Intelligent.com Survey Finds 4 in 10 Business Leaders Believe Recent College Graduates Are Unprepared To Enter Workforce 

Business leaders say recent graduates are unprepared due to their work ethic, communication skills, entitlement, and technological skills

SEATTLE – Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning, has published a recent survey report that investigates how business leaders perceive recent college graduates. The report also shares insight into why recent college graduates may be unprepared for the workforce. Overall, Intelligent.com researchers collected and analyzed

responses from 1,243 business leaders.

According to survey results, 40 percent of business leaders say recent college graduates are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ unprepared for the workforce. Among this group, 70 percent say recent college graduates lack preparedness due to their ‘work ethic,’ 70 percent say ‘communication skills,’ 71 percent say ‘entitlement,’ and 43 percent say ‘technological skills.’ Additionally, of the same group of respondents, 88 percent say college graduates from the last three years are less prepared for the workforce than in years prior.

“Actually, nobody is prepared for the workplace of 2023,” says Professor of Strategic Communication at Ithaca College and Principal of Gayeski Analytics Diane Gayeski, Ph.D.

“It’s changed dramatically because the digital transformation and hybrid workforce trends that began a decade ago accelerated during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and both methods and attitudes towards work are now vastly different.”

Survey results also indicate that among business leaders who feel recent graduates lack preparedness, 7 percent say they ‘always’ avoid hiring recent college graduates, 27 percent say ‘most of the time,’ and 40 percent say ‘sometimes.’ Furthermore, 62 percent of these respondents blame ‘culture’ for lack of preparedness, 50 percent say ‘parents,’ 48 percent say the ‘pandemic,’ and 46 percent say ‘educators.’

All data found within this report derives from a survey conducted on July 27, 2023, by the survey platform Pollfish. In total 1,243 business leaders were surveyed. Demographic criteria were used to ensure qualified respondents. These criteria included being between ages 30 and 60, earning a household income of greater than $75,000, being employed for wages, having an organizational leadership role, and working at a company with more than 10 employees. To view the complete report, please visit:

https://www.intelligent.com/4-in-10-business-leaders-say-recent-college-grads-are-unprepared-t o-enter-workforce/.

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