College Grads, Ready or Not? Employers Think Not

The job prospects for new college graduates became even bleaker this week.

Only eight days after a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that employers aren’t planning to hire as many members of the class of 2013 as initially expected, a new survey published April 30 by Adecco, a global human resources consulting company, corroborated those findings.

According to Adecco’s survey, 58 percent of hiring managers said they’re not planning to hire entry-level college graduates this year. And 66 percent of hiring managers said they don’t think new college graduates are prepared for the workplace.

Poor interviewing skills may be influencing the opinions of those hiring managers who responded to the survey. Thirty-four percent of respondents said an inability to clearly answer questions and articulate skills are common reasons why millennials don’t land positions, according to the survey.

Additionally, a little more than a third of hiring managers indicated millennials have trouble making eye-contact during interviews, and 30 percent said young interviewees had no problem with checking their cellphones or texting during their interviews, according to the report.

Max Mihelich is Workforce’s associate editor. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com. Follow Mihelich on Twitter at @workforcemax.