Think ‘lack of work ethic‘ of the young workforce is a criticism leveled only by American employers?
Think again.
This story from the U.K. tells the story of an owner of a large farm in England whose frustration with young job seekers has escalated to the point he is publicly lambasting–and even boycotting–the teen job applicants coming from the local Jobcentre. “They have no work ethic and unfit for the labour market,” 54-year-old Richard Haddock says. “They turn up late, half asleep or with hangovers and spend half their time checking their mobile phones.” He further laments, “They know they should not wear nail varnish because they are handling food but they turn up wearing it anyway. If you try to discipline them or help them, they throw it back in your face.”
“We need to change our attitude to education and stop telling young people they need to go to university and expect to come out to a £50,000 job” Haddock says.
It’s not just a coincidence that Haddock’s brief characterization of poor work ethic references 5 of the 7 core work ethic values (attitude, reliability, professionalism, respect, and gratitude) detailed in my new book Reviving Work Ethic: A Leader’s Guide to Ending Entitlement and Restoring Pride in the Emerging Workforce.
Haddock, one of Great Britain’s most high-profile farmers, has now instituted a policy that requires all job applicants to audition for a job by working two hours for free. He extends job offers only to those who demonstrate the work ethic he demands.
Rather than idly sit back and complain, this fed-up farmer has created a brand new way to separate the chaff from the grain.
Interesting blog post and I also read the article it was based on. What I found interesting was the canned response of the government in defending their Job Centres program and their rejection of Mr. Haddock’s criticism with a, “there’s some fantastic young people out there.” That’s not the issue, there are many fantastic young people out there but there are way too many who have the attitude described in the article. I find it telling that that they were described as ‘school leavers’ which I assume is the same as a drop out over here. Small wonder then that if they didn’t have the fortitude to stick to school, they wouldn’t have the fortitude to maintain a productive work effort.
I wonder why more employers don’t just declare work to be phone free zones with the use of phones outside of sanctioned breaks considered grounds for termination. Or maybe parents should do their part and refuse to pay for anything other than basic phone service. Maybe if these kids have to pay for their own data and texting plans they’ll find a little more incentive to work hard as well as the appreciation to be able to do so.
I’m glad you brought this up, Tom. I saw the same response. If the best defense educators can make is that “there are some fantastic kids out there” – it speaks volumes as to their ineptitude and probably reveals their own frustration.