
or new study released Tuesday by Hult International Business School and independent research firm Workplace Intelligence found that even when faced with a lack of talentemployers would rather hire a robot or AI than a recent graduate.
The study surveyed 800 HR executives and 800 recent graduates (ages 22 to 27) in business roles including finance/accounting, marketing, sales, management, operations/logistics and analytics/business intelligence.
Almost all HR leaders, 98%, said their organization was struggling to find talent, but 89% said they avoid hiring new graduates.
When asked why, hiring managers said recent graduates lack real-world experience (60%), a global mindset (57%), teamwork skills (55%), the right skill sets (51%) and proper business etiquette (50%).
Three out of 10 HR leaders would rather leave a position unfilled than hire a fresh graduate.
Almost four in ten (37%) would rather have a robot or AI do the job than a recent graduate, while 45% say they prefer to hire a freelancer.
Of the companies that have taken the plunge and hired recent graduates in the past year, the majority (78%) have already laid off at least some of them.
Meanwhile, recent graduates who have successfully joined the company have found the work experience invaluable. 77% said they learned more in half a year on the job than in four years of graduation, and 87% said their employer provided better job training than in college.
Over half (55%) said college did not prepare them in any way for the job they currently hold.
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“Our survey found that traditional college programs are not providing what students need to be successful in today's fast-paced and increasingly technology-focused work environment,” said Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner of Intelligence in the Workplace.
So what are recent graduates missing that HR leaders are looking for? Technology skills, especially in AI, data analytics and IT, are important to 97% of HR leaders, but only 20% of recent graduates have these skills.
“Theory alone is no longer enough,” said Martin Boehm, executive vice president and global dean of undergraduate programs at Hult International Business School. “Preparing students in new ways, with a focus on building the skills and mindsets needed for lifelong learning, is the future of education.”