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,[email protected],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
