Summary
We worked with Hult International Business School on a study focused on the college graduate skills gap. Between October 9 and 28, 2024, we surveyed 800 HR leaders and 800 recent graduates to gain insight into how colleges are preparing graduates for the workplace, why employers are avoiding hiring grads, and the value of an AI education. The results uncovered that most degrees, including traditional business and general education programs, are not preparing young learners with the skills to “hit the ground running” once they enter the workforce.
Reference
“Dan and team are true professionals who understand the difference between market ‘noise’ and valuable content. They worked with us throughout the process of planning and delivering an important survey on the workplace skills gap—a topic that all schools and workplaces should be aware of and address in some way. We were thrilled with the results and would happily work with Workplace Intelligence again.”
– Global PR Director, Hult International Business School
Key Findings
- 37% of employers would rather hire a robot/AI than a recent graduate.
- 77% of recent graduates say they learned more in 6 months at their job than in their entire 4-year education.
- 94% of recent grads regret their degree choice; 82% say it’s affected their mental health.
- 98% of leaders say their organization is struggling to find talent, yet 89% say they avoid hiring recent graduates.
Business Results
The study was featured in Financial Times, Forbes (x5), Fast Company, Newsweek, Entrepreneur, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Life, Forbes (India), Inquirer, HR Digest, The Star, BizJournals, BenefitsPro, WorkLife, Morning Brew, Josh Bersin, HR Daily Advisory, CFO Dive, LinkedIn News, and LinkedIn “The Work Shift” Newsletter
