Nikki Stern's recent blog about stressed undergrads prompted me to think about why there are so many jobless college graduates. My wife was traveling in Massachusetts last week, and she spent some time with our former next-door neighbor, a human resources executive.
As I wife related her conversation with our neighbor, talk turned to the current unemployment situation. Our neighbor, I'll call her Alice, went out of her way to talk about how companies are now just starting to hire again. It seems that these companies are focusing on hiring more mature employees. By more mature, she meant applicants that were over 30 years old.
Alice said that companies are shying away from hiring recent college graduates. Part of the reason has to do with how they behave. Older applicants, Alice said, are more likely to work independently, require less handholding, have critical thinking skills, and are more focused on the success of the team, versus their own success.
My wife and I were somewhat taken aback by this analysis. We both thought that younger hires would prove less expensive to hiring companies. You could pay them less, benefits costs would be less, and there would be more of them.
Alice went on to say that older workers are more collegial, more focused, look at the long-term, and are more likely to remain with the firm when faced with adversity.
She said that younger workers lack social skills, self-awareness, and require unnecessary and expensive supervision. She said hiring older workers is an industry trend.
Anyone who is a job applicant in this day and age needs to be aware of what's happening in HR departments and businesses that are hiring. This information can be useful to both younger workers who are trying to find jobs, and older workers who have been looking for a job for a long time.
In the age of helicopter parents, it seems that the pigeons have come home to roost, figuratively and literally.
While hiring may be on the rise, there are still millions of people looking for work.
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Comments
I think around here at least, it seems, that companies are hiring younger folks ala just recent college grads and skipping over old farts like me as I guess, like an old dog or cat, I'm set in my ways, can't be molded to what Ho Beans Inc. believes is the perfect worker whereas 22 year old Jimmy or Mary can be.
I WILL FORM TO THE PERFECT MOLD, I PROMISE, JUST HIRE ME!!
Boohoohoo!! :D
r
It's a pretty sad world we live in now.
Rated with hugs
That said, you can't blame the kids. It's what they're taught (or not taught) in school - my kids aren't taught writing anymore and there is no emphasis on grammar or spelling or diction - even their teachers sometimes make mistakes in their comments! - they see their parents getting canned after years of service and not being able to get a job, and society as a whole is kind of sloppy and has low standards. I see older adults in Wal-Mart in p.j. s and flip flops. Not an answer, just my observations.
When she was hired as a seasonal worker just barely a year ago, it wasn't 3 months until she got a full time regular position with good benefits and now she moves up. Her bosses are just so happy with her they called her "a keeper" in front of everyone on her first day in the newest position. After the stories I have heard about some of her cohorts, she and a couple of more her age have really earned their jobs because they are the few younger people who have listened to their parents which is validating. Of course, some are appalled by classmates and others their age who set the best bad examples.
For me, this helps if I choose to go back to working for someone else but I doubt it. I ran into so much hell when I left a graduate position at an Ivy League school where I was guaranteed a lucrative job upon a one year additional training at their hospital t/''''''''''''''';'/
My 23 year old daughter has worked for her employer for exactly one year and began as seasonal but within 3 months was hired permanent, full time with great benefits while still attending college. Now, she just began working in a different department which is a step up and by the second day, they are complimenting her. While she thanks us for instilling manners and a strong work ethic in her, she is naturally hard working. Plus, many of her former HS classmates were great bad examples as well as some in college. Combine this with many young people (and their parents, my generation) out there who have such a sense of entitlement that it is no wonder age may be less of an issue now that quality is possibly being seen for the important factor that it is rather than just being cheap.
I even ran into age discrimination in a graduate program (in the south) although did not have this problem in northern California. So, after 5 years of being openly insulted about age and leaving my "hometown" in the south to go to prestigious colleges in California, I started my own business and wish I had done so years ago.
Right now, it isn't enough to pay all of the bills but we also have a freezer and pantry full of good food and a refrigerator full of homegrown eggs in addition to a lengthening waiting list for our produce and eggs. We are growing in a not so good economy. But then, every food recall sends business my way (having been a former health inspector, this is not surprising).
I just hope that all of the people out there, deserving of a job and regardless of age, are able to find one or find a way to become a successful entrepreneur. But, when I taught chemistry in high school (a definite place where younger is better, forget about experience both teaching and non-teaching), I found, each year, that the vast majority of kids not only were not going to be truly ready for college but clearly not ready for a job where they had to be responsible much less qualified. About 40% of the kids will succeed but that 60% will end up in fast food or working for that other 40%. Glad to see some employers looking beyond the bottom line and age.
Stereotypes are certainly not accurate for everyone, however, I've noticed an increasing trend towards poor skills and slacker work ethic over the years. I'm always delighted to see exceptions to this. In too many situations, the good workers are the exceptions, unfortunately.
Years ago, I didn't really see age discrimination until someone was 55-60+ or looked old. That dividing has been steadily creeping downward.
I wonder if this trend could trickle up to benefit those of us over 45 who have both good skills and a solid work ethic. Now that could be good for the productivity of our economy.
tink -- I hope you find something soon, my friend.
ocular -- I don't know if this is a trend, but I do know this is what Alice hears from peers at other companies.
just thinking -- I was.
kate -- I don't have enough data to form any conclusions
Linda -- I don't know much about that.
Susan -- I know.
Stacey -- I think these behaviors come out in the interviewing process.
Matt -- You think?
Margaret -- I think it has to do with parenting.
Dave -- You are correct in saying there a still too few jobs. My friend indicated that employers are placing more mature individuals in the opening that do exist.
Exto -- You raised a good kid and she has good parenting.
I'm kinda surprised, too. I wonder if the current economy has proven the cost efficiency of hiring older workers. That the extra pay/benefits is a cheaper route to take in exchange for not having to do as much training or replacing young job hoppers. Or putting up with the 20-something's parents always calling and complaining that you aren't treating junior as the special person he always has been (damn it, I was trying really hard not to go snarky on the young).
From my perspective this is both good and bad. It gets BS-EVS (Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science) students work experience related to their field but I'm winding up spending more time on each job the first few times that I take them with me simply because of lack of experience. Of probably more import to me though is that I can, according to my boss, "poison more minds to think outside the box" when I volunteer to take on the students. Overall though, I must admit that I am loving working with the students and I am likely learning as much from them as they are from me.
I have only had to have one discussion about using complete sentences when they write something, on the other hand I have had to have four conversations about appropriate attire and set one to work on his penmanship (which currently leaves a LOT to be desired) so that I can read his notes.
As for the pigeons coming home to roost, a friend of mine says it's easy to get the kids out of the house -- it's the getting them out of your pocket that's the problem.
So does Alice have a position for a mature male who can work independently, requires less handholding, has critical thinking skills, and is more focused on the success of the team, versus his own success? If so, I'm available to start immediately AND I'll work cheap.