DIFFICULT bosses were among the top reasons nearly half of all fresh graduates left their first jobs in less than a year, according to the results of a survey released recently by Monster.com.
In a statement, Monster.com said around 32 percent of new graduates said issues with their bosses were the reason they left their jobs before they reached their first year in the company.
Monster.com said around 42 percent of all fresh graduates in the Philippines quit their jobs within the first year of being employed.
“Employers must be mindful of young talents’ keen desire for leadership support to upskill. Fresh graduates are aware that being given the opportunity to expand their responsibilities and competencies can lead to bigger and better-paying roles, which will help employers to retain and develop talent in the long term,” Monster.com-Asia Pacific and Middle East Managing Director Sanjay Modi said.
The data also showed 41 percent of work force neophytes who quit their jobs said they lacked industry knowledge and 30 percent said they were unprepared for work life.
While these indicate an apparent lack of leadership support to help young talent transition into working life, Monster.com said 80 percent of employers across the region believe they provide sufficient support for fresh graduates to succeed.
In their defense, employers said fresh graduates were too concerned about money, are often late and did little research on the firm before applying.
Of the biggest interview mistakes made by fresh graduates, Monster.com data showed that 26 percent of fresh graduates focused too much on the money; 24 percent were often late; and 21 percent did not do sufficient research on the company they are joining.
“Money is obviously a key concern for fresh graduates, and this makes sense—they are finally embarking on their career journey and will be excited about earning their first full-time wage. But young talent would be smart to play down their salary hopes, and instead focus on what they can gain from experience in their first job,” Modi said.
Meanwhile, Monster.com said they also asked job seekers and employers about the biggest mistakes made during job interviews and what hiring managers actually care about reading on a curriculum vitae (CV).
Across the region, 67 percent of employers said they spend less than three minutes reading any given CV.
Half of the employers spend one to three minutes scanning CVs, while 17 percent will only glance at resumés for less than 60 seconds.
When considering a CV, 68 percent of employers care most about any experience a seeker might have that is relevant to the role followed by qualifications and education at 58 percent, and ensuring the resumé is well-written and easy to read at 45 percent.
Monster.com said, however, 11 percent of employers don’t care much about proper spelling and grammar; 8 percent, links to portfolio of work; or 5 percent the volunteer experience of applicants.
Around 23 percent of Filipino job seekers said the hardest part of writing a CV is the career summary. When it comes to job-interview mistakes, 51 percent of applicants said not asking questions was their biggest regret, followed by not doing enough research on the company.
Monster.com surveyed 1,115 fresh graduates and employers in the Philippines to uncover insights, challenges and expectations related to the recruitment process for young local talent. The survey was conducted to understand the unique challenges and barriers for both fresh -graduate job seekers and employers looking to hire and retain young talent.