Over the past several months, on-line business sites have published numerous studies indicating that employers have grown wary of hiring the members of Generation Z. They give a number of reasons, including a lack of workforce preparedness coming out of college. At the same time, three quarters of recent graduates say they learned more during their first six months on the job than during their four years in the classroom. We could have a long conversation about where the responsibility for this situation lies. But that’s not the point of this post.
Employers want to know how to navigate the challenge of hiring these young people without burdening managers with training for skills that should have been acquired at the university. Unfortunately, there’s not an easy answer. But too many times when I have asked complaining managers how they go about assessing the thinking skills of an applicant, any applicant, I get a blank stare. I am not judging here. I know they have a lot on their plates. As a result, there is a temptation to shoehorn the hiring of new people into schedules that are overwhelmed to begin with. But then they are frustrated when the new hires cannot think on their feet as well as the hiring manager had assumed. Then there’s unexpected time invested to bring the person up to speed and build their confidence to think and act independently. This drains time and treasure, along with adding another source of heartburn.
So, what to do? Here’s what I have been advising employers. Don’t assume that applicants possess the critical thinking skills they will need to thrive within your organization. Now, that does not mean you should not hire them. They may possess other attributes that will enable them to thrive in your environment.
An example of this would be the applicant who demonstrates excellent communication and relational skills during the selection process but seems to lack “common sense” when you assess how he or she makes decisions, especially those where a person has to think on their feet. Would I hire someone like that? Perhaps. But I would know in advance that this person is going to need some coaching on making decisions.
Truthfully, I have been preaching these ideas for years and I know they work because I have seen them in action. The pushback I usually get is “Doing this takes time I don’t have.” Yet, which would you rather do, take the extra time, maybe an hour or two and get the right person, or go through the selection process several times because the first couple of people didn’t work out? I’m just saying.
Begin by listing the kinds of projects, tasks and decisions this new hire will be expected to perform. Here’s an example: Suppose you’re hiring for a logistics supervisor. This person is going to make lots of daily decisions on the fly regarding everything from staffing, to broken equipment, to late arriving trucks to last-minute changes to orders. Simply asking, “Can you think on your feet?” is a non-starter. What can you do instead to put applicants in a simulated environment where they will be compelled to make a number of snap decisions within an hour or two?
Remember, it’s not about whether the decision is right or wrong in these situations. It’s about how they approach each problem. How do they gather the facts and input? What options do they consider? How clearly do they communicate their decisions? How confident do they appear to be in making those decisions? Their first inclination might be to look at their smart phone for answer or ask Claude or Deep Seek, “Here’s my situation. What should I do?” But that won’t work in a faced-paced environment. It’s plain old trial and error. But with encouragement they will catch on faster than you think.
Or how about a junior auditor position? In addition to running the numbers, this job entails approaching clients about their reasoning in making financial decisions and even challenging what those clients say when the numbers don’t seem to add up. How would you go about creating a simulation that would compel applicants to demonstrate their approach to decisions in this situation and the confidence to act and recover when things don’t go as planned?
Or how about an underwriting position for a large insurance firm? This position is all about judgment which, of course, requires confidence in making decisions. Obviously, the underwriter will be using templates and formulas make most of these decisions. But what about those borderline cases? How about the politics that might be involved in who gets underwritten and who doesn’t? How about the crafting of letters and messages to communicate the underwriter’s reasoning? How would you create a simulation that would allow you to examine the discernment and reasoning skills each applicant possesses?
Consider your own situation. It is tempting to think, by the way, that artificial intelligence will now fill the gap between a new employee’s deficit or hesitance in making decisions and what will be needed on the job. But the reality is a lot different. Attempting to craft a query for AI that will provide the best information takes time, when the customer or co-worker is waiting. Even then, your employee still has to discern which is the best option and act on that option. Will AI become an obstacle to developing the critical thinking skills a number of people lack these days? Only time will tell. In the meantime, the decision is not made and the action is not taken.
I’ve told employers endlessly that I don’t care what applicants know as much as I care about how applicants think. And this is true for all applicants, not just those now entering the workforce. Once again, you may still choose to hire someone who appears to struggle with critical thinking and making decisions. But wouldn’t it be helpful to know that on the way in the door?
What do you do to assess the critical thinking skills of those who apply to your organization? What secrets have you discovered that others would find helpful. Put them in the comments below so we can all benefit. And if you know of an organization who might benefit from a presentation on improving workplace decision making, please shoot me an email at bobw@commonsenseenterprises.net.