During the selection process, theoretical knowledge can be a real advantage for those positions where you want to develop the practical skills of a candidate whose potential is appreciated from the first interview.
However, the success of many recruitment and selection processes is overshadowed by an element that only manifests itself once the candidate has been inserted into daily work and throughout the period of adjustment between the neo-employee and the area where shall belong. I have called this element or behavior, to be more precise, “the newly graduated professional syndrome” or simply the PRG syndrome.
It is difficult to imagine someone who has not experienced it, since, apparently, its appearance is completely unconscious, but, once fed, it becomes a characteristic of the individual who demonstrates it.
PRG Syndrome presents the individual, in any of its facets, as an expert in the field in which he has specialized, offering opinions, points of view and even firm and radical positions without possessing sufficient practical experience in what he addresses or bases that support your approach beyond what you know or think you know.
One of the most outstanding characteristics of the syndrome is that it does not respect the professional level acquired, it is reflected both in professionals who have left a four-hour workshop, for example, and in those who have completed a third or fourth year university course. level.
How to recognize it?
By its name it seems to be simple, it could be said that it will be more easily observed in those people who have just obtained a degree or who have completed an academic stage. But it's not like that. Although it is true that it manifests itself before, during and after obtaining the degree, its main manifestations will become evident once the “recent graduate” has entered the world of work.
While the employee-company relationship is scarce, the attitude shown by the individual is completely attractive and interesting, he seems to have a deep interest in experiencing everything learned and at the same time observing the coincidence between theory and practice. It is open to challenges, challenges and, above all, to offer the highest added value to the organization. But when the relationship materializes and the candidate is linked to the company through work, the behavior changes; in some cases the change is subtle and very well carried out, the mismatch between what is learned and what is done is shown, but instead of resisting widely, it is oriented to highlight options and variations.
But in other cases the behavior of the carrier of the PRG Syndrome is completely reprehensible, among other things:
1. Widely criticizes company practices
2. Questions the orders of their superiors or supervisors, including the opinions of their colleagues or subordinates with more time in the company
3. Disobeys the line without offering reasons other than their knowledge to support them.
4. He shows himself as the only connoisseur of the truth, cataloging the way the company manages its business as obsolete or outdated.
While it is true that in some cases the PRG's vision is correct, it is completely inappropriate to start a business crusade without sufficient credibility and image.
There are two ways to overcome PRG Syndrome, in this work a few will be shown, these are:
From who suffers it:
• Use your knowledge to gain credibility, show your progress and successes with the existing line and show that with your vision these could be increased.
• Companies do not change overnight, the traditional view of change is sustained is that every change generates resistance, but once it has been shown that there will be benefits, the variation spreads rapidly; orient yourself to it.
• First learn well enough what the company is like and how its representatives are and think, maintain a marketing vision at all times, that means that the client must be given what he wants. Once you become the main supplier, “introduce new merchandise”.
From the observer:
• Make it clear what you expect from the position and the person who is going to exercise it, if possible do it in writing, that document will serve to demonstrate deviations or omissions.
• Be open to new ideas, do not reject them outright, show interest in them and commit to finding a space for those that can add value to the process.
• Once the syndrome is detected, meet the carrier and specify it, if the behavior becomes stronger it will be difficult to correct it.
In companies, teamwork and both operational and strategic and conceptual coaching are fundamental to achieving goals, nobody is so wise that they don't get anything new to learn, and nobody is so ignorant that they act only by imitation, if a person You are exercising a position is because you have certain competences for it and, when you enter a labor production process having only the theory, it is definitely highly mandatory to accumulate a minimum of practical experience before criticizing, opposing or trying to change it.
