Employers report that a large portion of recent college graduates are struggling in the workplace. Managers are dealing with poor work ethic, lack of taking personal responsibility, and poor communication skills – both verbal and written.

What can employers do?

It would be nice if recent college graduates and other job applicants came through the door with better skills, but that is a problem that is not likely to get resolved any time soon. Small startups are nimble and can afford to cater to the needs and preferences of younger workers, but the fact is that most of these people will end up working for established businesses – both large and small – that already have a management structure and expectations for worker attitudes and behaviors.

The fact is that by the time a company hires a new employee, it has already made an investment in that person. And that investment will continue to grow until the time that the employee either becomes a fully contributing part of the organization, or leaves the job (at which point that investment is lost forever). Companies must work to help the new hires make the transition to full time employment, and to protect their investment by making sure that they retain productive workers.

Unfortunately, this requires more than just a quick orientation tour of the plant and giving them a copy of the employee handbook. Most of these young employees have the problems with impatience, poor work ethic, and lack of communications skills because no one has ever taken the time to tell them that these are important.

How can we help these young workers hang on to their jobs and become successful and valued parts of their companies?

A three step approach

In “Hard Truths about Soft Skills,” Alfred Poor draws on the results from a broad range of research and studies, looking at the current situation from the point of view of college staff, employers, and recent graduates themselves. He then lays a foundation that explains some of the reasons why the current generation of college students are fundamentally different from those of 10 or 20 years ago. He then helps HR staff and managers apply this new understanding to develop practical strategies for working with their young employees. He shows how you can reinforce the skills and behaviors that their managers expect and that will bring satisfaction and success in their jobs.

How to use this program

Alfred Poor can present this program in different formats to meet your specific needs. It works well as a keynote or breakout presentation for HR and management development events or professional association conferences and meetings. It also can be presented as an interactive workshop if more time is available, where participants will get reference materials and the opportunity to develop their own company-wide strategies to address these issues.

 

To book “Hard Truths about Soft Skills” or to get additional information, contact Alfred Poor now:

Contact Alfred Poor