Last week I came across a Newsweek article titled, “Companies Are Quickly Firing Gen Z Employees.”
It’s worth a read, but the gist is that businesses are concerned that recent college grads are unprepared for work and lack both communication skills and professionalism. In fact, six in ten employers who have hired college grads have already fired grads hired in 2024.
Wow.
I’ve also seen reports that companies are forgoing hiring entry-level positions all together, designating the tasks usually reserved for someone entering the workforce to Gen AI.
While that might be a cost effective, short-term solution, companies that do this will regret it down the road when they have no talent in the pipeline to develop and bring into more advanced roles.
In order to be great human leader in the age of AI, smart companies should do these two things instead:
- Hire entry-level talent and train and equip them with “soft skills,” which we know is the hard stuff.
- Make sure their managers are well trained and well supported to help their younger hires transition into adult working life.
On the first, I’d recommend getting your entry-level new hires up to speed by asking them to read a book like Getting from College to Career by my friend and colleague Lindsey Pollak (the third edition just dropped!).
On the second piece—equipping your managers to be great human leaders to their direct reports—I have a solution or two!
My cohort, Managers on a Mission: How to Become a Great Human Leader kicked off yesterday. We have a great group of managers who are hungry to tackle the challenges of management and become better leaders.
While this fall’s cohort is closed, reach out to me to grab a spot on the waitlist for spring. You’ll be glad you did.
In the meantime, over the next few months, I’m criss-crossing the country—Connecticut, New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco, and Orlando—talking to companies about my favorite topic: how to be a great human leader in the Age of AI.
Check out my keynote, fireside chat, and workshop topics here, and let me know if you’d like to connect over a cup of coffee or to learn more about how I can help your teams.
And whatever you do, don’t swap Gen Z for AI!
10/2/24
