Another Role for CEOs

As if there isn’t already enough on CEO’s minds, (especially CEOs who hold ownership stakes) it seems there is yet another role for them to play. I call it CEO: Chief Education Officer.

I typically hear from clients who are challenged in hiring to fill open positions. Their attempts to find early career candidates who are ready to contribute are often met with frustration and disappointment. While credentialed and seemingly educated enough, many applicants are found lacking in essential skills like critical thinking and problem solving and collaborating and cooperating with co-workers and in ad hoc teams. A lack of basic communication skills, both oral and written, is also noted. There is also what one client called “a lack of understanding of organizational life and what is required to be a responsible member of a team.” What’s going on here?

In his book "There is Life After College,” author Jeffrey Selingo conducted extensive interviews with both early career job-seekers (mostly recent graduates) and potential employers to try find out why, with so many open jobs to fill and no shortage of job seekers, both sides seem to come up empty in their respective searches.

"PASSCODE: Deciphering the Unwritten Codes of Career Advancement" author Jim Kessler pulls no punches in laying out a game plan for both early career/recent graduates (prepare to make yourself indispensable) and for employers (re-think your approach to staff development).

Many have called into question what is being taught (and learned) in schools and post secondary settings.

Training is not enough, education is required.

Don’t tell them, teach them!

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