- A survey found employers were avoiding college graduates and looking to hire older workers instead.
- Intelligent surveyed 800 managers, directors, and executives involved in hiring.
- One in five of the employers said a college graduate showed up with a parent for a job interview.
Employers are going to great lengths to avoid hiring fresh college graduates and are instead trying to win over older professionals with more benefits and higher salaries, a survey has found.
Intelligent, an online magazine focused on student life, commissioned a Pollfish survey of 800 managers, directors, and executives involved in hiring in the US in December. It found that 39% of the employers said they avoided hiring college graduates for positions they were eligible for in favor of older candidates.
The survey suggested employers were favoring older workers partly because young professionals weren't making a great impression on hiring managers during job interviews. More than half of the employers said young recruits struggled to make eye contact during the interview, and 50% said they asked for unreasonable compensation.
Almost half said they showed up in inappropriate attire, and nearly 20% said they even brought a parent to the job interview.
These bosses seemed to be employing several tactics to attract older professionals, with 60% saying they were offering more benefits, 59% saying they were offering higher salaries, 48% saying they were offering remote or hybrid working opportunities, and 46% saying they were willing to hire overqualified candidates.
Young professionals also appear to have a reputation for being difficult to work with. Nearly two-thirds of employers said they thought recent college graduates were entitled and frequently unable to handle their workload.
At least 58% said they would get offended too easily and were unprepared for the workforce. The survey suggested that this included an inability to take feedback and poor communication skills.
As Gen Z has entered the workforce in increasing numbers in recent years, employers have expressed concerns about the younger generation's ability to adapt to corporate life.
PWC, Deloitte, and KPMG are among the major firms that have said Gen Z recruits who graduated during the pandemic struggle to exercise basic communication skills and office etiquette.
As a result, they've been offering extra classes on soft skills such as how to send emails, what to wear to the office, and how to work in a team.