Entry-level workers remain unprepared for the workforce, largely due to a widening "soft skills gap," according to a new survey by General Assembly.
Highlights from the survey of 650+ US and UK business leaders and 2,300+ US and UK workers:
Less than a quarter (22%) of business leaders surveyed believe entry-level workers are "very or completely prepared to do their jobs." (The latest survey shows improvement over a year ago, when just 12% of leaders "said entry-level employees were very or completely prepared to do their jobs.")
While 42% of UK leaders said "entry-level workers were very or completely prepared," just 18% of US leaders said the same.
29% of leaders said they "wouldn’t hire today’s entry-level employees at all, virtually unchanged from 28% in 2024."
The survey notes a stark divide in how leaders see workers and how workers view themselves. 38% of surveyed workers said "entry-level employees are well-prepared."
More than half (56%) of leaders "blame weak soft skills for entry-level unpreparedness."
Almost a quarter (23%) of leaders said entry-level workers "don’t have the right attitude," while 13% said they are "missing technical skills."
78% of leaders said it's the responsibility of workers to "have the skills to succeed," while 62% of surveyed workers said employers are responsible.
Today’s entry-level employees systematically struggle with soft skills and job preparedness, while employers continue to blame employees themselves. As AI increasingly impacts the entry-level pipeline, employers have a responsibility to invest in training and upskilling of the next generation. If not, we’ll face a critical skills shortage in just a few years."
Read more via General Assembly, HR Dive
In order to be successful, businesses need to be able to change, and then change again. But how much change can employees absorb before it all becomes too much?
According to a new report by The Grossman Group and The Harris Poll, organizations are “at a tipping point and on the cusp of facing more change than employees can absorb.”
Highlights from two recent surveys of U.S. full-time employees and business leaders:
Half of business leaders said they "expect to implement 3 or more" major changes "in the next two years."
Yet, the majority of employees are able to absorb only "1-2 major changes per year."
One-third of strategic and operational changes at organizations are driven by AI, and "83% of leaders expect AI to play a major role in future change."
A quarter of "major change efforts" fail, leading to "burnout, dissatisfaction, workload spikes, and turnover."
Organizations that ensure "employees are fully bought in" to major changes are three times more likely to succeed in making that change a success.
We're at a tipping point where the pace of change risks outstripping what employees can absorb, yet this level of change is often necessary for organizations to win."
Read more via The Grossman Group
Employee retention and burnout are "top of mind" for employers heading into the fourth quarter, according to a new report published by risk management company Gallagher.
Highlights from the survey of 4,000 U.S. employers:
59% of organizations called employee retention their top HR priority.
Employee retention was the second highest operational priority (42%), coming in behind growing revenue and sales (51%).
65% of surveyed employers "experienced a turnover rate of more than 10% in 2024," while 47% of surveyed employers experienced a turnover rate of more than 15% in 2024.
Two-thirds of surveyed employers voiced concerns about how stress and burnout are impacting their workforce.
We’re seeing a fundamental shift in what employees value — and it’s forcing organizations to rethink just about everything so they can keep their talent."
Read more via HR Dive, Gallagher
