How Onboarding Helps Ease Stress for Young Recruits: Part 1
With his firm but compassionate gaze, it is easy to imagine Sean Maywood in his previous career as a teacher at a secondary school in south-east England. Since 2016, however, he has been the “first-five-year manager” at PwC, the auditing and consulting firm, where he supports hundreds of graduates recruited each year in the UK.
The creation of the post reflects a growing recognition among employers of the need to do more to support young recruits. Like other accountancy firms, PwC not only hires a high number of graduates, it also experiences significant turnover among their ranks because so many quit early in their careers.
Justine Campbell, managing partner for talent at EY UK and Ireland, one of PwC’s rivals, says: “We have just launched a new student recruitment process that aims to make ‘onboarding‘ a smoother process. Our research showed that employers can make a difference in bridging the transition from education to employment for the next generation of employees.”
This year’s data from Britain’s Healthiest Workplace underline the extent of pressures being suffered by some of the youngest members of the workforce. The research shows 18- to 20-year-olds are the most vulnerable of all age groups, with disproportionately higher mental health concerns, and lower performance and engagement.
Maywood at PwC believes today’s young adults have begun to show certain traits that are different from those in previous generations, including a greater sense of entitlement and increased dependence on others because their parents have been more involved in directing their lives than their predecessors’ parents were.
He also singles out the negative consequences of “permanent connectivity” of mobile phones and the internet, along with growing financial pressures.
Vocabulary:
compassionate – showing kindness and caring about other people’s feelings or suffering, “The compassionate doctor stayed extra hours to help the sick child.”
recruited – invited or hired to join a company, school, or team, “The university recruited the best football players from across the country.”
post – a job or official position in a company, “She applied for the post of manager at the local bank.”
recognition – the act of realizing or accepting that something is true, real, or important, “There is a growing recognition that global warming is a serious problem.”
turnover – the rate at which workers leave their jobs and are replaced by new people, “The fast-food restaurant has a high turnover because the work is very stressful.”
ranks – the group of people who belong to a specific organization or company, “Many young soldiers joined the ranks of the army this year.”
rivals – people, teams, or businesses that are competing against each other, “The two companies are bitter rivals selling the same type of shoes.”
onboarding – the process of welcoming a new worker and teaching them about their new job, “The company’s onboarding lasted for three days to help new workers learn the rules.”
bridging the transition – helping someone move smoothly from one situation or period of life to another, “The summer camp helps kids by bridging the transition from elementary school to high school.”
underline – to show clearly that something is very important or true, “The safety rules underline the importance of wearing a helmet while riding a bike.”
workforce – all the people in a country or company who are available to work, “A large part of the workforce now works from home using computers.”
vulnerable – easy to hurt, change, or damage because of a weakness, “Baby birds are very vulnerable before they learn how to fly.”
disproportionately – in an unequal way, meaning an amount is much too large or too small compared to something else, “The storm damaged the town disproportionately, hitting the poor neighborhood the hardest.”
engagement – how much interest, excitement, and focus a person has for their work or activities, “The teacher noticed a high level of engagement when the students played a learning game.”
traits – special characteristics or qualities that make a person or thing unique, “Honesty and kindness are two great traits to look for in a friend.”
sense of entitlement – a feeling that you deserve special treatment, rewards, or gifts without actually working for them, “The spoiled boy had a strong sense of entitlement and expected everyone to do his chores.”
predecessors – the people who had a job or position before the current person, “The new president changed many of the laws created by his predecessors.”
singles out – chooses or notices one specific person or thing from a group, “The coach always singles out Tom for praise because he practices so hard.”
permanent connectivity – the state of being constantly linked to the internet or phones without ever turning them off, “Permanent connectivity means people are always checking their phone notifications, even at dinner.”