Generations in the Workplace Survey - NOVEMBER 2013 SMRS with the support and co-operation of The Association of Graduate Recruiters and The ...
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Generations in the Workplace Survey
SMRS with the support and co-operation of
The Association of Graduate Recruiters and The Student Room
NOVEMBER 2013Contents - Foreword - Introduction - Main Findings - The Ideal Graduate - The Ideal Manager - Workplace Etiquette - Career Progression - Preferred Form of Communication - Work Ethic - Graduate Employability - Conclusion
Foreword A lost generation or a lost cause generation? As each generation gets shorter, perhaps just ten years such is the pace of technological and social change, the workplace is becoming increasingly multi-generational. Today there are as many as four different generations at large in the work- place – Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z – each with a different set of attitudes, expectations, priorities and behaviours, the product of different experiences when they were growing up. Increasingly multi-generational workplaces make life a challenge for employers, as they endeavour to work around different sets of attitudes, expectations and behaviours. Today’s graduates are creating a particularly significant challenge. It is widely reported by employers the nation over that the way graduates were raised, their experience of the higher education system and the economic climate when they were looking for work has created a generation poorly equipped for the demands and rigours of the workplace. ‘Helicopter parents’ have micro managed their every waking moment, staying in constant contact and literally tracking their every move through their mobile phone. Driven by a strong sense that no one else, least of all the state, could be relied upon to secure their child’s future, helicopter parents managed all the key decisions in their life, from which A-levels to study to which jobs to go for upon leaving university. They accompanied them to open days, filled out their UCAS forms and unpacked their bags on arrival at university. It’s also widely reported that new employment and education regimes have created a generation of graduates with unrealistic expectations of salary and career progression. Failure to secure work for months after graduating coupled with massive student debt have created graduate recruits impatient to see a quick return on their investment and a quick return for all the months of insecurity and stress after they graduated. The average predicted debt on leaving university for UK students is £26,100 for those who started studying in 2011, rising to £53,400 for 2012 entrants. A fifth of students are unemployed six months after graduating. Fourteen universities have unemployment rates above 15 per cent. To understand the true nature and extent of the disconnect between employers and graduates, and if we’re talking ‘lost generation’ or ‘lost cause generation’, SMRS undertook two workplace attitude surveys amongst a sample of graduates and graduate recruiters. Graduate recruiters were in part recruited at July’s Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) event in Newport, South Wales and part recruited via the AGR’s graduate recruiter database. Graduates were part recruit- ed via SMRS’ client database and part recruited via The Student Room. With the workplace constantly changing this is almost certain to be the first stage in an ongoing journey to understand our varied multi-generational workplace.
Introduction There are four different generations operating in the workplace today, each with a different set of attitudes, behaviours and motivators. Baby boomers: Born between 1946 and 1964 Often portrayed as a generation of optimism and opportunity Came of age during a time of rapid social, economic and political changes They value individual choice, community involvement and ownership Their work style is confident, focused on team-building and collaboration Contrary to popular perception, many face a difficult and anxious retirement due to high debts and a rising divorce rate Generation X: Born between 1965 and 1980 Grew up in an era of emerging technology and political crises Spent less time with their parents than previous generations Learnt to be independent from an early age Value autonomy and self-reliance rather than respect for authority Work style is flexible, productive, focused on high quality end results, at ease with authority but not impressed with titles Generation Y: Born between 1981 and 1994 Have grown up in an era of high technology Marketing slogans are part of their language Have been nurtured and protected, used to having every need and want catered for As a result, have high expectations of reward and recognition Value self-expression and self-branding. Fear financial hardship At work, seek a relaxed and flexible work environment, a work-life balance, self-expression and team work Generation Z: Aged 18 and younger Have grown up in an era dominated by the aftermath of 9/11, the recession and increasing reports of school violence Their upbringing has made them resilient, pragmatic and less likely to act impulsively More cautious and security minded than Generation Y Inspired to improve the world They are inquisitive, problem solvers, savvy, prepared for stressful situations, globally aware – all useful attributes in the workplace
With workplaces becoming increasingly diverse, we want to help our clients by flagging up areas of disconnect between employers and graduates and identifying ways to fix it before it escalates into significant conflict. With the support and co-operation of The Association of Graduate Recruiters we carried out two surveys amongst graduates and graduate recruiters. We asked a sample of graduates and a sample of graduate recruiters comparable questions around workplace etiquette, preferred form of communication, career progression, perceptions of the ideal manager and ideal graduate, and work ethic. This has allowed us to get some perspective on the level of disconnect between the generations. The following report details the survey findings and the implications for employers.
Main Findings
The Ideal Graduate
Graduates: “Name the top 3 skills employers look for in a graduate”
Graduate recruiters: “Name the top 3 skills you look for in a graduate”
Graduates Graduate recruiters
(N = 109) (N = 64)
% %
Quick learner 42 13
Team player 39 30
Positive, can-do attitude 39 52
Good communicator 36 48
Self-motivated 32 52
Enthusiastic / Driven 31 25
Open to feedback 27 11
Hardworking 24 24
Academically bright 18 34
Confident / Assertive 11 3
Resilience - 5
Commercial awareness - 3
Leadership potential - 2
Flexibility - 2
Independence - 2
Entrepeneurial / innovative - 4
Solutions orientated - 2
- Graduates significantly under-appreciate the importance of having a positive can-do attitude (39% versus 52%), good
communication skills (36% versus 48%), self-motivation (32% versus 52%) and academic intelligence (18% versus 34%)
- Whilst significantly over-estimating the importance of being a quick-learner (42% versus 13%) and being open to feed-
back (27% versus 11%)
- Other less significant areas of discrepancy are the perceived importance of a team spirit and enthusiasm, with graduates
slightly over-estimating their importance
- However on a positive note, graduates do accurately appreciate the importance of working hard, with one in four gradu-
ates and graduate recruiters citing this as an important attribute; clearly good news for today’s lean employersThe Ideal Manager
Graduates: “Name the top 3 qualities you look for in your ideal manager”
Graduate recruiters: “Name the top 3 qualities in the ideal manager”
Graduates Graduate recruiters
(N = 109) (N = 64)
% %
Provides good learning
46 41
opportunities
Treats everyone fair
46 34
and equally
Treats everyone with
39 45
respect
Efficient decision maker 36 39
Gives plenty of feedback 31 53
Encourages good work
28 6
/ life balance
Good delegator 24 17
Good listener 21 22
Shares information 18 36
Encourages fun 5 5
Good man management 4 -
- Survey evidence shows that graduates are without an accurate grasp of the role of a line manager. While 28% of gradu-
ates think it is the role of their line manager to encourage a good work/life balance only 6% of managers think this
- Almost half of graduates (46%) think their line manager is there to ensure everyone is treated equally but only one in
three managers see this as a vital component of their role (34%)
- One in four graduates (24%) think their line manager is there to provide good delegation but less than one in five employ-
ers (17%) see this as a priority
- At the same time, graduates significantly under appreciate the role of line managers to provide feedback and share
information. More than half of managers (53%) see providing feedback as key to their role but only three in ten graduates
(31%) appreciate this
- Likewise, one in three line managers (36%) see sharing information as a vital component of their role but half as many
graduates (18%) have cottoned on to this
- To be fair, employers do seem conflicted about the importance of giving feedback. While more than half think it’s impor-
tant to give plenty of feedback, only one in ten prioritise an openness to feedback amongst graduates
- Survey evidence suggests there is an urgent need to re-educate graduates about what they can and can’t expect from
their line managers, to avoid disengaging with graduates whose expectations cannot be metWorkplace Etiquette
Strongly agree Slightly agree Slightly disagree Strongly disagree
% % % %
“I should be 11 34 42 13
allowed to use my
personal phone
during work hours”
(N = 109)
“I have no problem 16 52 27 6
with graduates
using their person-
al phone during
work hours”
(N = 64)
- When it comes to using a personal mobile in the workplace employers have a surprisingly relaxed attitude, with 68%
agreeing it is fine for graduates to use their personal phone
- Graduates, probably in anticipation of a negative reaction from employers, were far less likely to agree (45%)
- Whether employers would be as tolerant of personal phones in meetings is another matterCareer Progression
Strongly agree Slightly agree Slightly disagree Strongly disagree
% % % %
“I expect to be in a 8 28 47 17
management role
within two years of
starting work”
(N = 109)
“Graduates can
reasonably expect
17 20 39 23
to be in a manage-
ment role within
two years of
starting work”
(N = 64)
Strongly agree Slightly agree Slightly disagree Strongly disagree
% % % %
“My degree qualifi- 8 20 50 22
cation warrants a
quick promotion”
(N = 109)
“ A degree qualifi-
cation warrants a
17 20 39 23
quick promotion”
(N = 64)
- While our research has uncovered many areas of discrepancy between graduates and graduate recruiters, employers can
take comfort from the fact that graduates do learn to tone down their career aspirations
- One in three graduates (36%) expects to be in a management role within two years of starting work. Employers are
equally inclined to hold this view (37%)
- Most graduates (72%) don’t think they should be promoted just because they have a degree. Employers are even more
inclined to hold this view (91%).Preferred form of communication
“My preferred method of communication in the workplace is...”
Graduates Graduate recruiters
(N = 109) (N = 64)
% %
Face to face 39 40
Email 37 52
Telephone 24 8
Social Networks - 2
Depends on the subject
- 2
matter
- Graduate recruiters have a clear preference for email communication (52%) whilst graduates lean equally towards
face-to-face communication and email communication (39% and 37% respectively)
- It’s already been established that graduate recruiters will benefit from setting clear expectations, particularly around
what makes an ideal graduate and the role of a line manager. But for this to happen, employers need to be prepared to
reach out to graduates in person as well as via emailWork Ethic
Strongly agree Slightly agree Slightly disagree Strongly disagree
% % % %
“I would be 55 19 17 8
prepared to go the
extra mile at work”
(N = 109)
“Graduates are
prepared to go the
30 53 13 5
extra mile at work”
(N = 64)
Strongly agree Slightly agree Slightly disagree Strongly disagree
% % % %
“I would be 9 32 40 20
prepared to work
overtime, unpaid
for my employer”
(N = 109)
“To succeed at
work, graduates
22 50 19 9
need to be
prepared to work
overtime, unpaid”
(N = 64)
- Work ethic and the extent to which graduates are deemed willing to go the extra mile at work is a massive area of
discrepancy between graduates and graduate recruiters
- More than half of all graduates (55%) are confident they would go above and beyond at work. But only 30% of employers
are convinced of graduates’ willingness to go the extra mile
- Furthermore, seven out of ten employers (72%) believe graduates need to be prepared to work overtime without pay but
far fewer graduates (41%) are prepared to do soGraduate employability
Very well equipped Reasonably well Not very well Not at all very well
equipped equipped equipped
% % % %
“I feel equipped for 19 74 6 -
the world of work”
(N = 109)
“Graduates leave
university fully
- 73 25 2
equipped for the
world of work”
(N = 64)
- Consistent with other research, graduates’ perceived employability emerges as another strong bone of contention
between graduates and graduate recruiters
- Nine out of ten graduates (93%) believe themselves to be well equipped for the world of work, with one in five (19%)
believing themselves to be very well equipped.
- Graduate recruiters are far less inclined to agree (73%) and certainly don’t describe graduates as very well equippedGraduates: “If I could change one thing about me to make me better equipped for the world of work it would be...”
Graduate recruiters: ““If I could change one thing about graduates to make them better equipped for the world of work it
would be...”
Graduates Graduate recruiters
N N
More confident/more confi-
dent decision-making/more 31 3
assertive
Better preparation at
school or university/rel- 22 5
evant degree
Nothing/it depends on 10 -
the work
Greater self aware-
ness/more emotional intelli-
7 -
gence/better people skills/-
less serious
More hardwork-
5 3
ing/driven/enthusiastic
Better communication skills 5 -
Better leadership skills 3 4
More open to feed- 3 -
back/ask for help more
More languages 2 -
Better connected/more 2 -
engaged with social media
More organised 2 -
More enterprising/innovative 2 -
More tolerant of others 1 -
More team work 1 1
More resilient 1 3
More flexible/less stubborn 1 3
Better work clothes 1 -
Less patient 1 -
Less of a perfectionist 1 -
More training 1 -Better interview skills 1 -
More effective - 2
Do more company research - 1
Use more common sense - 1
More attention to detail - 1
More accountable - 1
More analytical - 1
Be more prepared to get - 1
their hands dirty
Have a passion for the busi- - 1
ness world
More realistic expectations
- 21
re salary, workload, career
progression
More independent - 7
Greater commercial sense - 5
- That graduates acknowledge there are things about them that need to change will be of some comfort to employers who
are unhappy with graduates’ suitability for the workplace. However, graduates’ perceived shortcomings don’t always
chime with employers’ sought after improvements
- For graduates, more confidence and more experience is considered key to improving their employability (mentioned by 31
and 22 students respectively), followed by a more relevant degree (10 mentions), better people skills (5 mentions) and a
stronger work ethic (also 5 mentions)
- However, for graduate recruiters the key is more realistic expectations regarding salary, workload and career progression
(14 mentions), followed by more proactivity (7 mentions) and greater commercial awareness (5 mentions)
- Graduates and graduate recruiters may not see eye to eye on what the skill gaps are but at least graduates acknowledge
the need to change. It is imperative that employers fully understand graduates’ strengths and put good training and
development programmes in place to address the skill gaps that exist. All the evidence suggests that graduates will
appreciate the learning and development opportunities and feel more personally invested in the organisation as a resultConclusion
Our survey evidence confirms that there are indeed some significant discrepancies in expectations and priorities between
graduates and employers that, unless worked on, have the potential to escalate into areas of serious conflict.
Graduates…
• Significantly under-appreciate the importance of having a positive can-do attitude, good communication skills,
self-motivation and academic intelligence
• Do not have an accurate grasp of the role of a line manager
• Have unrealistic expectations of a good work/life balance
• Are ill-equipped for the world of work
• Are not willing enough for employers’ needs to work overtime without pay
• Need to develop more realistic expectations regarding salary, workload and career progression, be more proactive
and develop greater commercial awareness
But it is not all bad, this is not a story of universal conflict. There are also areas of common ground that employers can
take comfort from.
Graduates …
• Appreciate the need to work hard
• Recognise it’s unrealistic to expect to be promoted to manager level within a couple of years
• Recognise that a degree qualification does not a promotion guarantee
Furthermore, the differences that do exist between the generations are not insurmountable. With greater clarity about
what is valued within the organisation, what defines success and what is expected of graduates in terms of their role and
contribution, and provided graduates are willing to adapt their value systems, we at SMRS firmly believe that the percep-
tion gap between the generations can be managed and serious conflict avoided.
Employers need to be braver in their communications; spelling out what they need and reaching out to graduates in person
as well as via email.
In particular we suggest employers:
• Give a clear and honest depiction of the skills they look for in a graduate
• Ensure they fully understand graduates’ strengths, make sure they draw on those strengths and then put good
training and development programmes in place to plug the skill gaps
• Put training and development programmes in place that are geared towards helping graduates become more
commercially aware and more independent
• Communicate the importance of being willing to work overtime without pay, whilst making the effort to recognise
and reward all the other extra efforts graduates make at work and do all they can to provide a good work/life
balance
• Give a clear and honest depiction of what graduates can expect in terms of salary and workload.You can also read
