Polling indicates one in eight recruiters refuse to hire ‘unprepared for workforce’ college graduates in 2025
When it comes to hiring entry-level employees, a new national survey of managers in charge of recruiting for their companies offers insights about recently graduated Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) candidates. All clinical laboratories and pathology groups regularly have the opportunity to hire new college graduates. Thus, these valuable findings may help inform clinical laboratory recruitment and retention practices.
Seattle-based Intelligent.com used the market research platform Pollfish to conduct the survey in December 2024 to learn if perceptions of Gen Z workers were true.
“In recent years, a narrative has emerged that Gen Zers aren’t excelling in the workforce due to poor attitudes and work ethic,” said Intelligent.com in a news release.
The company surveyed 1,000 hiring managers on their attitudes about where new college graduates stand in getting hired. The researchers found that one in eight recruiters said they will avoid hiring recent college graduates in 2025. And 55% said they participated in a company decision to terminate a recent college graduate in 2024.
As a Fortune notes, “the class of 2024’s shortcomings will impact future grads.”
An earlier poll conducted by Intelligent.com in September found that three out of four companies surveyed had difficulties with newly hired graduates.
“Among these companies, only 25% state that all recent college graduate hires worked out well, while 62% mention that only some were successful. Further, 14% report that only a few or none of the hires were successful,” Intelligent.com reported.
“Many recent college graduates may struggle with entering the workforce for the first time as it can be a huge contrast from what they are used to throughout their education journey. They are often unprepared for a less structured environment, workplace cultural dynamics, and the expectation of autonomous work,” said Huy Nguyen (above), chief education and career development advisor at Intelligent.com, in a news release. Clinical laboratories and pathology groups may be experiencing similar circumstances with their own Gen Z workers. (Photo copyright: LinkedIn.)
Recent Graduates Lack ‘Work Ethic’
Here are more findings from the Intelligent.com survey of hiring managers. According to the survey:
- 33% of hiring managers said, “recent graduates lack work ethic.”
- 24% said new grads are “unprepared for the workforce.”
- 25% reported recent grads are “unprepared for interviews” and that they “struggle with eye contact, professional appearance, and salary negotiations.”
- 29% described new grads as “entitled.”
- 28% said the job candidates “lack motivation.”
- 27% found new graduates could be “easily offended.”
- 25% said new grads had trouble with feedback and 23% said they had trouble with punctuality.
- 20% said new graduates need to be “micromanaged.”
- 20% of hiring managers said recent grads have “poor communication skills,” while 17% cited “laziness” as a problem with recent graduates.
Nevertheless, companies have entry-level positions to fill in 2025, according to 97% of the hiring managers. Twelve percent of those surveyed told Intelligent.com they planned to “prioritize hiring older candidates” instead of the college grads.
For their part, according to Fortune, colleges “know their students are wholly unprepared for the workforce” and are trying to help them. For example, Michigan State University teaches students conversation-building skills including knowing when “the other party is starting to get bored,” Fortune reported.
Intelligent.com urged hiring managers to step-up interviewing techniques that better reveal a job candidate’s true potential.
“Instead of avoiding recent college grads based on biases and stereotypes, hiring managers need to identify individuals with demonstrated motivation, adaptability, and growth potential. Skills can be taught to those with the right attitude,” said Huy Nguyen, chief education and career development advisor at Intelligent.com, said in a news release.
Companies Shy on Hiring Recent College Grads
Nguyen suggests hiring managers approach newly graduated job candidates with empathy.
“Although they may have some theoretical knowledge from college, they often lack the practical, real-world experience and soft skills required to succeed in the work environment. These factors, combined with the expectations of seasoned workers, can create challenges for both recent grads and the companies they work for,” he said.
“It can be easy for managers to buy into typical stereotypes of Gen Z and dismiss them entirely; however, companies have an equal responsibility to prepare recent graduates for their particular workplace and give them the best chance to succeed. By understanding the challenges of Gen Z workers, companies can take a more proactive approach by implementing formal employee onboarding programs that clearly outline company culture and expectations. Paring recent grads with mentors in the company can also pay huge dividends as that can provide Gen Z workers with the guidance, feedback, and support for them to succeed,” he advised.
Recruitment is costly. Clinical laboratory hiring managers can learn from the Intelligent.com survey findings. Those who develop a deeper understanding of Gen Z job candidates’ expectations and capabilities straight out of college stand a better chance of hiring personnel who will establish a positive, long-term working relationships with the lab.
—Donna Marie Pocius
Related Information:
Bosses Are Firing Gen Z Grads Just Months after Hiring Them; Here’s What They Say Needs to Change
One in Six Companies Are Hesitant to Hire Recent College Graduates