Sample Question - School to Work

What can we do at the academic level to help prepare our students for the future workforce given the impending labor shortage?

I was a member of the Society for Human Resource Management's School-to-Work Committee for 9 years, and we found your dilemma about students' expectations and behavior to be a real issue, particularly in the last couple of years. (So you're not alone!)

I talked over your situation with Robin Throckmorton, my partner at e-HResources.com, and we have a few suggestions and resources for you.

Robin and I have co-authored a book which will come out early next year titled, Crossing the Great Divide: Building a Bridge Across Generations.

As research for this book, I interviewed 500 people over a 3-year period in EACH of the four generations, including 17-25 year olds. I've incorporated part of this work into a series of articles on my web site, which you may want to access. It's a four-part series on motivating the different generations (and what each expects in the workplace). The web site is:  www.gravett.com. Click on articles, and this 4-part series was written in the summer of 2003.

Have you considered incorporating a class on entering the professional workforce into the high school curriculum? The class could address topics such as expectations in a professional workplace, like use of company telephones and computers, as well as ethical behavior in the workplace.

The class could have guest speakers (HR professionals, for example) from industry, so the students don't just think, "this is only the teacher's viewpoint."

You might also suggest to the HR contacts at participating companies that they assign a mentor to each incoming student, someone who could "show them the ropes" and reiterate the professional behavior standards. I think the HR folks are absolutely correct when they say a thorough orientation should be provided to the students - expectations regarding use of personal e-mail, phone calls, etc. should be clearly set.

Department managers for whom the students work should be advised of these expectations and encouraged to (consistently) enforce the expectations.

Robin and I have done several presentations on generational differences based on our work together and would be happy to present at a local or regional meeting of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) on this topic. As a matter of fact, I've been to Iowa and presented for a SHRM regional conference in the past. You're welcome to suggest this to your HR contacts if you think we could assist.

Good luck in your efforts...I know from my STW experience that you have what's sometimes a thankless job! Feel free to contact me if you need clarification on any of the suggestions made.

Disclaimer: The recommendations and opinions provided by e-HResources.com, LLC are based on general human resource management fundamentals, practices and principles, and are not legal opinions or guaranteed outcomes. We strongly recommend, as part of a team approach to management, that clients consult with legal counsel of their choice to address legal concerns related to human resource issues