Employers Want Hard Workers Who Speak, Write Clearly

Communication Breakdown: U.S. colleges and universities continue to produce people with technical proficiencies, but they apparently leave much to be desired in developing intuitive knowledge. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, most employers place a high priority on two key character traits when recruiting college graduates: communication skills and a strong work ethic. In particular, companies expect candidates entering the workforce from college to be articulate speakers and to write clearly and concisely. The ability to communicate is most in demand perhaps because it is the skill in which most graduates are wanting, according to the report. Even so, other attributes important to employers include people’s initiative, ability to effectively contribute to work teams, and their problem-solving skills.

Despite these hoped-for traits in prospective employees, companies may not be in a position to be choosy. The NACE report notes that employers expect to increase hiring of college graduates 16 percent in 2008. Yet competition for college graduates in 2008 is expected to be fierce, especially for people with advanced training such as engineering, computer science and accounting.