BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN GRADUATE EXPECTATIONS AND WORKPLACE REALITIES: FOR FUTURE HUMAN RESOURCE INTERVENTIONS

Abstract

The conversion from academia to the professional workforce often exposes a significant gap between the expectations of graduates and the realities of the workplace. This study scrutinizes the transition from academic environments to professional settings often presents challenges for graduates, primarily due to their expectation in future career. In addition, the graduates have higher expectations for their first career after graduating with bachelor's degree level. However, recent studies revealed that unrealistic expectations among graduates are primary contributor to their early job dissatisfaction. This review paper discusses the gap between the graduates’ expectations and the reality of workplace setting. Moreover, this study explores the multifaced impact on this bridge within the graduates. Furthermore, this study provides actionable insights for Human Resource (HR) professionals to design strategies that enhance graduate employment in today’s workplace. By aligning academic preparation with industry demands, the workplace realities will be reflect the graduate expectation. Thus, the study underscores the importance of aligning academic preparation with industry demands to reduce expectation-reality mismatches and create a more organized and positive workforce.