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I hope this link works, but this is the Bendersky study that compares extraverts, neurotics, and introverts in team environments. The paper mostly focuses on neurotics vs. extraverts, but does include numbers for introverts. Neurotics and introverts also have some common characteristics.
Edit: The link doesn't work, but you can search "THE DOWNFALL OF EXTRAVERTS AND RISE OF NEUROTICS: The Dynamic Process of Status Allocation in Task Groups" on Google and read the paper for free from the Stanford website.
It is not like as if all of a sudden all these applicants had perfect soft skills, the job market will open up and there will be positions for everyone.
Reading articles like that and seeing posts on this website about how people my age are irresponsible jerks just infuriates me. Like, who the eff are you hiring?! 90% of the people in my age group who I know personally would be great employees.
I think maybe it could have to do with those skills employers want. It's a double edged sword. If someone with a bad personality/work ethic has Skill X, then they'll get hired. But if another person with a good work ethic applied for the same job but was only missing Skill X, then they won't get hired and the employer misses out on that opportunity of having a great employee.
Let's just say Skill X is familiarity with a certain computer system, employers should know that pretty much anyone in this day and age can pick up on a new computer system within a week or two and be just as good at it as anyone else.
The article says that employers value soft skills over technical skills, but those who aren't perceived to have enough of the technical skills often don't make it to the interview process. Their resumes and applications are screened out for not having the right experience and minimum number of years of experience, not having the right degree, and not getting the desired results on online personality assessments.
I don't, especially considering some of the posts you see on here.
Things that were once common sense seem to be a thing of the past.
For example, I am constantly amazed at people(most seem to be young) who put people down as references for a job but neglect to tell the person they're using them for a reference.
Or even think to give them a heads up and say "I just interviewed at ABC company and John Smith will be contacting you as a reference".
Maybe this is just me... but I feel like the whole idea of "references" is pretty archaic. It's not that difficult to find someone who will say something good about you, even if it is a lie.
I've heard that most of the time HR doesn't even call those people.
The article says that employers value soft skills over technical skills, but those who aren't perceived to have enough of the technical skills often don't make it to the interview process. Their resumes and applications are screened out for not having the right experience and minimum number of years of experience, not having the right degree, and not getting the desired results on online personality assessments.
Yeah, I was pretty much agreeing with that point and just kind of adding that if employers would just realize that most people graduating from college these days can pick up a skill pretty quickly, then employers could spend more time finding someone with the right soft skills that match their "company culture" or whatever else they look for.
If a company gave me a job in.... let's say HR, I'm not familiar with HR skills at all but if the company let me borrow a book, computer, and two weeks of full time training, I'm pretty confident I could do it.
I agree with Boxus for the most part that the biggest issue is the economy. The article did have a few good points as quite frankly I've been shocked at some of things I've seen exhibited by (mostly young) people interviewing for jobs. Crazy outfits, lack of social skills, lack of respect. One intern I worked with at a marketing agency actually asked me how to mail a letter.
Let that sink in a minute.
Mail. a. letter. I laughed when he asked me because I thought he was joking. He wasn't. He then told me, "My Mom always mailed all my letters." I had to explain, step by step how to mail a letter, starting at the point where he needed to go to get the "ya know, the thingy's that go on the envelope." This was someone in his senior year of school. I genuinely felt bad about laughing at him afterward because you don't know what you don't know and quite frankly, his mother holds the blame in that fail.
The lack of grammatical, writing and spelling skills is a real problem that the web has only exacerbated. A lot of younger people do not know how to use punctuation or even capital letters, and in business those skills are absolutely crucial for professional correspondence, email or otherwise.
The question is, if the lack of "soft skills" is a known problem, why aren't colleges and high schools making it a priority to have classes in these areas? Geez--you could even give private lessons to people if you have worked in a professional environment.
I agree with Boxus for the most part that the biggest issue is the economy. The article did have a few good points as quite frankly I've been shocked at some of things I've seen exhibited by (mostly young) people interviewing for jobs. Crazy outfits, lack of social skills, lack of respect. One intern I worked with at a marketing agency actually asked me how to mail a letter.
Let that sink in a minute.
Mail. a. letter. I laughed when he asked me because I thought he was joking. He wasn't. He then told me, "My Mom always mailed all my letters." I had to explain, step by step how to mail a letter, starting at the point where he needed to go to get the "ya know, the thingy's that go on the envelope." This was someone in his senior year of school. I genuinely felt bad about laughing at him afterward because you don't know what you don't know and quite frankly, his mother holds the blame in that fail.
But still...
I'm pretty sure by 5th grade I was taught how to format a business letter and envelope and mail it. I recall an asignment where we wrote a letter to a company asking for a free thingamabob with the company logo.
edit added I remember it was to a yo-yo company for a free booklet on yo-yoing techniques.
Having worked and interviewed some of this generation, I can say that yes many do have problems with following work place rules, and communicating. That is not to say that all of them lack it, I know some people currently in their 20s that are very good people and employees, but there are some that are just terrible.
At one company I worked at we had a girl painting her toe nails at the front desk with a very short skirt on, another one would insist on coming in and immediately plug her ipod into the computer to play hard core rap music with it loud enough to be heard in the waiting room, we had a girl that would have her boyfriend calling and texting her constantly, then stopping by several times a day just to visit her because he missed her. We had a guy working for us for 2 days who got fired for yelling at costumers who called with questions telling them if they had questions they should have asked when they were in the office, going so far as to physically threaten our top client. Another guy who called the labor board 3 times, one for being asked to work more than 8 hours 1 day, once for a hostile work environment because a client asked if he was gay, and the 3rd time because he was being laid off at the end of tax season (was only still there as the boss did not want to deal with the labor board during tax season). We even had a girl who would disappear for an extra hour or two at lunch for no particular reason, would miss a couple of days because she was out partying and made no secret of it, but because her family was long term clients and her father was friends with the owner of the firm she was allowed to get away with it for 4 months. The list goes on, and the sad part was there was not some computer sorting through the list either.
People have no idea how bad some of these kids interview today, I had some show up looking like they hadn't showered in a couple of days, one girl showed up with her hair & makeup a mess and grass stains on her back, some have taken phone calls or been text messaging in the interviews, some had multiple colored hair, many showed up in clothes with tears or colorful language on them. Getting past the appearance was hard enough, but I have had many tell me that they do not need to do the stuff we are hiring for as they went to college, others who complained that the office was not up to their standards for looks, we even had one who said she would not make copies or print anything because it was bad for the environment and should be illegal.
All this for an accounting firm that was hiring for data entry or front desk receptionist/ office helper paying $11-13 an hour with a schedule set up around college courses, stated in the job description what the jobs entailed, and went directly to the college and through the local job boards to find applicants. It was so bad the last few years that the firm I used to work for has now decided they will not hire any more college students (after hiring only college kids for those jobs for the last) they have 2 people who are partially retired happily doing the job for extra money. Personally I am going back and forth, as I had to promote the last girl who did the job for me and with as busy as I am getting I may have to hire 2 this year.
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