Feet on desks, hung over, no interest in learning, arrogant – That’s the impression that the latest round of college graduates are giving PayPal.
According to Louise Phelan, PayPal Vice President today’s breed of University Graduates are arriving in the work place with a “sense of entitlement” and no appetite for learning the skills needed in the modern workplace. Walking out of college into a job having everything handed to them on a plate, then missing their targets but still expect to be promoted is not the attitude that employers like PayPal want.Louise points out that whilst having a college degree was once exceptional, it’s fast becoming the norm as governments encourage students to enter higher education.
It’s a bit of a damning assessment of our latest entrants to the workplace, but one which sadly might actually be right. Hopefully not, but what about your business? Do you have employees and are the hard working, flexible, willing to learn and presentable? Or is Louise right and we’re raising a generation of people unwilling to put themselves out, work hard, and fit into the workplace?
Someone, somewhere is doing something wrong, and whether it be parents, schools, universities and colleges or previous employers, it would appear that graduates are not well prepared for the workplace. To be fair Louise did say that many graduates looking for a job with PayPal worked hard and got on, but many simply don’t come up to the mark.
There may be something in the law about ageism in the workplace written into law (I’m not up to speed with Irish employment regulations), but if what Louise says is true than you might just be better off employing staff from an older generation.
Should it be the task of employers to teach people how to conduct themselves in the workplace and teach them that the world doesn’t owe them a living, or are the youth of today to remain unemployed and possibly unemployable?
18 Responses
Perhaps if PayPal had better selection processes they wouldn’t end up with muppets for staff? We have young staff who are dedicated, flexible, hardworking and everything else you’d want from any member of staff, regardless of their age. Stereotyping all young employees shows how useless PayPal are and how they’re never going to be good at attracting good staff – if I was young and ambitious I wouldn’t want to work there. Would you?
I left School in 1968 and went to work for Rolls-Royce in Derby as a Commercial Student. I did 6 months a year working inside RR and 6 months at College. I seem to remember that similar critisisms of youngsters entering the world of work were around back then.
In fact RR had a saying “That it took 2 years from entering RR for a College Graduate to be Useful to the business”. It took that long to get them out of the bad habits that they had learnt at College.
In fact while I was at RR there were 2 walk-outs. Neither particularly serious and both were over in minutes but what makes then interesting was that they were both caused by the same young member of staff who had recently joined RR straight from College.
Before anybody asks I cannot remember his name but it is possible that now he is some highly respected Industrialist.
Its just a fact of life that Youngsters straight from College take time to adapt to the World of Work. It has always been so and probably always will.
,total waffle and dribble when you contact support is any evidence of their attitude we agree
I worked in an environment for 10 years where customer was king and staff were subserviant to customers. No evidence of that at Paypal or eBay. They get the staff they deserve. “Feet on desks, hung over, no interest in learning, arrogant” – hmmm…..
I think it looks highly unprofessional of her to make such a sweeping, unintelligent statement.
I rather agree with the notion that if these are the people she’s finding at PayPal, then there is something very wrong with the hiring process.
Maybe Louise Phelan should move the Paypal offices from Ireland to the UK perhaps?
And ebay should to if they feel the same way about the staff they recruit.
If you base yourself in a low tax location then you can hardly be critical of the standard of the staff you recruit. Seems like ebay and paypal want their cake and want to eat it also.
The young people coming out of education are lazy, with little work ethic; have no time keeping; and think one day they will win the X factor and be rich. The solution is for schools to prepare kids for live in business.
to be honest after dealing with ebay/ paypal support over the years, paypal and ebay obviously attract the not so bright or dont pay enough,
I think their main problem is facial piercings!
The Irish Independent has an article today giving graduate’s responses to the PayPal article – they’re not impressed!
The real issue here is that Paypal and ebay are based in Ireland. If you base yourself in a low tax country you should accept the consequences. Not complain about them.
And anyway how do such remarks motivate their existing workforce?
On the subject of employing older folk has anybody here ever had any contact with any ebay/Paypal member of staff who gives the impression that they are over 40?
There is either:-
a) a sense that ebay/Paypal are ageist
b) a sense that older folk have got more sense than to work for ebay/paypal
I can imagine it being incredibly boring working at Paypal so not surprised.