The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week

It’s tough out there for recent U.S. college grads.

Consider the following data points from a recent report by The Burning Glass Institute and the Strada Institute for the Future of Work:

• More than half of U.S. college grads are underemployed a year after graduation, working jobs that don’t require the degrees they earned.
• Five years after graduation, nearly 90% of those who are underemployed are “severely underemployed,” often working as clerks, sales supervisors, retail sales workers, service reps, and administrative assistants.
• And 10 years after earning their degree, just under half (45%) of graduates remain underemployed.
  

So what’s a college student to do? “The (partial) solution is to develop a mix of skills that’s hard for AI to duplicate,” says The New York Times in a recent op-ed piece highlighting some of the report’s findings. “The most successful grads have a combination of technical skills and what might be broadly called people skills, including the ability to communicate in print and in person, motivate and work in teams.”

For talent professionals, this could also be seen as further proof for developing a robust upskilling program. That recent graduate could be the perfect candidate for an open entry-level position — with just a little bit of help from your L&D team.

To learn more about the report, be sure to check out the NYT’s article at the top of our list below of must-read articles for talent professionals. And further down our list, you can also watch an unusual learning video from decades past; learn why there are untapped benefits to hiring leaders internally; and find out what recruiters can do in a world where many candidates are answering interview questions with the help of AI.

Here are the must-read articles from this week:

1. Class of 2024, It’s Not in Your Head: The Job Market Is Tough (The New York Times)

2. The Cost of Hiring for ‘Good Enough’ (Matthew Walsh on LinkedIn)

3. Why the 1980s, 1990s, and Noughties Were Strange Times for Learning (Lori Niles-Hofmann on LinkedIn)

4. Will AI Usher in An Era of Inefficiency in Recruiting? (Recruiting Toolbox Blog)

5. When Was the Last Time You Checked in with Your Recruiters? (Rhona Barnett-Pierce on LinkedIn)

6. Why ‘Elegant Exits’ Are Essential for Both Employee and Manager Alike (Bev Kaye on LinkedIn)

7. The Benefits of Building New Leaders Internally, According to LinkedIn Data (LinkedIn Talent Blog)

8. Alert: Those Great Interview Answers May Be Generated by AI (Dr. John Sullivan)

9. Things We Can't Out-Train: Lack of Manager Feedback (L&D Must Change)

10. Who’s Happiest at Work? Hint: It’s Not Women (The Wall Street Journal)

Here is the must-listen podcast:

The Evolution of HR Leadership with Pat Wadors (Redefining Work Reports)