press release: wednesday 20 march 2019 employers say ... · press release: wednesday 20 march 2019...

Pressrelease:Wednesday20March2019EmployerssayapprenticesneedhelpgettingdressedforworkApprenticesneedtoworkalotharderondevelopingtheirprofessionalismatworkcomparedtograduates,buttherearelittledifferencesinkeyskillssuchasresilience,leadershipanddealingwithconflict.InstituteofStudentEmployers(ISE)askeditsmembersaboutthe76,000entry-levelstafftheyhavehiredoverthelastthreeyears,includinggraduates,apprenticesandschoolleavers.TheISEStudentDevelopmentSurveyrevealedthatemployersarealmostfourtimesaslikelytoraiseconcernsabouthowapprenticesdressforworkincomparisontograduates.Employersarealsotwiceaslikelytoreportthatapprenticeslackpresentation,analysis,IT,writing,problemsolvingandinterpersonalskills.However,therearefewdifferencesbetweengraduatesandapprenticesinrelationtoresilience,managingup,leadership,dealingwithconflict,self-awareness,careermanagementandemotionalintelligence.Thismaygosomewaytoexplainwhymorethanhalf(56%)ofemployershavestartedtodevelopapprenticestodoworkthatwouldhavepreviouslybeendonebygraduates.Theimportanceofworkexperienceintheearlystagesofacareerwashighlightedbythefactthat87%ofemployersagreedthatstudentswhohadcompletedaninternshiphadbetterskillsthanthosewhodidnot.However,therewasmuchlessimpactfromadditionalqualificationwithonly19%ofrespondentsagreeingthatstudentswhocamewithapostgraduatedegreehadbetterskillsthanthosewhohadnot.ISEchiefexecutiveStephenIsherwoodsaid:“Employersaregettingabetterhandleonhowtobestdevelopapprenticeswhotheyrecognisearelessexperiencedthangraduates.Apprenticesneedmorebasictraininginareaslikepresentationskillsandhowtodressforwork.“Graduatesgenerallyarrivemorepolishedwithabetterarrayofbothtechnicalandinterpersonalskillsandsomeculturalcapital,butemployersarelessconvincedthattheyoutperformapprenticesinmorefundamentalattributes.Asapprenticesacquiremoreskillsandexperiencetheymaywellcatchupandoutperformthosewhohavebeenthroughthegraduateroute.”GemmaDonnelly,FutureTalentManageratIGsaid:“Apprenticesarealotmoreworkintermsofdevelopingtheirprofessionalismandattitude.Wehavealotmoreissueswiththingsliketimekeeping,correctlyreportingabsenceswithapprenticesandthesetakeuptime.”AdviceItisimportanttorecognisethatthisisnotaquestionaboutwhoisthesnappiestdresser.Employersare(generally)notfashionexpertsandsothequestionisnotaboutwhetheryouarebangontrend,butratheraboutwhetheryoufitin,representthecompanyappropriately,lookprofessionalandsendouttherightmessages.Theproblemforyoungpeople,orforpeoplemovingintoanewenvironmentisthatalotofwhatmayseemobvioustotheemployeriscompletelynewtothenewemployee.Thefollowingtipsaredesignedtohelptoaddressthiskindofmismatchofexpectation.

Forstudents

1. Rememberthathowyoudresscommunicatessomethingaboutwhoyouareandhowyouwantotherstoseeyou.Spendtimebeforeyougotoworkthinkingabouthowyouaredressedandwhatmessagesthatyouareprojecting.

2. Lookathowotherpeopleinyourworkplacedress.Workplacesarefullofunspokenrules,sometimesyoucanonlyfigurethemoutbylookingathowotherpeopledressandbehave.

3. Startmoreconservatively;youcanalwayspushtheboundarieslateron.Dressingtooboringlyisrarelyaproblem.Asyouunderstandwhatisexpectedyouwillbeabletoworkoutwhereyoucanshowoffmoreofyourpersonalitywithoutbeingseenasoutrageous.

4. Askforfeedback.Findsomeoneyoutrust,andideallywhosesenseofstyleyouadmire.Askthemfortheirfeedbackandadvice.

5. Don’tdoanythingthatyoufeeluncomfortabledoing.Notallemployershaveappropriateorlegitimatedresscodes.Ifyoufeelthatyouarebeingaskedtowearsomethingthatmakesyouuncomfortable,orwhichyouthinkisdiscriminatory,bepreparedtospeakuportalktohumanresources.

Foremployers

1. Betransparent.Ifitisimportantthatyouremployeesdressacertainwaythenmakesurethatyoutellthem.Somethingthatseemsobvioustoyou,maynotbeobvioustosomeonefromadifferentbackgroundorgeneration.Itmayevenbehelpfultohaveaformaldresscode.

2. Giveconstructivefeedback.Ifyouarenothappywiththewaythatsomeoneisdressinginyourfirm,tryandgivethemsupportive,developmentalfeedbackandexplainwhythismatterstoyou.

3. Leadbyexample.TheCEOandseniormanagementteamhelptodefinethecultureofanorganisation.Morejuniorstaffwilllookathowyoudressanddrawconclusionsfromit.Itgenerallyisn’tgoodfortheretobeoneruleforyouandanotheronefortherestoftheorganisation.

4. Thinkcarefullyabouthowdresscontributestoyourculture.Manyfirmshavea‘suitandtie’culturebydefault.Isthatthecultureyouwanttocreateandtheimagethatyouwanttoportray?Manyhighlysuccessfulfirmshavemovedawayfromthis,sothismaybesomethingthatyoushouldconsider.

5. Becareful.Howpeopledressisimportanttothemandtheiridentity.Itisalsooftenboundupwithequalitystrands(age,gender,ethnicity,religion,disabilityetc.).Ifyoumakerules,giveadviceanddisciplinestaffabouthowtheydressyouneedtobesurethatyouhavegoodreasonsforwhatyouaredoingandthatyouareawareofunconsciousbias.

Ends1

Mediaenquiries,previewcopyofthereportandinterviews:ClareTregaskis,ISEpressofficer,clare@ise.org.uk,07792429227NotestoeditorsISEStudentDevelopmentSurvey2019ISEStudentDevelopmentSurveyreportfocusesonhowfirmssupportentry-levelhirestodeveloptheirskillsandcareersinthefirstfewyearsofemployment.Itreportsonasurveyof156employerISEmembersconductedbetweenNovember2018andJanuary2019.Thesurveyincludesdetaileddataonthe76,000entry-levelhiresthatrespondentshavebroughtintotheirbusinessesoverthelastthreeyears.Thisincludesgraduates,apprenticesandschoolleavers.InstituteofStudentEmployersTheInstituteofStudentEmployers(ISE),formerlytheAssociationofGraduateRecruiters(AGR),isanindependent,not-for-profitmemberorganisationthatwasestablishedin1968.AstheUK’sleadingindependentvoiceforstudentemployers,theISE’svisionisthateverybusinessessuccessismaximisedbyfullaccesstostudenttalent.

TheISEachievesthisbybringingtogetheremployers,theeducationsectorandsupplierpartners,providingleadershipandsupportinallaspectsofstudentrecruitmentanddevelopment.ISEactivitiesinclude:

• Promotingexcellenceandinnovationintheresourcing,assessmentanddevelopmentofemergingtalentincludingschoolleavers,apprenticesandgraduates

• ProvidingexpertinformationandinsighttoISEmemberorganisations,creatingengagedcommunitiesforprofessionalnetworkingandsharingofbestpractice

• Deliveringcomprehensiveresearchonarangeofissuesaffectinggraduate,internandapprenticeshiprecruitmentanddevelopment,includingcurrentandfuturetrendsandbenchmarkingdata

• Investingintheprofessionaldevelopmentofmemberstoenhancetheirskillsandknowledge,maximisingtheircareeropportunitieswithintheprofession

• Influencingkeypolicyareasaffectingstudentemploymentandtheeducationsector• Buildingastrongprofessionalorganisationwiththerightstructureandteamcapabilitiestodeliverthe

servicesandsupportmembersrequiretofulfiltheirobjectivesForfurtherinformation:

• www.ise.org.uk• Followus@IoSEorg• ConnectwithusonLinkedIn/company/InstituteofStudentEmployers