HR expert: Communications disconnect impacting young job seekers

Interesting article/interview here about the lack of communication skills among young jobseekers. I would also argue that their writing skills leave much to be desired.

It isn’t always lack of preparedness that keeps a young person from landing a job – sometimes it’s a matter of communication. The loudly-voiced expectations of “Generation Y” may not be heard in a positive way by Baby Boomers, who are doing the hiring, says Barbara Dwyer, chief executive officer of The Job Journey LLC of Davis.

She says she saw the problem first-hand in her 25 years as a human resources manager. Those experiences and comments from other HR executives prompted her to start her training company.

Ms. Dwyer’s company offers a $147 program for young adults called "The Job Journey" to help them fill gaps in their abilities to land a job including “proper business-style vocabulary to build rapport.”

She says young adults now are entering the job market with different perspectives from those held by people who are doing the hiring. It’s that generational gap that can be difficult for both the job seeker and the hiring business to bridge, she says.

Listen to the interview >>