Universities are not alone in this fear. Students are also worried about office life and the shift in expectations between academia and the workforce. Fresh graduates shared these concerns about how to work with colleagues, deliver in-person presentations, and build a personal network to the Wall Street Journal. One student even shared his surprise that deadlines in an office were harder to extend than those set for a college assignment.

Colleges are trying to help. Michigan State University asks companies to give explicit guidance on a hires first day, including what to wear and where to get lunch, reports the Wall Street Journal. The school also gives students tips on how to handle a networking conversationincluding how to look for signs that the other party is starting to get bored and that its time to move on. 

Miami University even put together a dinner with senior leaders in order to learn proper dinner etiquette, one recent graduate from the Ohio-based school told the Wall Street Journal. Among the advice: How quickly to eat, how to politely butter your bread, and how to carry a conversation on neutral topics. 

Extra training

Companies are also giving new graduates extra training to get them up to speed. 

Earlier this year, the U.K. arms of Deloitte and PwC said they would give their hires extra training on presentations and interacting in meetings. 

There is a greater need for employers to provide training on basic professional and working skills that wasnt necessary in prior years, Jackie Henry, Deloittes U.K. managing partner for people and purpose, told the Financial Times. Many [new employees] are used to working in an isolated way, so struggle with teamwork.

Its not just Americans and Europeans worried about the return to regular office life. One smile coach in Japan told the New York Times that her business was booming after the government relaxed its guidance on wearing face masks earlier this year.

Some CEOs, like Metas Mark Zuckerberg and Salesforces Marc Benioff, now believe new hires need some in-person office time to get the skills they need. 

Engineers who either joined Meta in-person and then transferred to remote or remained in-person performed better on average than people who joined remotely, Zuckerberg wrote in a memo earlier this year. (Meta will mandate three days of office time each week, starting in September.) 

Remote education

Its not yet clear whether remote education during the pandemic led to worse educational outcomes overall. 

In higher education, online education may work better for large introductory courses, while the lack of face-to-face discussion hurts smaller classes, according to a survey of students at the City College of New York published at the end of 2021. 

The data is less positive for younger students. Pandemic-era students report lower scores in reading and math than their pre-pandemic counterparts, with larger declines for students with longer periods of online classes. Yet even students with only brief periods of remote learning performed worse. 

Still, Gen Zs experience with remote education might have made them more willing to work in an office than their slightly older colleagues. 

Younger workers generally report a greater preference for in-person work than their millennial counterparts. Almost 90% of Gen Z employees who want to work in an office cite greater productivity, according to an April report from Morning Consult.

Odeys three-decade run as one of Londons most famed and controversial hedge fund managers has come to a screeching halt. Within the space of a week he has gone from celebrating his best ever year of performance to having to watch from the sidelines as the firm he founded is broken up. 

The dramatic fall from grace caps a career punctuated by extreme performance highs and lows. A notoriously contrarian investor, Odey, 64, made a name for himself as an extreme risk taker, who produced spectacular gains but also outsized losses. 

Odey Asset Management LLP, the firm, which he created in 1991, at one point ran as much as $13 billion of assets. That had fallen to about $4.3 billion before the recent allegations prompted investors to pull their funds as service providers, including Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc, severed ties.

The reckoning for Odey was triggered by the publication last Thursday of a Financial Times investigation into his treatment of women over a 25-year period that included multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault. Women have described crude remarks, unwanted touching and unwelcome proposals to be his mistress, according to those who spoke to Bloomberg News. Thirteen women told the Financial Times of harassment or abuse, eight of whom alleged he sexually assaulted them.

The accusations followed similar reports in the two years since he was acquitted of a sexual assault charge in a British court in 2021. Subsequently, two women came forward to Bloomberg, another went to the Times of London newspaper. Additional accounts appeared in a Tortoise Media podcast.

Odey denies the allegations. He did not respond to multiple calls and texts seeking comment for this story. 

The implosion of Odey Asset Management has been a stark reminder for investors how much attention should be paid to key-man risk, said Berlin-based Harald Berlinicke, the chief investment officer of Max-Berlinicke-Erben family office. It is often conveniently ignored. Most of the time, the bill never arrives but when it does, investors are usually scratching their heads over how much they have to pay.

An Empty Suitcase 

Odey was born in January 1959 in Yorkshire, northern England, to the son of a Tory MP and a mother who came from a prominent business family. He was educated at Harrow, an elite private boys school, read history and economics at the University of Oxford and later, on the insistence of his grandfather, joined the bar. 

In 1983 he quit law to work in the City of London, firstly at Framlington Fund Manager and later at Barings International. The decision angered his grandfather, according to Odey.

My grandfather disliked the City and he wasnt used to being countermanded, so he got annoyed, Odey told the Evening Standard in 2012. He left me nothing in his will but an empty suitcase.

His marriage in 1991 to Nichola Pease launched him firmly into Londons financial elite. Pease, whose father was chairman of Yorkshire Bank and vice-chairman of Barclays, enjoyed a stellar career in investment banking and asset management. They were soon marked out as a powerful couple in Londons financial circles. The couple divorced after the 2021 assault case acquittal. 

Having analyzed, known and observed, Crispin Odey for over 20 years I see him as an extremely bright and cerebral fund manager with strong views based on good analysis and experience which is reflected in his track record, said Jacob Schmidt, who runs the investment advisory firm Schmidt Research Partners. Though often too eccentric for me and our investors. 

As his wealth grew his fortune was last valued in the Sunday Times Rich List in 2020 at 825 million  so did his influence. Either personally, or via his company, Odey has donated at least 1.7 million to UK political parties, the bulk channeled to the Conservative Party and pro-Brexit campaigns, according to the Electoral Commission. 

Unlike most hedge fund managers, who are notoriously low profile, Odey is often quoted in the press with comments spanning markets and politics, especially regarding his support of Brexit. He has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of central banks and frequently lambastes UK politicians. 

His monthly commentary to investors is widely tracked for his market predictions, the most noteworthy of which failed to come true and he suffered years of losses before a stunning turnaround in his flagship hedge fund that started in 2021.

In 2022, he enjoyed his best year of performance in his Odey European Inc. hedge fund, with returns of 152% powered mainly by his highly leveraged short wagers on long-dated UK government bonds as inflation and political turmoil roiled the British economy.

Crispin Odey, with his larger-than-life personality, was undoubtedly a formidable force in the hedge fund world, said Bruno Schneller, managing director at Swiss based INVICO Asset Management AG. 

Rapid Unwinding

Within hours of the FT report, the firms banking relationships were put under review and investors started making redemption requests. The firm, in full crisis management mode, did the most dramatic thing possible in an effort to stem the bleeding: it severed all links with its founder. In letters to clients over the weekend, the investment firm emphasized that Odey no longer had any economic or personal involvement in the partnership despite previously owning, according to UK Companies House filings, at least 75% of the firms voting rights. 

While swift, the ousting of Odey on Saturday morning didnt come in time to stop Morgan Stanley from jumping ship. JPMorgan Chase and Co. and Goldman, had by that stage begun reviews of their relationships with the hedge fund.

Goldman managing directors met with senior Odey staff last weekend, according to a person familiar with the discussions, who asked not to be identified. Following the meetings the bank ended its relationship with the firm. JPMorgan is expected to follow suit. 

On Wednesday, politicians sought answers from the UK financial regulator about its supervision of the firm. The Financial Conduct Authority has spent two years looking into Odeys conduct but the full extent of its investigation has yet to be revealed.

Less than 24 hours later, the firm was preparing for its endgame. We have been, and remain in constructive dialogue with our service providers and key counterparties, Odey Asset Management said in a letter to investors seen by Bloomberg News. It has however become clear that some investment management activities of the partnership are affected by recent events.

The investment firm said it was in advanced discussions with other asset managers to find a new home for its funds and some of its staff. 

Odeys offices, located on a quiet street in Londons Mayfair district, sit next door to other investment firms and luxury private residences, and just a three-minute walk from Hyde Park. Le Gavroche, the two Michelin-star restaurant where Odey reportedly is a lunchtime regular, is across the street. 

In the early part of this week, passers-by stopped briefly to take a look at the offices gold-colored door plate and ponder why journalists were standing outside. By Thursday afternoon there were fewer spectators. Instead there were plenty of comings and goings with senior fund managers including Mathieu Rachmaninoff, who politely declined to talk to Bloomberg, and Oliver Kelton both entering the building alongside the head of IT.

Odey hasnt been seen at the office for several days, according to a porter working at a private residence nearby, who asked not to be identified.

Hedge funds have spent a decade showing the world that they can build durable, diversified businesses, said Andrew Beer, founder of Dynamic Beta Investments. Odey will be held up as the counterpoint. 

Our success didnt happen by accident. It took months of collaboration, testing, grassroots organizing, and a little bit of luck to pull it off. And most importantly, it took effective people management. Looking back, I can identify three main contributors to the success of the Xbox project that people leaders should keep in mind in 2023 and beyond.

Recruiting for passion

From its initial conception, Xbox was not a widely supported initiative within Microsoft. My three co-founders and I had to develop prototypes, go through countless rounds of pitching, and overcome widespread skepticism to get our idea approved. It often felt like we were pushing a boulder up a hill that kept growing taller.

When the support we needed wasnt there, belief and passion sustained us. We trusted in the idea that Microsoft had an opportunity to disrupt the console space by creating a truly distinctive offering. This conviction drove us to risk our careers and work long hours to realize our vision.

While you shouldnt expect your employees to pull all-nighters, its fair to expect some level of buy-in. Employees should feel excited by the organizations mission and their ability to take ownership in its direction. Passion is a difficult thing to fake. People leaders must work to create environments that foster excitement and enthusiasm for the companys missionand that starts with getting the right people on board.

Finding the right talent with potential for growth

With only a handful of volunteers on our team working on the Xbox concept in addition to our day jobs, each of us played an important role in seeing the project through to completion. It took a mix of engineering expertise, video game development experience, developer relations, and much more. I feel confident in saying that without the right talent in place, Xbox wouldnt exist.

While the right mix of skills and experience was undoubtedly important, theres another quality that drove Microsofts success in the 1990s: potential. Rather than relying solely on a checklist of qualifications, Microsoft also prioritized the soft skills and development of each candidate. With many young professionals today embracing non-linear career paths, a growth philosophy is more relevant in the hiring world than ever.

When searching for talent, its important to not only consider where the candidate has been but also where they want to go. By understanding a new hires current qualifications and future aspirations, you can choose the right people for todays roles as well as where you hope to take the company tomorrow.

Making data-backed decisions

During the pitch process, our team couldnt show up with just a hunch about what might work. We needed data that was compelling, easily digestible, and actionable to gain support for our vision. For example, there was widespread skepticism in the gaming world that a Windows-based operating system could work for a console, given how long it took the O.S. to boot up on a PC at the time. In response, one of my engineers modified the Windows codebase to create a prototype that could boot up a game in only a few seconds.

These data-backed insights arent just important for product developmenttheyre also invaluable for people management. Microsofts metrics-centric approach to talent management meant that Xbox could rapidly staff the new project with people who were the right fit. Historically, people management decisions have been made based on intuition and experience. However, the rise of workforce analytics can allow leaders to make more informed decisions. By measuring employee sentiment and other metrics like employee engagement, turnover rates, and performance, people leaders gain a better understanding of their workforces preferences and any gaps, allowing them to identify opportunities to build a better organization.

Collecting data is just one part of the process. The real value comes from turning that data into actionable insights. In todays fast-paced business environment, time is of the essence, and people leaders need the ability to quickly analyze and transform data into tangible insights that can inform their decision-making.

People are foundational to success

Back in 1999, the idea of Microsoft entering the console space was written off by many, but with the right people and the right insights, the Xbox project became a global phenomenon. And its still here today.

In part, our success came down to having passionate, growth-oriented people and the data to back up our claims and proposed strategy. These takeaways hold true in 2023 and are things I still carry with me as CEO of HireRoad, a growth-oriented company aimed at helping organizations succeed with their people talent.

As you work to grow your own company and create innovative offerings, the lessons from how Xbox came to be should serve as a reminder of the importance of effective, data-backed people management.

Otto Berkes is the CEO of HireRoad.

The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.

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