Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

From a Workforce Futurist: What To Know About New College Grads

Headwinds, including a long period of economic instability, fears of a trade war, technology developments, and high employment expectations, are disproportionately impacting newly minted college graduates. But despite the obstacles, young people have no choice but to launch their careers, and HR professionals should do everything they can to help them.  

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has announced that recent grads’ unemployment is nearly six percent (5.8), up more than one full percentage point from 2024 and the highest rate since 2021. More troubling, though: underemployment – defined as working in a job that doesn’t require the degree(s) one has obtained – has reached 41% for recent grads.  

Ongoing economic shocks 

The cause is multi-factorial, and as an article by Derek Thompson of The Atlantic cites, we can start with the notion that college grad employment never recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic or even the Great Recession. Both situations resulted in hiring freezes, mass layoffs, and rising inflation. Basically, for the last 15 years or so, recent grads have been having a tougher time landing that first job than prior generations.  

Trade war fears 

Recent tariffs have not helped matters, sparking fears of a broader trade war. NBC reports that globally, organizations and consumers alike are growing more alarmed about their financial fitness. Many companies are already missing their earnings estimates, and the ongoing uncertainty is almost certainly resulting in hiring pullbacks.  

AI-based technologies 

Then, there’s the idea that AI-based technologies are actively replacing entry-level jobs. Even as a recent Carnegie Mellon experiment showed that a company run exclusively by AI agents isn’t remotely ready for prime time, many organizations are jumping to automate as many jobs as possible, as quickly as possible. Because we already know that AI-based technologies are best at simple and routine tasks, entry-level human jobs are sometimes the first to go.  

High expectations 

According to Monster’s State of the Graduate Report, 75% of 2025 college grads are concerned their job prospects are being affected by the economy, and 48% worry they won’t be able to find a job at the workplace they prefer. But these fears haven’t necessarily made them more realistic. For example, Monster finds that less than two in five new grads are willing to accept working in an office, and 42% would never accept a job at a company that doesn’t offer flexible schedules.  

For the rest of the post, head over to the Dayforce website.

 

Build Gen Z's Engagement, Confidence, and Skills

When I was 22 years old, I was struggling mightily in my first job out of college. Even as a high achieving student, I had no idea how to behave in the business world, and despite valiant efforts, I was not successful.

It was hard enough learning the rules when I was physically surrounded by people willing and able to indoctrinate me, and I can’t help but feel for the Generation Z-ers (born 1996-2012) who are launching their careers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These young professionals are trying to assess responsibilities and expectations in an environment where everyone is behind a screen, scattered around the world.

Gen Z may be digitally adept, but they’ve been prevented from observing a lot of behavior in person, and as such, can’t absorb the nuances of work as easily. It’s one thing to work remotely when you already know how the business world operates and can use established relationships to figure out any ambiguities.

My suspicion is that failing to understand and address this will affect companies’ ability to keep their Gen Z talent, and these young workers will seek out companies that better support them.

I tested this assumption against a recent global Gen Z workforce study from consumer software firm Adobe. The survey of 3,400 workers indicated that more than half of Gen Z employees intend to pursue a new job in the next year – a higher percentage than any other generation. It also found that Gen Z is the least satisfied generation at work, with only 56% satisfied with work/life balance and 59% with their jobs overall.

The pandemic certainly isn’t the only story here. According to a Western Governors University study released just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gen Z was already suffering. At that time, only 45% of Gen Z-ers said their mental health was good or excellent. That’s significantly lower than the next closest generation, millennials. Thirty-seven percent of Gen Z-ers also reported that they received help from a psychologist or mental health expert – more than any other generation.

While it’s not an employer’s responsibility to solve all of Gen Z’s problems, work-related isolation doesn’t help their cause, and well-placed intervention can go a long way in attracting and keeping young talent.

By combining our knowledge about the temperament and preferences of this generation with the high tech/high touch capabilities of human capital management software, you can rally your junior level employees to higher productivity and engagement.

 

Gen Z strategy 1: Enhanced onboarding

Communicate actively with young professional hires between the offer letter and start date. Do not give them time to regret their decision or change their minds, and instead send targeted, friendly messages expressing your enthusiasm that they’re joining the team. The right employee onboarding software can help support organic interactions and introduce new Gen Z hires to your culture, right from their first day.

When they do come aboard, make sure your orientation schedule and materials are customized to the person and the role. For instance, many Gen Z-ers prefer a one-on-one manager chat and team intros to a generic “about the business” program and would rather consume short video clips via a tech-driven employee onboarding software over a massive employee handbook.

Digitize your paperwork and, keeping in mind diversity and inclusion best practices, put together a roster of topics and expectations to cover that are specific to young professionals. This roster may include areas you think are common sense (e.g. the importance of arriving on time to meetings, the appropriate language to use when texting or emailing a client), but these norms might not be universal across cultures, and Gen Z’s experience with them might be limited.

Work with new hires’ managers to set their goals and learning cadence and build in weekly (if not daily) check-ins to assess how Gen Z-ers are feeling.

Gen Z strategy 2: Flexible scheduling

Many Gen Z-ers have never had to commute to a building and work in an office for a set number of hours every day. Especially when their safety and convenience are at stake, your Gen Z-ers may balk if an employer mandates staff back to the office without good reason.

Engage in employee listening strategies, from official pulse surveys to informal text chats, and ascertain the type of work arrangement that works best for your staff in various cultures and locations. Then, allow individual employees as much control as possible in determining their hours and environment. A hybrid work model can go a long way toward Gen Z employee retention and engagement.

For the rest of the article, head over to the Ceridian blog.

When You're Looking for a Job and All You Hear is Crickets

A reader from CollegeRecruiter asked the following question:

Graduation is fast approaching and I’m stressing out as I don’t have a job yet. My career service office is focused on jobs from local employers and so isn’t of much help as I attend an out-of-state school and want to move home after graduation to be close to friends and family. I’ve applied to dozens of jobs but after weeks I’ve heard back from only a few and those were automated responses confirming my applications. No interviews. No emails from recruiters. No job offers. Help! I love my parents, but I don’t want to share a room with my little sister again.

Keep in mind that most job openings aren’t advertised because a lot of businesses prefer to hire from within the company or through word of mouth. If you’re coming in from off the street, you could be out of luck.  Instead of working harder, work smarter. Use online resources and business trade publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Fast Company to target desirable companies in your home area. Then, prepare to infiltrate these companies by making the transition from outsider to insider. Here’s how:

• Get to know individuals already employed at your target company who are in a position to hire you. 
• Apply for an internship position that will land you inside the company and provide you with an opportunity to build your skill portfolio.
• Secure referrals from anyone you know in your chosen field—either people with years of experience behind them, such as old professors and your parents’ friends, or recent graduates who will have sympathy for your plight and might also be more familiar with a company’s lower-level job openings.

Using a combination of these approaches, you are much more likely to gain access to unadvertised job openings in the companies you desire. However, it probably won’t happen overnight. Be persistent and don’t resort to laziness, even if you’re not seeing immediate results. Keep your expectations realistic and remind yourself of the end goal every day. Above all, don’t doubt your own abilities. Ignore all of the folks who tell you that the market sucks and that you should take any available job, even if it’s not what you want or need. Learn to take rejection with a grain of salt—it’s all part of the process. If you take the right action patiently and efficiently, an opportunity will come along that’s a good fit for your skillset.

For answers from other workplace experts, check out the full article on CollegeRecruiter.

How 21st Century Leaders Develop Their Teams

Business owners who wish to increase their growth trajectory should be mindful of succession issues and make solid plans to ensure that the next generation of leaders is ready to take over. Manager training is a critical part of the mix, but should your business engage in formal or informal training, and what type of mentorship should you encourage?

I spoke with three business owners about their strategies for getting their organizations' leaders up to speed: Josh Harcus, co-founder and chairman at sales agency Hüify in Wilmington, South Carolina; Joey Kercher, founder and CEO of Air Fresh Marketing in Denver; and Nina Ojeda, founder and CEO of beauty aggregator PRÊTE in Los Angeles.

What's your definition of a leader in your organization? Is leader synonymous with manager?

Josh Harcus: A leader is an individual who has a lasting impact on those around them. A good leader will have a positive impact, and a bad leader will have a negative one.

Being a manager does not necessarily imply the qualities of leadership. The title of manager gives one the opportunity to lead, but a good manager must make the choice to sacrifice for those underneath them.

 

Joey Kercher: A leader in my organization is someone who takes initiative to make our company better and doesn't rely on others for motivation.

For me, the definition of leader is not synonymous with manager, though they are intertwined in many ways. Managers focus primarily on tasks, time and keeping projects on track. Although a leader has to have managerial abilities, leaders also need to focus on interpersonal relationships. Leaders often have to act as the face of the company as well.

Nina Ojeda: Leadership doesn't come with a title, it's a choice. A leader is someone who always puts their team first, company second and themselves last. Leaders can be managers, but not all managers are leaders.

How do you develop leaders or engage in manager training? Is your approach more formal or informal, classroom-based or experiential?

Kercher: We develop rising leaders by first hiring the best people. We look for those who have expertise and intelligence as well as the capacity for growth. My company is small, so we do not have a formal method for manager training. Currently, we operate as a flat organization, in which each team member has the flexibility to make their own decisions. Failing is okay as long as we can track our mistakes and learn from them.

Harcus: My colleague David is a terrific example of my company's approach to leadership development. Since David's team focuses primarily on sales development, David wanted each of his team members to grow in their abilities to build rapport and think on their feet. So he had everybody do open mic, stand-up comedy at an improvisation club in San Francisco. It was awesome to see each team member thrive under the pressure of trying something terrifying, and conquering it. Along with stand-up, David has conducted many formal manager training sessions that are essential to his team's development.

For the rest of the interview, head over to the AMEX Open Forum.

20 Years Later, Much Career Advice Still Applies

In the summer of 1996 after my sophomore year of college, I started an internship at a nonprofit technology association in downtown Washington, D.C.

Until that point, I’d only worked in retail and had no idea what to expect. I asked my father and a professor for advice. Remarkably, 20 years later much of that guidance still resonates.

Doors open based on who you know

In the late 90s, these were physical doors rather than virtual ones, but the concept is the same. When applying for a job or looking to connect with someone, name-dropping would increase your odds of getting a positive response. Today, although we have exponentially larger networks thanks to social media, deep, in-person relationships still provide the greatest networking benefit. 

As you build your network of contacts, remember to follow up

Meeting a contact once is a wasted opportunity unless you periodically remind him or her of who you are and take steps to grow the relationship over time. In the 90s, I was encouraged to send snail mail holiday cards to former bosses and colleagues, and even to pick up the phone occasionally. Twenty years later, it’s all about LinkedIn.

In a new situation, aim to assimilate

Corporate culture used to be “one-size-fits-all.” If you worked in a business office in any city in the world, you were expected to behave professionally, adhere to hierarchies, and generally do what you were told without making waves. Individual company cultures may be more unique today (conservative versus liberal, strict versus playful) but the need to examine and then fit into a new culture – whatever it may be – remains.

For the rest of the piece, head over to my new Mashable column.

 

Debunking Age-Old Millennial Stereotypes

According to the Pew Research Center and the U.S. Census Bureau, in mid-2015, the millennial generation (comprising those born from 1980 to 1995) became the largest cohort in the workforce.

By now, millennials have been in the professional world since the early 00s. The oldest ones turn 36 this year and have progressed substantially in their careers. A 2014 Deloitte millennial leadership study illustrated that due to demographic shifts, the millennials are entering leadership positions an average of 10 years earlier than prior generations. In fact, at the time of the study, half of all global millennial respondents self-identified as leaders, meaning they had decision-making authority and direct reports.

Although millennials have had sufficient time to prove themselves, negative stereotypes persist. And if organizations want to grow and support multi-generational teams, we must dispose of these myths and treat millennials as smart, innovative and conscientious individuals who are dedicated to changing business for the better.

Stereotype #1: They’re entitled.

One of the most frustrating misconceptions of all is that millennials are lazy and expect to be handed a career without paying their dues. In a 2015 article, the New York Post cited a recent study finding that 71 percent of American adults consider millennials selfish, and 65 percent find them entitled.

“Millennials seem to have helped themselves to an extra portion at the entitlement buffet (which is all-you-can-eat, obviously, because it’s their right),” wrote Post columnist Mackenzie Dawson.

The truth is that millennials are eager to work hard, as long as they are empowered to do so efficiently and on their own terms. They may eschew bureaucracy and the status quo, but a 2014 Bentley Universityfound that 77 percent of millennials believe flexible hours are the key to better productivity and 89 percent regularly check work email outside normal work hours.

“I recognize that hard work will get me far in my career, but I understand the importance of balance and moderation that will lead to a happy life,” said millennial writer Erin Heilman in a recent op-ed for the Baltimore Sun.

Stereotype #2: They lack critical skills.

Many supervisors believe that the lack of basic skills is killing America’s young professionals. “The more I interact with millennials -- whether I'm interviewing them, overseeing internships or giving speeches to rooms of them -- the more I see it.  It's an entire generation that doesn't know how to communicate,” proclaimed theSilent Partner Marketing blog.

“Little emperor syndrome is one of the primary reasons millennials lack soft skills. Adults have catered to their needs their entire lives,” explained Heather Anderson in the Credit Union Times Magazine. Nobody locked them out of the house and forced them to entertain themselves, building imagination, curiosity and trial-by-error decision making skills.”

But, according to 2015 research conducted by DeVry University’sCareer Advisory Board, the skills gap for entry and junior-level professionals is narrowing. Hiring managers are increasingly finding desirable skills like flexibility, business acumen, problem-solving and communication skills in millennial candidates.

Millennials also bring innovation expertise, which is critical for organizations to remain competitive in the 21st century business world.  And, as businesses rely more and more on technology, millennial digital natives help companies navigate the space.

For the rest of this article, a collaboration between Yarden Tadmor of SwitchApp and myself, head over to Entrepreneur.com.

 

How to Prepare for a Career While You're in College

n a research study this year, IBM set out to uncover what’s wrong with higher education. In collaboration with the Economist Intelligence Unit, the IBM Institute for Business Value surveyed more than 900 academic industry leaders from private and public colleges and universities, vocational programs, community colleges, education service providers and corporations throughout the world.

The survey revealed concerns regarding the higher education system’s abilities to address consumer requirements. Less than half of respondents believe the system meets the needs of students (49 percent), industry (41 percent) and society (47 percent).

Why? As job preparedness studies indicate, the very skills needed for workforce success are the same skills exiting students often lack, including analysis and problem-solving; collaboration and team work; business-context communication; and flexibility, agility and adaptability. IBM reported that 70 percent of corporate recruiters experience challenges finding college-aged applicants with sufficient practical experience.

In terms of economic value, only 51 percent of industry and academic leaders believe higher education is providing value for money, and just 49 percent view it as contributing to economic growth and competitiveness.

Nevertheless, the institution of higher education isn’t going away, and it is unlikely to be significantly reformed any time soon. For this reason, it’s up to students to determine how to best use educational resources so they are fully prepared for the work world upon graduation.

Take advantage of experience-based learning. Put away your textbooks and look for real-world learning experiences like internships and apprenticeships that will allow you to practice the skills you’ve heard about in the classroom. Select professors and courses that practice “flip” teaching, where students learn basic content outside class and do homework and problem-solve in class. Work with mentors to establish metrics that objectively evaluate the impact of these programs on your skill acquisition.

Partner with potential employers. Develop relationships with corporate recruiters early in your university tenure. Inquire about on-site shadowing and job opportunities and get their input on the course work and concentrations that will be most helpful in securing and thriving in an entry-level role in their organizations. Understand their needs and acquire the right combination of skills to properly address those needs. Study their businesses and note how, where and why they’re successful and unsuccessful.

For the rest of my tips, check out the full article at U.S. News and World Report.

Bridge the Soft Skills Gap in Your Young Professionals

Why don’t young professionals today hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to their attitude, work habits, and people skills? In his new book, Bridging the Soft Skills Gap, my friend and colleague Bruce Tulgan explores these five reasons:

Pretend Adulthood

Most entry-level professionals are coming to you straight from school. If they have the most in-demand technical skills, then they are probably coming from college or university; maybe graduate school. That means they’ve probably become quite accustomed to a very luxurious form of pretend adulthood. Of course, there is substantial coursework. Still, they have very little supervision and a great deal of latitude in all manner of their personal habits and conduct. They are accustomed to staying out late hanging with their friends and skipping morning meetings.

Helicopter Parents

Even after they arrive in the workplace, new college grads are still only a phone call or text away from their parents.  Even worse, maybe they are on their own now, for the first time, after being reared by parents who did all the work for them of closely scheduling, managing, and supporting their every move. With their parents doing so much of the work, many young professionals never mastered the basics of taking care of themselves.

High Expectations

The customization of everything has entrenched in young professionals a fundamental expectation that individual accommodation is the norm.  And surely too many people told them each and all, way too often, “You are a special case.” Their basic assumption is that they should be able to just “be themselves” and “express” their true identity at work, even if that might include stuff like failing to follow through on a day when they are “just not feeling it.”

Unpracticed Interpersonal Skills

Communication practices are habits, and most young professionals are in the habit of remote informal staccato and relatively low-stakes interpersonal communication because of their constant use of hand-held devices and social media and instant messaging. They stare at their devices too much, send too many texts, and are becoming increasingly less articulate because they have so little practice having real conversations.

Professionalism Vs Individualism

Much of what older, more experienced people might see as matters of professionalism—attitude, self-presentation, schedule, and interpersonal communication—new college grads are likely to consider highly personal matters of individual style or preference and really none of their employer’s business.

Want to learn how to cope with these young professional characteristics more effectively? Check out Bruce’s book for practical answers and advice for better preparing your young professionals for success.

Admins Face More Stress Than Ever: Are You Showing Your Appreciation?

Now that Administrative Professionals Week has come to a close, I wanted to reflect on my admin-related experiences over the years.

Fresh out of college, I was the admin. I answered the front desk phone at my PR agency, processed my boss’ expenses, and set up meeting logistics in addition to my account management responsibilities. I will never forget the day I hopped in a cab and drove from New York City to Raleigh, NC because a client needed a contract with a wet signature and the mail wouldn’t get it there on time.

As my career grew, I was fortunate to share an admin with my team. This woman worked long hours behind the scenes to ensure that we could all do our jobs effectively. I was always low on the totem pole in the admin’s eyes, so I went out of my way to express gratitude and engender her goodwill. She once told me she wished I was the boss, and the comment made my day.

Another admin with whom I worked had the most prestigious role in the whole organization besides her boss, the CEO. She was frustrated with her life of alternating mindless and firefighting tasks, so I said: “You do realize you have the ear of the CEO, and that makes your opinion more valuable than anyone else’s.” She hadn’t thought about it that way, but it was true.

Admins Continue to Juggle Mightily

 For the last four years, Staples has issued an online survey in honor of Administrative Professionals’ Day in April. This year’s results, which featured responses from both admins and non-admins, highlight the growing workload of administrative assistants across the United States and Canada. More than half of admins support more staff than the previous year, and many admins are taking on responsibilities above and beyond their job descriptions, including budget and payroll (46.7 percent), human resources (43.9 percent), and social media (23.1 percent).

Admins were rated as better creative problem solvers (57.4 vs. 42.5 percent) and more tech-savvy (43.4 vs. 29 percent) than their bosses. Respondents also said admins have a better sense of humor (58.7 vs. 46.1 percent), are better team players (61.5 vs. 44.4 percent), and are more likely to be described as a friend (44.3 vs. 29.4 percent) than the boss. And in an era when most change jobs every few years, admins are loyal. Close to half (45.6 percent) have been with their current company for six or more years.

Support for Admins Takes Over Social Media

I joined with Staples to co-host #CelebrateAdmins, a Twitter chat to voice support for admins who give so much and yet don’t always receive the appreciation they deserve. It was touching to see admins band together to empower one another, and also managers posting photos and raising virtual toasts to their right-hand men and women. Here are some highlights from the discussion:

Brian Moran ‏@brianmoran 

A successful small business is only as good as their support staff. It's that simple. #CelebrateAdmins

Kelly Olsakovsky ‏@KellyOlsakovsky 

Got a "thank you" from two of my bosses - who needs flowers when they take the time to express gratitude? #CelebrateAdmins

Alexandra Levit ‏@alevit 

Humor is essential for A) keeping the mood light, and B) diffusing tension. Admins are the masters at both! #CelebrateAdmins

Vanessa King ‏@manhattancanuck 

Occasionally you just have to shrug your shoulders... there are only so many mountains you can move in one day. #CelebrateAdmins

JC ‏@whirlsy 

Virtual assistants work for smaller tasks like reminders for meetings, quick access to phone #'s & emails. #CelebrateAdmins

Carrie Maslen ‏@carriemaslen 

Some tasks could be done virtually, but others need a personal touch, human intuition and decision making. #CelebrateAdmins

Rebecca H. G. ‏@rhoneygee 

It's hard to find a job where you can stay 35 years anymore. #CelebrateAdmins

Laura ‏@charmedpaper 

You (admins) have so many things going on at once that it is imperative to be organized. .#CelebrateAdmins

Mr techy ‏@PoppaTechy  

(You must show) empathy for employees, compassion, understanding and professionalism at all times! #CelebrateAdmins

D&k ‏@dad1111 

My boss wasn't a team player but I made him look like one ;) #CelebrateAdmins

 

 

 

 

 

Why Companies Can't Keep Millennials

China Gorman, a consultant who helps organizations connect HR operations to the bottom line, gave a presentation not long ago that shocked everyone in the room. She had cited a statistic from the Aberdeen Group’s Strategic Talent Acquisition Report.

Millennial employees go into new jobs expecting to stay at least 5 years, and yet they depart after an average of 1.5 years. The 1.5 years stat surprises no one, I’m sure. After all, everyone knows that Millennials are the most disloyal employees out there. They are known to use their free-wheeling twenties and thirties to pop in and out of organizations all over the place. Before you even have the chance to get a nameplate on their cubicle, they’re gone.

It was the first part of the Aberdeen stat that had us all aghast. Apparently, Millennials like and anticipate stability more than we thought. They look forward to staying at a company long enough to make their mark, develop professionally, and move up. So what’s going wrong between that initial acceptance of the job offer and the resignation that comes far sooner than anyone planned? Allow me to speculate on some potential causes.

Their expectations are too high

A Millennial goes into a new job – particularly a first job after college – believing it will be the be all, end all of career satisfaction. They will wow the higher-ups, save the company if not the world, and achieve stardom in a single bound. Unfortunately, this is not exactly how it works out, and they are gravely disappointed.

Companies have great branding

In the recruiting world, there has been a major emphasis on employer branding as of late. Organizations are pouring lots of effort and resources into showcasing why they are the best places to work. The only trouble is, often the reality doesn’t live up to the hype. Millennials jump ship because what the career experience they’re getting is vastly inferior to the experience they were promised.

For more reasons, check out the full post at Intuit's Fast Track blog.