Volume 3, No.4
Winter 1997

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Skills Employers Seek, Or Who Will Be the Hot Workers of The 21st Century

Numbers Tell the Story

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SKILLS EMPLOYERS SEEK, OR WHO WILL BE THE HOT WORKERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
By: C. Dennis Hoffman

When someone says, "I just can't find qualified workers," what comes into your mind: scientists with computer know-how? Multi-lingual banking experts? Care-givers who can handle Alzheimer patients? Would you be surprised to learn that not only job applicants but current employees are considered to be deficient in basic skills? And what are the skills that employers value most?

SHRM SURVEY (released June 22, 1997)

In a survey of 1,729 human resource professionals conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management in partnership with AON Consulting, 60 percent of the survey participants said that the skill levels of today's job applicants do not meet job demands. Forty-three percent said that current employees do not have skills levels to meet job requirements. Although these human resource professionals agree that skills shortages include both attitudes and aptitudes/skills, the majority view work attitudes as being in greater deficiency than work aptitudes and skills. Non-management job applicants were found to be weakest in creativity and innovation, followed by dealing with change, problem solving and reasoning, and communications. Both current managers and manager applicants were found most lacking in change facilitation.

SHRM SOLUTIONS

Since 72 percent of survey participants viewed staff turnover as the greatest source of employment risk, improving the employee selection process is critical. Only 54 percent agreed that their current selection method (which includes reference checks, interviews, background checks, drug tests, and applications) identifies applicants with the needed skills. Future solutions include a greater commitment to training and development and improvement of their performance management systems to help close the skills gap and to support career development.

NACE SURVEY

Another survey (of 421 employers) was conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers in August 1996. NACE is a leading source of information for human resource professionals who recruit and hire college graduates and for on-campus career services counselors. Again we see (in the chart below) that employers rank work attitudes higher that discipline-specific or job-related skills. The general feeling was that interacting and relating to co-workers (communications skills) are more important than technical skills, which are considered more transitory.

NBEET SURVEY

Findings were similar "down under." Australia's National Board of Employment, Education and Training commissioned a two phase study back in 1992:

• 1) Newspaper ads for graduate positions were analyzed. Survey results showed that skill in oral communication was most requested by employers placing ads.
  
  
• 2)Employers who hired new graduates were surveyed to see if their expectations were being met. Employers who were surveyed selected oral communication skills second, followed by teamwork and interpersonal skills, initiative, analytical ability, and flexibility. (Their first choice was academic results.)

To get a sense of what local Illinois employers are looking for in a potential employee, I conducted a mini-survey of businesses located in south central Illinois. Three questions were asked of ten company Human Resource departments and five Economic and Industrial Development Commissioners, who responded to the questions with general entry level positions in mind:

What we asked our local employers: What specific skills are you seeking in a job applicant? In other words, what specific skills are the most important for the job applicant to possess? During the past year, has it been more or less difficult for your company to find qualified applicants; is there currently a labor shortage or surplus of applicants with the skills that are required? What traits or attitudes would signal to you that you definitely do not want to hire this applicant?

The participant's answers were surprisingly similar. As in the surveys mentioned previously, work attitudes seem to be just as important as job-related skills. Generally, job applicants must have good communications skills, especially in reading and writing. In addition, employers prefer candidates with and associates degree, with some computer abilities and/or math background. Work ethic is extremely important as well as qualities and traits such as honesty, dependability, punctuality, flexibility, and team work skills. Finally, all employers seek employees with some job knowledge and an excellent work history.

Most of the businesses surveyed stated that they were currently in a labor shortage area. Three firms were in labor surplus areas. (One survey respondent put it this way: ("there's a shortage of qualified applicants in a surplus of job seekers.") One firm had not hired any personnel during the past year, so did not comment on the surplus versus shortage questions. Overall, employers were having difficulty hiring competent workers in this region of improving labor market conditions a skills that are required?

• What traits or attitudes would signal to you thaat they consider an undesirable employee. Employers avoid hiring job applicants who:
  • Have inferior communication abilities.
  • Have negative attitudes such as arrogance, indifference, rudeness, or are hot tempered, cynical, not team players, will no perform a certain work task or work at certain times,
  • Have inadequate work histories, including high absenteeism, tardiness, dishonesty, drug use, or who are "job hoppers,"
  • Turn in an incomplete or sloppy job application.

  Employers also acknowledged that many of their current employees lack the competence to be trained for new technologies and methods that are being implemented in today's workplace. Approximately 80 percent of the jobs in America today do not require a four year college degree, and that situation is not expected to change anytime soon.*
  

  What do all the survey findings mean for future workers and businesses? Since the employers surveyed are seeking applicants with basic skills and some occupational awareness, and since most of the basic skills may be taught at the high school level, educators in high schools may need to re-examine the courses offered to prepare students for the world of work. With the current focus on the Education-to-Careers** program, high schools should be challenged to incorporate curricula necessary to create and develop suitable workers for the future.