DESIGN
COVID graduates struggling with teamwork The impact of the pandemic:
By Harry Fowle, Assistant Editor, Electronic Specifier & Student Circuit
Deloitte and PwC are just two examples of companies providing their younger generation of staff with extra coaching to develop skills that they may have lost due to the COVID-19 lockdowns. Teamwork and communication skills are amongst the highest priorities for this additional training, two traits hit the hardest by the pandemic.
M any junior-level employees who spent a section of their time at school or university in pan- demic-enforced isolation have found it considerably harder to integrate and adapt to workplace environments. This has resulted in a lack of skill in key day-to-day activities such as performing presentations, speaking up in meetings, or working as a part of a team. Jackie Henry, UK Managing Partner for People & Purpose at Deloitte, commented: “This means that there is a greater need for employers to provide training on basic professional and working skills. That wasn’t necessary in prior years.” This is exactly what Deloitte and PwC, two of the UK’s largest recruiters of graduate and apprentice students, are undertaking with their own businesses, directly addressing the long-term impact that pandemic lockdowns have had on individuals. “It’s understandable that students who missed out on face-to-face activities during COVID may now be stronger in certain fields, such as working independently, and less confident in others,” says Ian Elliot, UK
Chief People Officer at PwC. He went on to note how some individuals in this group were “less confident” in their abilities to present and talk at meetings, collaborate with work colleagues, and network effectively. Beyond just the skills concerns, Henry noted that Deloitte is “seeing more candidates wanting to defer their professional exams, and people who are struggling with stress in a way we haven’t seen before.” It can be argued that the implementation of the hybrid working approach has only worsened the problem, limiting opportunities for young workers to learn through observing more experienced colleagues. Addressing the problem PwC has made efforts to try and address these concerns, not just for the current affected generation, but to future-proof business models. The plan includes providing long-term employees with coaching so that they, in turn, can provide improved guidance to junior colleagues in
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