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I teach courses and executive programs in leadership and management and, as part of my introduction to the class, explain to participants why what they are there to learn is vitally important: these skills are among the most important keys to lifelong career success. Regardless of the country, industry or job they work in, leadership, the ability to work well on a team, and communication skills – among the package known as ‘the soft skills’ – are what will make the crucial difference in their career.
While some colleges, universities, and business schools screen for these soft skills through admissions essays, recommendations, and interviews, we need to go further in developing these skills. In most business schools throughout the world, the emphasis is on the ‘hard skills’ of economics, accounting and finance, rather than the soft skills. At the same time, many business schools use teams in a wide variety of courses, yet few teach much about how teams really work (e.g., beyond forming, storming, norming, and performing) or how to ‘unstick’ a stuck team – important skills for much of the work our graduates will do over the course of their career.
I’m not alone in thinking this, either. Several recent studies with employers also point to leadership and other ‘soft’ skills as in very high demand for graduates – and in short supply.
Bloomberg Research
On the premise that business schools should be producing graduates who have the abilities companies need most, Bloomberg set out to find which skills employers most covet in business school graduates – and which of these skills are hardest for them to find. Recruiters, of which 1320 of them from more than 600 companies responded, picked the five qualities that are most important to them in hiring MBAs, as well as the five that are hardest to find, from this list of 14:
- Ability to work collaboratively
- Adaptability
- Analytic thinking
- Communication skills
- Creative problem-solving
- Decision making
- Entrepreneurship
- Global mindset
- Industry-related work experience
- Initiative/risk-taking
- Leadership skills
- Motivation/drive
- Quantitative skills
- Strategic thinking
The most desired and hardest to find skills in today’s MBA market? Communication, leadership, problem solving, and strategic thinking skills were the most desired and hardest to find skills.
Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Research
The Graduate Management Admission Council also does a study on what recruiters seek in graduate management students and found:
“Of five major skill sets employers consider most important when hiring recent business grads for a mid-level position, communications skills top the list, followed in order by teamwork, technical, leadership, and managerial skills. With the exception of one industry -- manufacturing, where leadership skills were in greatest demand -- this finding was true across all world regions and employers, regardless of industry or company size.”
Associate of MBAs (AMBA) Employer’s Forum
According to the Association of MBAs (AMBA) 2014 Employer’s Forum, “‘Hard’ skills of analytical and strategic thinking are still important, but soft skills such as oral and written communication, presentation skills, adaptability and the ability to negotiate are becoming increasingly important.... A recurring theme throughout the event was that employers are in desperate need for MBA graduates with ‘soft’ skills. As the 2014 GMAC Employer survey demonstrates, the days when the ‘hard’ skills of analytical and strategic thinking dominated are over, and it’s oral and written communication, presentation, adaptability and the ability to negotiate that industry are asking the schools to teach their students.”
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Research
The desire for students that have leadership, team, and communication skills goes beyond those hiring only business school graduates. The U.S.-based National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) recently asked employers what they look for on a recent college graduate candidate’s resume, to screen for those they will interview and potentially hire.
The results? Employers are looking for leaders who can work as part of a team and communicate effectively. The importance of candidate attributes sought in screening resumes, listed in order of the number of respondents choosing that attribute, across recruiters, are:
- Ability to work in a team (77.8%)
- Leadership (77.8%)
- Written communication skills (73.4%)
- Problem-solving skills (70.9%)
- Strong work ethic (70.4%)
- Analytical/quantitative skills (68%)
- Technical skills (67.5%)
- Oral communication skills (67.0%)
- Initiative (66.5%)
- Computer skills (62.6%)
- Flexibility/adaptability (62.1%)
- Interpersonal skills (60.6%)
- Detail-oriented (57.6%)
- Organizational ability (42.4%)
- Strategic planning skills (35%)
- Friendly/outgoing personality (29.1%)
- Entrepreneurial skills/risk-taker (25.1%)
- Tactfulness (23.2%)
- Creativity (18.2%)
Dilbert, Too
Even Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert cartoon series, seems to agree that our business grads need a refined skill set. One of my favorite Dilbert cartoons lampoons business schools for focusing instruction on the hard skills like economics, accounting and finance, rather than many of the ‘softer’ skills needed for success in the workplace like identifying and hiring good people, business writing, negotiation, and motivating employees. If Scott Adams creates a cartoon about it, it must be true.
A similar post was previously published on University World News.
