What Do Employers Want in a New Hire? Mostly, Good Speaking Skills
Adapted from an Education Week blog post by By Catherine Gewertz on August 28, 2018 12:01 AM. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/high_school_and_beyond/2018/08/good_speaking_tops_list_of_skills_employers_want_most.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news2-rm&M=58591778&U=55099
How does developing your ability to excel during your Miss America interview and onstage question help you in real life? Apparently, your speaking ability may land you a top job in the future!
According to a recent survey conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, what executives want when they're hiring new people is strong speaking skills, but they have a tough time finding candidates who fit the bill.
Of the 15 job skills that executives and hiring managers identified as very important in new hires, they identified good oral communication skills as #1. Eight in 10 executives and 9 in 10 hiring managers said recent college graduates need good speaking skills when they are searching for jobs.
For executives and hiring managers, oral communication ranked higher than critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and working in teams. It's more important to company leaders than being able to write well, solve complex problems, or be innovative.
While 80 percent of the executives said good oral communication skills are very important, only 40 percent said recent college graduates were "well prepared" to handle duties requiring those skills.
