On May 4, students protested at the University of Michigan’s spring commencement ceremony.
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The Class of 2024 is already entering a precarious job market, and to make matters worse, employers are becoming increasingly wary of hiring them.
In fact, according to a recently released survey, 64% of employers said they had become concerned about employing graduates more broadly in the past five years. 1,268 business leaders in the United States Provided by Intelligent.com, a higher education publication.
Nearly a third of employers are particularly concerned about hiring new graduates who have taken part in pro-Palestinian protests in the past six months, while 22% are reluctant to hire graduates who have taken part in these demonstrations.
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, pro-Palestinian protests have broken out at U.S. universities. The Palestinian militant group Hamas claimed more than 1,200 lives in terror attacks in Israel on October 7, according to official figures. The ensuing Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Students from prestigious universities such as Columbia University, the University of Virginia, the University of Michigan and the University of Mississippi also participated.
Nearly two-thirds of employers said they were reluctant to hire protesters because they might display confrontational behavior in the workplace, and more than half said it was because they were too political and might make other workers feel unsafe, the survey showed. uncomfortable.
Other reasons include their belief that protesters are a burden, a danger, a lack of decent education, and political beliefs that differ from their own.
“Given recent dramatic coverage of campus protests and other incidents, it’s understandable that employers may want to avoid potential disruption and conflict in the workplace,” Huys Nguyen, chief education and career development advisor at Intelligence.com, told CNBC Make it.
“However, judging candidates based on their political views can create a slippery slope that employers should try to avoid. Free speech and sharing personal opinions on social issues is a fundamental right, and employers should prioritize candidates’ skills, experience and other job-related qualifications for any political bias,” Nguyen added.
Job application process
Not all employers feel the same way. Some 21% of business leaders surveyed are keen to hire graduates who have participated in protests because they value graduates’ outspokenness, strong values, dedication to causes and political beliefs consistent with their own. Meanwhile, 57% of leaders remain neutral on the issue.
This topic is likely to come up during the job search process, with 31% of business leaders always or often asking candidates about their involvement in protests during the interview process. But 54% said they rarely ask the question, according to the survey.
“Political views should never be factored into a candidate’s qualifications during the hiring process,” Nguyen explained.
“Not only is this unethical, it does not have any meaningful impact on a candidate’s ability to perform their job duties. Additionally, employers who display bias may face legal consequences in some jurisdictions.”
Nguyen stressed that college students and graduates don’t necessarily need to suppress their political views and activism, but they need to be aware that some employers do have biases.
“When applying for jobs, they should strive to maintain professionalism, separate personal political views from career goals, and focus on highlighting their qualifications for the position they are applying for,” Nguyen said.
He added: “Recognize that these biases exist, but don’t be paralyzed by them and focus on developing an adaptable mindset, becoming a lifelong learner and having the confidence to overcome any current or future challenges that may arise in your career. .
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