A Note from Faculty to Managers Hiring Millenials

Yes, I am a philosopher. Yes, I am a faculty member. But, I have worked in the 'real world.' In fact, I spent nearly twelve years in banking with the last four in training and development and organizational development. One of the benefits I have from that experience is that I can coach my students and serve as an honest reference when they are job hunting. And, I have a success story to share this semester.

One of our December graduates relocated and began looking for work in her field. I agreed to be a reference for her and last month I fulfilled my duty. But, the conversation did take a bit of twist where I almost served more as consultant rather than reference.

Our graduate is smart and has a great attitude. What does she lack? Experience. That can be a risk for many hiring managers. In this case, though, the system was already set up and structured. The position was as close to 'turn key' as imaginable. Still, how do managers hand over the keys to an inexperienced 'driver?' That is more than a fair question and there needs to be an answer for hiring managers. Unfortunately, that answer usually involves more work from the manager.

Most people involved in Human Resources or who have hired anyone in their career has heard of nifty things to look for such as attitude, skill, and knowledge. And, those same people have heard that you can train skill and knowledge but it can be really difficult to coach around attitude. Others may have heard about the conscious/competence matrix or the competence/confidence relationship. Regardless of model, there a couple of questions a hiring manager needs to address for herself; Do you have the time to coach? Are you willing and able to coach?

Time and Competence

So, the question at first, is do you really have time to coach around your concern about the candidate? This is important because we typically think this means showing the new person how to do the job and that is true in part. But, where time is lost is when you realize your are actually teaching the job. That is, this is not always about skill but about knowledge. When Millenials lack experience, they have text book knowledge often but can lack the 'on job knowledge.' Frequently, this is a frustration for managers who lack the time to teach what they expected the new hire to know.

It's not fair to either party but it is a reality. Certainly, job previews and internships help. But, depending on the breadth and depth of those experiences, managers can simply say they don't have time to coach. And, that is an answer every hiring manager must answer for herself before hiring a fresh out of college graduate.

Willingness and Confidence

This next question regarding a manager's willingness to coach sounds loaded and negative. If a manager says she is not willing to coach a new person, that sounds like a bad manager. But, that is not necessarily the case. In fact, the manager may believe that, in some cases, the new hire should simply know this stuff and not require any coaching. That is a completely fair demand. And, if your candidate lacks a particular skill, then maybe it isn't right to design a coaching plan around it. Hire for that skill. Just be clear about that piece.

If you are willing to coach around a skill, that can be better. Typically, though, what is overlooked is that this kind of coaching is not necessarily about knowledge of the job. It is about developing confidence in the skill-set. That is why it is imperative that managers be honest about whether or not they are willing to coach around a skill. If they are not willing to coach, then the new hires confidence will erode and there will be greater problems down the road, potentially. If you are willing, then you can develop and grow the confidence you want to see around a skill set.

Ability and 'Conscious'

Many of us would prefer employees who can approach their job with near zen like perfection. Oddly, we don't want them conscious of their actions but to be so adept that the work becomes second nature. So, truly, we want a kind of 'unconscious' competence. This is nearly the holy grail of workforce training and development. The question, then, for hiring managers is 'can you really coach this?' Are you, yourself, able to coach this? This whole question set is about attitude. But, not the employee's. It is about your attitude.

This is top level coaching. And, it is not necessary for everyone. But, it is a good reminder that you will never obtain the perfect hire. So, are you able to take the best candidate and mold them into what you want? No candidate, is ready made for your position. Millenials are no exception. The key is whether you are ready to give them the opportunity and mentor and coach them into success.

The Rest of This Story

I did give a version of this discussion on the phone to a potential employer of my graduate. And, it helped, not just my former student but also those in charge of doing the hiring.

At the end of the day, faculty and employers actually want the same thing, successful employees. No one involved wants to set up a new hire, a new graduate, a millenial, or anyone for failure. Ask yourself the questions; do you have the time, are you willing, are you able?

Positive answers to those questions yield positive results.....just like my student who started her new position in a new town earlier this month.