Three Reasons Why Employers Shy Away From Hiring Fresh Graduates....

Thursday July 21, 2011


Time for all bosses to be part of the solution

THE STAR SAYS

IT is a dilemma all of us in the work force have had to go through when we emerged from the comfort of our protected world into the real world, hoping to land that first job.

Some jobs require experience, and experience cannot be gained unless we get the job first.

There was a time when a degree would give one an edge, since graduates only made up a small percentage of jobseekers then. Today, practically everyone has a degree and the competition is tough.

But from the employers' perspective, not much has changed in terms of what they seek in a good worker, whether the person is an experienced hand or a fresh graduate.

A recent survey by Jobstreet.com listed three reasons why employers shy away from hiring fresh graduates poor attitude, unreasonable salary demands and low proficiency in the English language.

Employers will always choose attitude over aptitude and unfortunately, a jobseeker's point of view, due to his lack of knowledge of the real working environment, may not necessarily be accurate.

Another study showed that graduates expect flexible working hours and for their work to accommodate their personal life, not vice-versa.

Long-time workers will testify that even the most forward-looking companies are not likely to give in to similar demands from within, let alone from those who have yet to even get on the payroll.

And how about low proficiency in English? Few will dispute that this has been a major point of concern, considering the importance of English in the world of business.

But all is not doom and gloom. There are concrete measures that all employers, particularly those in corporate Malaysia, can provide.

The Graduates Programme run by Bank Negara in collaboration with other government agencies and key companies in the corporate sector is a case in point.

Now in its second phase, the programme involves the training of 200 unemployed graduates, particularly from low-income families, over a 12-month period comprising two months of intensive classes and 10 months of industrial attachment at one of 48 companies.

The good news is that 98% of participants in the first batch have secured jobs.

A Proton representative mentioned that companies prefer to get a trained army to fight, rather than train the army to fight.

But companies need to recognise that the “recruits” straight out of college are quite inadequate and that the root issues, especially with regard to our education system, are impossible to resolve.

If there is to be some hope on the horizon, they must be prepared to play their part in supporting such training programmes. The time has come for all employers to be part of the solution.

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