Intelligent.com, a platform dedicated to helping young professionals navigate the future of work, has released findings from a December 2024 survey examining hiring managers’ attitudes toward recent college graduates. The survey of 1,000 US hiring managers involved in entry-level recruitment reveals significant skepticism about recent grads’ readiness for the workforce, with 1 in 8 managers planning to avoid hiring them in 2025.
According to the survey, 24 per cent of hiring managers believe recent college graduates are unprepared for the workforce, while 33 per cent cite a lack of work ethic, and 29 per cent view them as entitled. Additionally, 27 per cent feel recent graduates are easily offended, and 25 per cent say they don’t respond well to feedback.
Interviews present additional challenges, with 24 per cent of managers finding recent graduates unprepared for the process. Nearly half say candidates struggle with eye contact, 42 per cent observe inappropriate dress, and 38 per cent find compensation expectations unreasonable. Alarmingly, 8 per cent of hiring managers have encountered candidates bringing a parent to an interview.
“Instead of avoiding recent college grads entirely based on biases and stereotypes, hiring managers need to adopt more proactive and nuanced approaches to identifying promising candidates,” says Huy Nguyen, Chief Education and Career Development Advisor at Intelligent.com. “By using behavioural interview techniques, managers can gain deeper insights into candidates’ potential, focusing on their motivation, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities.”
In 2024, 55 per cent of hiring managers participated in decisions to fire recent college graduates, further highlighting concerns about this demographic’s performance and fit in the workplace.
This online poll was commissioned by Intelligent.com and conducted on Pollfish in December 2024. To view the complete report, please visit: https://www.intelligent.com/1-in-4-hiring-managers-say-recent-grads-are-unprepared-for-the-workforce-many-plan-to-avoid-hiring-them-in-2025/
