STATESIDE BMM qp strip CI Oct26 ad
1.indd 1
The party’s over
September means one thing… the summer and vacations are over as people return to school and work. Sharon Harris is here to deliver a reality check.
8/9/26 09:38
S
eptember also sees millions of recent graduates from high schools/trade schools, colleges and universities will begin new jobs. Others have relocated to fi ll new positions.
How can employers fi nd qualifi ed candidates with a positive work ethic? Shakespeare’s Hamlet said, “Ay, there’s the rub.” Translation? It means a hidden problem, challenge or obstacle exists with the situation.
For me, unlike today, there was nothing like a social media profi le or activity that could raise a red fl ag about my suitability.
That is no longer true. Someone’s history, even when young, could include questionable actions and decisions. For hiring personnel, it is easier to ignore them, and many HR managers do at their own peril.
There are several advantages to hiring individuals straight out of college or trade schools. First-time job prospects do not bring “baggage” and work habits from their prior companies’ culture.
16 SEPTEMBER 2026
However, the key obligation remains… choosing only qualifi ed people who understand the real world of work. That sounds easy enough, but numerous factors have changed conditions over the past 25 years. Social media has certainly benefi tted us, but it has also created “monsters” at the offi ce.
Since most graduates are in their 20s or 30s, I will limit most of my commentary to them. I “Googled” Gen Z for an accurate description of just who they are. Here are the key points: • As the fi rst generation, called “digital natives,” they exclusively grew up in a digital age with heavy exposure to smart phones, other devices, social media in multiple forms and wider coverage of economic and global shifts. Studies show they spend six hours minimum on their smart phones.
• Gen Z is adapting better than almost anyone- including my “Baby Boomer” generation- to a world with increasing Artifi cial Intelligence (AI). • They primarily communicate via various
cultural social media platforms and texting to retrieve information.
• Less than one-third of those under 45- have laid down roots with a home purchase or other life-changing personal event. That makes it easier to relocate and leave a job with short notice.
• Resume Templates reported that 54 percent of Gen Z employees have not only “ghosted” their colleagues, but also their employers. “Ghosting” means “suddenly ending all communication without warning or explanation and not responding to attempts to communicate.”
That alone should be grounds to fi re someone. Can you imagine wanting to speak with an employee, expecting them at a meeting, requiring a project’s completion, or returning a phone call and they disappear without a word?
• The survey also learned that 26 percent of Gen Z job applicants brought their parents
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108
