- KPMG is offering classes on 'soft skills' for its Gen Z recruits who graduated during the pandemic.
- Younger workers were impacted by studying virtually during the pandemic.
KPMG is the latest company to notice that its Gen Z recruits are struggling to pick up basic communication skills in the workplace after studying virtually during the pandemic, The Telegraph reported Sunday.
Bosses at the accounting and consulting firm noticed that junior staff lacked the confidence to exercise basic skills like teamwork and project management, sources told The Telegraph.
As a result, the company is steering away from remote working policies – that were put in place during the pandemic – for its newest cohort. Graduates and apprentices will now have to be in-person for induction weeks and spend three days a week working from KPMG's central London office.
It's also offering extra classes on "soft skills" like giving presentations in person and how to collaborate in a team.
Both Deloitte and PWC have spoken about facing similar challenges in recent months and launched their own extra coaching programs for younger hires.
Much of Generation Z had to study virtually at colleges and universities during the pandemic. For some, this stunted their growth in areas like communication and collaboration and made it harder to integrate into the workplace after graduating.
KPMG is among the top employers offering 550 placements for interns in its accountancy department in the UK in 2023, according to data from the Institute of Student Employers, per the Financial Times.
"There's no doubt that the pandemic has impacted recent graduates and apprentices, who are now joining the workforce. They have missed out on a lot," Jon Holt, chief executive of KPMG UK told The Telegraph.
"I admire their resilience and it's important that as a business we support them as they begin their training and careers with us. This includes offering additional courses to help them build soft skills, as well as training them in the big issues facing our clients such as ESG and technology."
The company is also offering training to new hires on how to speak with people in-person, including the right level of eye contact and where to pause in conversation, the Wall Street Journal reported in June.