‘Sage on the stage’ is outdated
We have a big paradox in the industry today. Companies complain that they cannot get the right talent and job seekers are bitter about the lack of job opportunities. This is because our education system does not have meaningful partnerships with industry. High-quality institutes of higher education should co-create curricula with companies and build learning experiences that build the capacity to ask the right questions.
The industry values those who can source learning agility as knowledge gets outdated rapidly. Institutes need to give up the ‘sage on the stage’ model that employs faculty members, who impress students with their knowledge! Instead, they should employ teachers who are excellent facilitators, who inspire their students to ask the right questions and make use of technology like Gen AI to acquire knowledge from the best sources in the world.
Companies have realised that, in addition to learning agility, the most important aspect they need to assess in hiring talent is character. Values such as mindfulness, compassion, ethics, sustainability and diversity enable people to take up challenges and make positive impact! Employees with strong character and average competence outperform those with high competence but weak values!
Companies make efforts to induct employees who are adaptable, resilient and know how to lead themselves. Self-leadership is the ability to take control of one’s own actions, emotions and thoughts, to achieve personal and professional goals. It involves setting clear intentions, managing time effectively, making decisions based on values and priorities and taking responsibility for one’s own actions and behaviours.
Self-leadership also involves being proactive in seeking personal growth and development, learning from mistakes and failures and continuously improving oneself. It requires self-awareness, self-discipline and a strong sense of self-efficacy and confidence.
Effective self-leadership can lead to increased motivation, productivity and overall success in both personal and professional life. In addition to the points shared above, here are some trends in recruitment:
Use of Artificial Intelligence: AI tools are increasingly being used in recruitment processes to streamline candidate screening, automate administrative tasks and improve candidate experience.
Remote Hiring: With the rise of remote work, companies are expanding their talent pools by hiring candidates from different locations and conducting virtual interviews.
Diversity and Inclusion: Companies are putting a greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion in their recruitment efforts, aiming to build diverse and inclusive workplaces that reflect the diverse nature of society.
Employer Branding: Employer branding is becoming an important part of recruitment strategies, with companies focussing on building their reputation as an employer of choice to attract top talent.
Candidate Experience: Companies place a greater emphasis on providing a positive candidate experience throughout the recruitment process to attract and retain top talent.
Gig Economy. The gig economy is reshaping the way people work, and companies are increasingly hiring freelancers, contractors and gig workers to meet their talent needs.
Social Media Recruiting: Social media platforms are being used by recruiters to actively source and engage with potential candidates, as well as to promote their employer brand.
Data-Driven Recruitment: Companies leverage data and analytics to make more informed decisions in their recruitment processes, from optimising job postings to predicting candidate success.
In the final analysis, companies that value total employee experience manage to attract, inspire, develop and retain talent. This gives them a huge competitive advantage. To address these evolving recruitment trends, colleges and universities need to adapt their curricula and teaching methods.
Institutions can incorporate more project-based learning, internships, and industry collaborations to give students real-world experience and exposure to current business practices.
Moreover, colleges should emphasise the importance of lifelong learning and provide students with the tools to continually update their skills. This could include teaching students how to effectively use AI and other emerging technologies for self-directed learning.
Additionally, institutions should integrate courses on ethics, sustainability and diversity to help students develop the character traits that companies increasingly value.
By fostering strong industry partnerships, colleges can ensure their programmes remain relevant and aligned with current market needs. This could involve regular curriculum reviews with industry experts, guest lectures from professionals and collaborative research projects.
Such initiatives will help bridge the gap between academia and industry, ultimately producing graduates who are better prepared for the evolving job market and more attractive to potential employers.