Graduates Don’t Have Enough Soft Skills

Many employers don’t believe that graduates entering the workplace don’t have the necessary soft skills to succeed, a new survey has revealed.

Research carried out by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) found that 46 per cent of employers don’t think those coming out of university into their first jobs have the skills that they would expect.

Things such as problem solving, self awareness, teamwork and interpersonal skills should all be developed at secondary school, according to 61 per cent of employers.

Meanwhile, resiliency is the only soft skill that companies would expect youngsters to develop during their time at university. Although employers believe students should be entering the workplace with more soft skills, they do acknowledge that certain things should be taught in the workplace.

This includes learning to deal with conflict, negotiating skills and developing commercial awareness.

Chief executive of the AGR Stephen Isherwood commented: “A focus on soft skills will develop better students, more productive employees and more engaged citizens.”

Employers that feel they need to offer more soft skills training may want to focus on what Insights Discovery can offer their workers.

The system is simple to understand and can be a brilliant way to foster more collaborative relationships within teams and for individuals to improve their communication and interpersonal skills.

It works by helping each individual understand their preferences in terms of how they interact with other people, and what communication style they have. Using this information, each staff member can evaluate the value they bring to their team.

Gaining a better understanding of their own personal communication style and preferences can also help people identify their strengths and weaknesses, helping bosses provide more targeted future training to cover any weak areas.