Preparing Gen Z Grads for the Workforce

Employers think Gen Z isn’t ready. 

A July 2023 survey of 1,243 business leaders revealed their concerns about recent 2020-23 college graduates. According to Intelligent.com, a significant 40% of those surveyed believe recent graduates are unprepared for the professional world, with 27% believing they are “somewhat unprepared” and 13% feeling they are “very unprepared.”

Of the business leaders who feel recent grads are unprepared, 70% cite work ethic and communication skills as the primary issues. Additionally, 43% point to technological skills as contributing to a lack of preparedness. A notable 88% say this is more evident now than it was for graduates more than three years ago. And the worst part is that 94% of those who feel recent grads are unprepared sometimes avoid hiring them altogether.

As a Gen Xer, who is both a recent employer and current faculty member, some of these results hit home. While I believe the pandemic plays a significant role, my age might also be coming into play. If you think about it, haven’t older generations always given the “new generation” a hard time?

To prove my point, here’s an excerpt from a 1999 article in The Charlotte Observer: “The Gen X’ers, in their early 20s to mid-30s, are generally less formal in dress and work habits. They prefer more flexible schedules and see no reason why they can’t have fun in the office. The baby boomers, in their late 30s to early 50s, take a more traditional, nose-to-the-grindstone approach.” 

So, what does this mean for PR’s next generation? How do we create environments that appeal to new graduates, but also ensure that they enter the workforce prepared and ready to work? PR professionals and faculty are rolling out several strategies in the office and classroom.

Apprenticeships

I asked Alex. Evans, associate vice president at DH, a social impact public relations agency with offices in Seattle and Spokane, Wash., her thoughts about the survey results. 

“I think there is a bit of letting go some folks need to do when it comes to expectations around ‘professionalism’ and ways of working,” she explained. “When people feel the most comfortable and most empowered, they show up at their best. Granted, we are finding and hiring people with strong work ethics and communication skills — those are a must in this industry.” 

According to Evans, apprenticeships can play a significant role in identifying and hiring such individuals.

Apprenticeships allow students and new graduates to gain experience and qualifications while working in a PR agency or in-house team. DH’s apprenticeships last six months, with participants typically committing 20-40 hours per week. Most of the apprentice’s time is spent on client projects — researching, writing and project management — and internal DH activities and trainings.

“Typically, an apprentice will support four-to-six projects at one time,” said Evans, who helps lead the apprenticeship program. “We try to provide a range of opportunities. This includes internal opportunities, like leading weekly staff meetings to gain experience in public speaking and meeting management.”

Evans emphasizes that the DH apprenticeship prepares students and new graduates to be self-empowered and collaborative. 

“This means being accountable to oneself, a team and clients. It means learning to listen and share and raise the best ideas to the top. It means communicating well and often. We treat our apprentices like any other DHer and have high expectations, but also provide a high level of support,” Evans said. “I think the soft skills gained from being in the thick of the work in this industry are the most valuable preparation for the workforce.”

Hands-on experiences

Increasingly, faculty are moving away from traditional lectures, academic papers, and exams and turning to simulations, case studies, certifications, and practical assignments that mirror real-world PR scenarios. In my classrooms, I have witnessed how these hands-on experiences boost student confidence and nurture critical thinking, problem-solving skills and effective communication.

Dr. Shelley Wigley, an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Texas at Arlington and author of the student textbook, “Crisis Communication: Anticipate, Navigate, Mitigate,” believes that hands-on learning is the most important part of a student’s public relations education. 

In Wigley’s PR campaigns course, the class functions as an agency with account directors, team leads and a real-world client. The semester culminates with a formal client presentation and recommendations.

“Students develop better communication, negotiation and professional skills,” said Wigley. “They learn how to problem-solve and develop their critical thinking skills.”

Wigley notes that students aren’t used to courses with little structure and no exams. In her class, they solve client problems on their own, with her there to guide and offer advice. 

“I do not say, ‘This is the way it should be.’ I try to gently offer my expertise. This is what is so hard for many of today’s students; they want the correct answer. They don’t want to be wrong, and so they are afraid to make a decision or take responsibility. This class pushes them to do both.”

Lucrezia Paxson, an associate professor at the Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University/Everett, believes “interdisciplinary collaborative learning is a key element to success.”

Working with a team of professors from other disciplines, Paxson and her colleagues created an interdisciplinary, project-based, merged coursework program allowing students to work through some of the challenges they face when entering the workforce.

“Local businesses pose problems to be solved and entrepreneurial ventures to be launched, and teams of engineering, business, and PR and marketing students work the problems, build mock companies and create marketing strategies for these projects,” said Paxson.

Continuous learning

Work and the workforce are evolving rapidly, and most jobs are going to be redesigned in the next five years. To keep up, we need to reimagine college education as a continuous process, offering students multiple opportunities to develop both soft and technical skills throughout their lifetime.

And as public relations becomes increasingly intertwined with digital marketing, educators need to equip students with a comprehensive skill set encompassing traditional PR principles and digital fluency. This means PR courses must incorporate social media platforms, content marketing, influencer collaborations, data-driven insights and AI.

Simulations and certifications help ensure students stay up to date on industry trends. Rather than taking midterms and final exams, students receive credentials and have assignments built around lessons and credentials from platforms such as Hootsuite, LinkedIn Learning, Google Analytics, Hubspot and Stukent. 

“We have incorporated micro-credentials (AI, Muck Rack, HubSpot) into many of our courses to help keep up with the changing digital landscape,” Wigley said.

While employers may worry about whether Gen Z graduates are ready for the workplace, these challenges aren’t new. Collaboration between academia and industry is crucial to helping new grads feel empowered, supported, prepared and, most important, succeed.

“It is important for organizations to create an environment in the workplace where people can show up as themselves, fully and authentically,” Evans said. “That might mean letting go of attire expectations or allowing some flexibility in work hours. That is not to say that the bar for quality of work should be lowered.”