Table of Contents
You’re conducting a virtual job interview and the person cannot be bothered to turn on their camera. A potential entry-level hire can’t maintain eye contact during your conversation. You receive an email from a candidate with a request for unreasonable compensation based on the role and the person’s experience.
Sound familiar?
You may have had a similar experience. According to a survey by Intelligent.com, many employers say they’re finding themselves with job candidates presenting themselves in this way.
Nearly four in 10 employers report avoiding hiring recent college grads, and more than half say recent college grads are unprepared for the workforce. Additionally, employers are taking steps to avoid hiring recent college graduates in favor of older employees. In fact, 60% of employers say they’re willing to increase benefits for older employees, and nearly 60% say they’re willing to pay higher salaries to older employees.
Another ResumeBuilder study found that nearly every hiring manager surveyed (94%) reported having a Gen Z candidate act inappropriately during an interview. Examples included asking for too much money, lacking communication skills, seeming disengaged, dressing inappropriately, and lacking eye contact.
So, what’s the reason for these issues?
It all comes down to a lack of soft skills, making recent grads seemingly less desirable to hire. However, as frustrating as these experiences may be to employers, it is important to keep in mind the circumstances (sometimes unforeseen) that landed us here in the first place.
Making up for lost time
Gen Z has not had an easy time gaining critical life experiences. This generation experienced a global pandemic during some of the most formative years of their lives. Many students arriving on college and university campuses today have never had a first job. However, while students face a learning curve, it’s important not to stereotype the entire generation.
Colleges and universities need to continue to support students and provide them opportunities to sharpen soft skills to help them be successful in the classroom and beyond.
Are your students prepared to enter to the workforce?
Soft skills defined
Soft skills are personal traits that enable someone to interact effectively with others. It’s something you learn from experience – on the job or engaging in co-curricular or high-impact practices.
In a study by Deloitte Insights, 92% of companies reported that human capabilities or soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills in today’s workplace.
Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, and adaptability are all examples of soft skills that make a candidate competitive.
A specialized degree or technical experience isn’t enough in today’s rapidly evolving job market. Employers want well-rounded people who can navigate the complexities of modern workplaces. For college students, mastering soft skills is as critical as academic achievements.
Communication is key
Communication is the number one skill employees need for workplace success. The ability to convey information clearly and effectively through verbal, written, and non-verbal means is critical.
Chief People Officer at TimelyCare Jacki Craft said that, with remote workplace settings becoming more common, knowing how to engage effectively with others is paramount. This includes public speaking and the ability to provide and receive feedback.
Engagement
When employees are genuinely engaged in the workplace, they are more likely to be productive, invested in their tasks, collaborate effectively with colleagues, and contribute innovative ideas, ultimately fostering a dynamic and positive workplace environment.
Engaged employees are also more resilient, adaptable, and capable of navigating challenges. These are essential traits for employees in today’s rapidly changing work landscape.
Part of engagement also includes good listening skills. In a world full of technology-fueled distractions – whether it’s a news alert or Slack notification – our attention can easily be divided among various tasks. It’s vital to master how to turn off the digital noise and actively be engaged and listening during meetings.
“Not just listening to respond, but truly listening to someone and what they’re saying and then responding is an important skill,” Craft said.
Growth mindset
Curiosity is key in the workplace.
“Always ask questions and always be willing to learn,” Craft said. “A growth mindset isn’t common among professionals early in their career, but it’s important because things move quickly now. It’s a valuable skill to learn and ask questions for a better understanding.”
Embracing a growth mindset helps employees overcome challenges, view failures as learning opportunities, and remain resilient in the face of setbacks. Having a positive outlook on your growth in the professional world encourages adaptability, enhances problem-solving, and ultimately helps young professionals build up their confidence to succeed and grow beyond entry-level positions.
Emotional intelligence
Displaying emotional intelligence means having the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions through empathy and self-awareness. It is a crucial skill for maintaining mental well-being and building healthy relationships in the workplace and beyond.
Employees must be intentional and continue to sharpen their skills to understand how actions impact them and those around them in the workforce.
An ever-evolving skill set
The soft skills essential for the workforce are ever-evolving. What would’ve been necessary five years ago differs from today, and the evolution will continue as technology advances.
AI proficiency will be top-of-mind as an emerging soft skill that employers will increasingly value. Developing best practices for AI usage is crucial, and to remain competitive in the job market, students will need support to help them demonstrate their experience and effective use of AI.
Additionally, technological adaptability is vital. Employers already seek familiarity with various types of software, and this demand will grow. The ability to quickly navigate new technologies is a non-negotiable in today’s fast-paced environment. Technological adaptability will become a cornerstone skill, reflecting a person’s capacity to stay current and efficient amid continuous innovation.
Integrating soft skills into curriculum and student support services
In my experience supporting student success at an institution of higher education, I saw how students needed help to develop their soft skills – and the gaps where more resources were needed.
Get involved early
We emphasized the importance of soft skills across various student experiences. Administrators can significantly impact students by encouraging involvement in student organizations, like serving as RAs, or taking campus jobs. Even tasks like swiping students into the Rec Center require good communication skills.
Supervisors can help students reflect on and develop these skills, showing them how to apply what they learn to future jobs or classes. Faculty and staff should encourage students to highlight these experiences on their resumes, demonstrating the value of teamwork and leadership gained from projects and courses. This approach ensures students understand soft skills’ relevance and real-world application.
Real-world application
At our student success center, we faced a challenge that perfectly illustrates the importance of practical experience in teaching students the importance of developing their soft skills.
Our student success center needed a more streamlined way to check in students and answer calls that came into our center. What if we created a student-run kiosk and put it in the middle of our student success center? Fully student-run, this project offered students a unique opportunity to build their skill sets by learning to engage with faculty, parents, and peers, manage phone calls, and navigate tasks simultaneously.
While the idea initially met plenty of resistance, we implemented the student-run kiosk after two years, and it worked like a charm. Although challenging at first, the experience was invaluable. The students developed crucial communication skills and learned to juggle multiple responsibilities. The feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive, with many acknowledging how much they learned and grew from the experience.
Reflect on experiences
Students sometimes have more experience exercising their soft skills than they realize. Whether through internship opportunities, participation in sports, classroom engagement, or volunteer work, faculty and staff need to help students reflect on and see how their experiences are applicable and teach them how to articulate these on their resumes.
It’s a rewarding experience to see those “lightbulb moments” for students when they realize they’re already on their way to success. Building students’ confidence and empowering them to continue honing their skills will lead them further down the path to academic and professional success.
Build a network of mentors
Another way to help students on their path to success is to help them build a network of support. Access to a mentor to help them grow and develop can be pivotal.
“Find somebody that you can grab a coffee or tea with and have a conversation. Looking back, that’s an area I wish I had developed earlier,” said Craft. “When I was younger, I thought I had all the answers, so I didn’t ask the questions that would have helped me grow faster in my professional career. I didn’t realize the importance of having someone to talk to beyond a team member. Finding someone to trust and lean on also helps you feel like you’re not alone.”
Soft skills are indispensable for college students, influencing their employability, academic performance, personal growth, and ability to build meaningful relationships. As the job market evolves, these skills will become increasingly valuable. By prioritizing the development of soft skills alongside academic achievements, colleges and universities can equip students with the tools necessary for a successful and fulfilling career.
Find out how you can support your student’s success with the help of TimelyCare’s Student Success Coaching. New guides will be available this fall, including guides designed to help students build their soft skills.
