are gaining a technical baseline to work in fields such as medicine, engineering, and art. But are they getting the skills to land the opportunity? See my rant here: https://hrnasty.com/millennial-generation/

He responded that he teaches a hybrid model. He has some in-classroom instruction and some remote instruction. His classes have many labs. Most of his instruction is in person. 

The conversation

HRN: Do students show up to the classes that are held in person?

Professor: Not consistently. Some students do, but there are many empty seats.

HRN: Does showing up affect their grade? Can you pass the class if you don’t show up?

Professor: Yes, you can pass.

HRN: Can you get a top grade if you don’t show up?

Professor:  You won’t get a top grade, but you can earn an above-average grade.

HRN: Can you ONLY attend the final exam and still pass the class?

Professor: I am sure that in some classes you can. Probably the larger, first-year lecture classes. We have labs, which are a big part of the grade. 

The coup de grace

Professor: Here is what I see played over and over. On Monday, I will announce that a 15-minute quiz will be held on Friday. I will explain what material the test will cover and how much of their grade it will count towards. It is a smaller portion of their grade, but these quizzes add up. You would be surprised to find out how many people don’t attend class for the quiz. Like clockwork, there are no-shows. In addition, some students will arrive 10–20 minutes late, have trouble logging in, or both.

This is when I became more confident about my theory and what I already see in the workplace.

HRN: Is this the normal percentage of slacker students who have always been late or skipped class? There was always a small demographic of top performers and those that I called slackers. I suspect these groups will always exist.

A new world

Professor: No, the number is higher post-COVID. COVID introduced an entirely new dynamic. COVID forced remote learning for everyone. We haven’t left that dynamic behind. COVID-19 and remote/recorded classes made it easier not to attend. Granted, many schools were teaching remotely before COVID. COVID-19 made learning in bed, without showering, acceptable worldwide. It became the new normal. HRNasty, you talk about developers coding in their mother’s basement, dressed only in their tighty whities. Developers are coding in the dark, surrounded by empty Red Bull cans and pizza boxes. I get the visual now.

HRN: Putting on my diplomatic hat, I asked aloud: Can I blame a new hire when they have difficulty showing up at 8:00 or 9:00 AM for a meeting? They don’t have any practice showing up. The expectations weren’t there. Is “showing up” on time going to be a skill we have to train? I am not sure. Some would expect workers to show up on time.   

What does a hiring manager do?

Explain the expectations in the onboarding sessions. Managers should set expectations for attendance, punctuality, collaboration, and building trust. We won’t assume this isn’t understood and talk down to hires. We will explain expectations and how failing to meet them can affect perception, credibility, and, ultimately, career path. Managers need to remember that this might be new. Most of us don’t learn something overnight with the flick of a switch. We need practice and grace. 

What does a college graduate focus on?

I want to stress one concept. We are not paying our employer. Our employer is our customer. Our employer is paying us for our services. So, we gotta show up. “Can’t” isn’t in our vocabulary, and we need to collaborate with others. Ask your customer (employer) how you can improve. Treat your customers (AKA, your manager) like you don’t want to lose them (AKA – get fired).    

See you at the after party,

HRNasty

nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky, and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.

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