Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd. and PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd. are giving extra coaching to their youngest staff in the United Kingdom after noticing recruits whose education was disrupted by lockdowns have weaker teamwork and communication skills than previous cohorts.

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Junior employees who spent part of their school or university years isolated from their peers have found it harder to adapt to the work environment, partners at the consulting firms told the Financial Times.

The recruits have less confidence doing basic tasks such as making presentations and speaking up in meetings, they said.

“This means that there is a greater need for employers to provide training on basic professional and working skills, that wasn’t necessary in prior years,” said Jackie Henry, Deloitte’s U.K. managing partner for people and purpose.

The introduction of extra training by two of the U.K.’s biggest recruiters of graduates and apprentices demonstrates the challenges faced by employers in dealing with the long-term impact that pandemic restrictions have had on some people.

Ian Elliott, PwC’s U.K. chief people officer, said it was “understandable that students who missed out on face-to-face activities during COVID may now be stronger in certain fields, such as working independently, and less confident in others.” Some were “less confident” presenting and talking at meetings, collaborating with colleagues and networking, he said.

Many of the younger cohort “have only had minimal or virtual work experience, with less exposure to a corporate environment,” said Henry.

Some were less confident and “many are used to working in an isolated way, so struggle with teamwork and how they (should) work in office and on client sites,” she added.

Henry also said Deloitte was “seeing more candidates wanting to defer their professional exams and people who are struggling with stress in a way we haven’t seen before.”

The difficulty of training new hires had been compounded by hybrid working, said a senior partner at one consulting firm, because it limited opportunities to learn by observing more experienced colleagues. Like most professional services firms, Deloitte and PwC allow their employees to split the working week between their homes and the office.

People ... are struggling with stress in a way we haven't seen before

Jackie Henry, Deloitte

To tackle the problem, PwC was “ramping up the coaching we provide (to) junior staff,” said Elliott. The plan includes allowing some client-facing employees to spend two years on secondment as full-time coaches, guiding junior colleagues on their career development, performance and well-being.

Under the scheme, which has already been piloted in some business lines, the coaches receive training and the firm will fund them if they pursue formal career coaching qualifications.

PwC will also launch a coaching initiative that will emphasize the importance of face-to-face training and ensure junior staff “get more exposure to in-person activities with partners and directors,” Elliott said.

Deloitte had also taken action to help plug “skills gaps” among graduates and apprentices, said Henry. This included a new induction program, plus training on presenting online and in person, and building professional networks.

From July, new joiners would also attend a week-long training program with sessions on “mental resilience, overcoming adversity and the importance of mindset,” she said.

The firm gave guidance to younger staff explaining “the benefits … from coming into the office to collaborate, network and learn from more experienced colleagues,” Henry added.

© 2023 The Financial Times Ltd