What's on my mind? Covid social syndrome, AI and talent
Keri Gilder
Putting the power of the digital universe in the hands of our customers wherever, whenever and however they want.
My son goes to a STEM University in Colorado. The courses are challenging, and as a result, the students have adopted a motto: "C's get degrees". Employers who know the school, recognise they’re getting top talent and full-blown engineers. They also know that a C average is actually a good Grade Point Average (GPA) at this school.?
For employers that are unfamiliar with the school, the kids get put into the general recruitment pool and ultimately are ‘filtered out’. As I was mentoring a university student in her last year at Davidson - another great, hard and somewhat smaller and unknown school - it made me wonder if technology is doing our kids and talent pools a disservice??
I have talked to two young women in the past month who said they applied to over 90 internships and did not receive one interview. The filter in full effect. In addition, these young graduates all suffer from what I deem ‘COVID social syndrome’. They missed out on the social aspect of the last two years of their high school and therefore are more timid than most. They never had a prom, most had virtual graduations and were isolated for the risk-taking years of their lives. I am not a doctor, but it seems that this generation, due to ‘COVID social syndrome’ (again, my personal - not clinical name for this) has a supreme hesitance to engage in professional networks, utilise their friends and family networks, or be persistent on getting their name in the door. This can lead them to give up on the first try.?
I get it. It’s uncomfortable and no one wants to be a ‘nag’. But if great talent is getting filtered from that first interview, then there is a necessity to get out of the comfort zone and try and try again.?
It also makes me wonder if we are filtering on the wrong metrics. Some of the best talent and best brains in the world have not scored well on tests - providing them with a lower GPA. We must remember that the talent graduating this next year had probably the BIGGEST transition ever from high school to university due to COVID isolation. This is a hard transition in normal times, maybe we should skip those freshman-year scores? If we are using this as our first filter, we may be passing on some incredible talent.?
So, if you are an employer - we need to ask ourselves if we are filtering on the right metrics. When using AI, are we engineering the right prompt? What about cultural fit??
If you are a young student getting ready to enter the working world, my advice is to put yourself out there. Get out of your comfort zone and reach out to friends and family - give it three times before you give up. People are busy - yes, but if you are persistent you just might get that much needed interview - and I promise you, you will not be seen as a ‘nag’.?
Love to hear how you are navigating your careers and or talent in these machine ‘filtered’ times.?
Accountant and Tax expert | Crypto Tax Specialist | Board Member | Co-founder of The Kapuhala Longevity Retreats
10 个月?? So inspirational ? You are right ????. The competition has risen. There are more people and less jobs. Apart from benefits, we have to face the dark side of technology as well. ?? How do you think the situation can improve Keri Gilder ?
Senior Manager at Colt Technology Services
10 个月This seems the same story for my daughter. She finished her high school virtually and never had a chance to say final goodbye to her friends face to face. She moved to Canada for further education and initial few months were very tough as she did not learn the art of networking when it was crucial. Anyway she is a survivor so finally settled in a good job after finishing her studies but this "Covid social syndrome" is really real
Regional Director - Delivering World-Class Customer Service. Building High Performance Teams.
10 个月Thanks for consistently sharing your thoughts and tackling relevant topics! Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are here to stay, offering benefits like faster shortlisting. However, as you mentioned, they can also screen out talented candidates. Networking is important. Beyond networking, there are strategies to optimize resumes for ATS. Applicants can learn to identify relevant keywords for each job and format their resumes for machine readability. There's a need for a combined effort. Applicants need to adapt their resumes for ATS, and universities should integrate these skills into their curriculum. Perhaps a standardized ATS literacy module could be implemented across universities to ensure all graduates are prepared for the modern job market.
Its great to be part of a winning team at Axians
10 个月Fully understand as teenager was not focused but when 16 blagged way on to course that was not quailified for with condition needed to have results by end of year, exceeded that, then did degree and masters but as at school was not entered for some exams was rejected by BP and Shell as not enough O levels when left school and hopefully as this was over 35 years ago stupid rules used for screening are not used. Unfortunately as so many people apply for roles such filters stop people who are focused (now) getting considered. Not sure if such filters can be removed but if so get a really driven motivated people
GEN AI Evangelist | #TechSherpa | #LiftOthersUp
10 个月Job search struggles hit hard. But don't let tech disconnect you. Build connections, share stories - your persistence will shine through. Keri Gilder