Key points:
- Limited experience could influence workforce preferences of recent grads
- Many employers say they won’t hire Gen Z grads
- Young adults want more workforce training
- For more news on workforce readiness, visit eCN’s Teaching & Learning hub
Twenty percent of recent college graduates say they would like to be micromanaged by their supervisors, according to a new survey from Intelligent.com.
The surprising finding challenges conventional wisdom indicating that young professionals prefer autonomy and independence in their roles. Instead, these graduates are seeking more structured oversight as they transition into the workforce.
In August 2024, Intelligent.com surveyed 600 recent college graduates across the United States to better understand their attitudes and expectations toward management styles in their new workplaces.
“The large percentage of recent grads who prefer to be micromanaged could be a result of several factors,” says Huy Nguyen, chief education and career development advisor at Intelligent. “It’s likely that many had limited real-world work experience while they were attending school, so they do not have the familiarity or confidence to transition to a more autonomous environment.”
Other key findings from the survey include:
- 4 in 10 recent grads check in with their manager 4+ times per day
- 4 in 10 feel anxious most workdays
- 40 percent expect their managers to be available 24/7
- 9 in 10 want to work in-person vs. remotely
The findings fall in line with other surveys noting that recent grads are unhappy with their workforce preparedness.
Nearly two-thirds of surveyed Gen Z workers younger than 24 say they are dissatisfied with how their school or college prepared them for employment, according to a report from CYPHER Learning. The survey explores the career readiness challenges Gen Z workers face in transitioning from education to the workforce.
Sixty-three percent of respondents say they believe they lack the necessary skills to compete in today’s job market, and nearly 80 percent of individuals seriously considered leaving their jobs due to a perceived lack of professional development opportunities, compared to 54 percent of workers aged 45 and older.
What’s more, many employers and business leaders will think twice before hiring recent college graduates, citing entitlement and poor work ethic.
Forty percent of business leaders say recent college graduates are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ unprepared for the workforce. Among this group, 70 percent say recent college graduates lack preparedness due to their ‘work ethic,’ 70 percent say ‘communication skills,’ 71 percent say ‘entitlement,’ and 43 percent say ‘technological skills.’
Additionally, of the same group of respondents, 88 percent say college graduates from the last several years are less prepared for the workforce than in years prior.
The survey investigates how business leaders perceive recent college graduates and shares insight into why recent college graduates may be unprepared for the workforce. Overall, researchers collected and analyzed responses from 1,243 business leaders.
“Actually, nobody is prepared for the workplace,” says Professor of Strategic Communication at Ithaca College and Principal of Gayeski Analytics Diane Gayeski, Ph.D. “It’s changed dramatically because the digital transformation and hybrid workforce trends that began a decade ago accelerated during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and both methods and attitudes towards work are now vastly different.”
Material from a press release was used in this report.
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