In the article “Reopening an Employment Door to the Young,” by ROBERT W. GOLDFARB, he discusses the importance of hiring young people. Most hiring managers hire workers based on their credentials and their intuition about the worker. According to GoldFarb: “more young people would be hired if they had the right qualifications, but too few have the skill and discipline needed to succeed in today’s demanding workplace.” In other words, employers judge young people without even giving them a chance. They base their decisions on the belief that they are young and are incapable of handling responsibility and duties.
Furthermore, Goldfarb interviewed over 200 people and he found that about half of the young people had received a liberal arts degree. However, many of them regretted majoring in a discipline now viewed as unworkable or impractical like philosophy. In addition, many liberal arts graduates are eager to find an employer that is willing to train them in skills that don’t require a degree in engineering or computer science according to Goldfarb. Many just want a chance to work and master a skill for the betterment of the company. However, most employers today hire workers who come with technical skills already. Due to this, the young people are put at a disadvantage because they are now competing against their peers and experienced worker for entry level jobs.
Lastly, employers need to rethink about the ways they go about hiring workers. They shouldn’t hire workers based on their credentials, instead, they should seek to hire people who are determined, energetic, and eager to learn new things. These are some of the qualities that young people inherit and are looking for employers to take a chance with them. According to Goldfarb: “ And businesses that gain a reputation for preparing young people to become productive employees are likely to have a competitive advantage as the economy recovers and older workers can afford to retire.” The clock is running out as the baby boomer now reach their retirement age, and employers need to rethink who is going to carry on the future of the company.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/jobs/reopening-an-employment-door-to-the-young.html?ref=economy&_r=0
It is disappointing to hear young people are not being hired because they do not possess specific skills. This is potentially bad for new graduates. Employers are looking to hire workers that already have experience; which is something you do not have, until you have worked. You need experience to get a job, but you need the job to get experience. This makes it difficult for those who are new to the labor force find work. This is why employers should focus on using college degrees as a signal. By doing so, employers can see the potential that young people possess. College degrees signal the ability to learn, work in groups, complete tasks, and more. Signaling gives young people the chance to join the field they want to. Employers should have the responsibility of giving new employees the training they need to become successful. The government should not be required to provide this service.
ReplyDeleteI found it surprising that employers want to higher experienced over recent graduates because of training. I understand training is a big cost for corporations but i feel that in the long run if they train someone with no prior work experience it would be more likely to help the company succeed because they teach them how they want it done exactly. Also in the long run the well trained employee can train new people cutting training cost by a little.
ReplyDelete