The lack of strong
communication skills
among recent graduates applying for jobs has been
frustrating recruiters
for nearly a decade. In fact, it tops the list of complaints recruiters have when trying to find competent men and women to fill vacant positions.
Instead of the impressive job applications you might expect from college graduates, companies are often faced with documents full of rambling sentences plagued with misspelled words and
grammatical errors
. This doesn’t bode well for companies hoping to hire individuals who can draft coherent and effective communication.
Understanding the Problem
The age of texting and instant messaging is partly to blame for
poor communication skills
among college graduates. Letters of introduction to recruiters are often far from professional, frequently resembling a quick, casual email someone might send to a friend.
Recruiters can count on M.B.A. graduates from all major business schools to be competent in accounting, marketing and other business fundamentals. Unfortunately, soft skills such as communication and leadership are harder to come by, largely because they are difficult skills to teach in the classroom.
Developing Strong Communication Skills
Anytime
How can recent college graduates boost business communication skills? Take
writing courses
to not only combat grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in professional communication, but also develop effective analysis and critical thinking skills.
Recruiters also encourage M.B.A. students and recent grads to take advantage of public-speaking opportunities. Practice communicating in this way encourages the clear exhibition of thoughts and ideas and leads to more successful job presentations and other workplace communication.
Of course, effective communication skills are required of all good business leaders, but students also need to have vision. Knowing when to take risks, as well as how to inspire and motivate those around them are other skills that go hand in hand with effective communication in the professional world.
To learn more about teaching your new employees strong communication skills and preparing them for corporate success, please contact
Hurley Write, Inc
.
Image via
Shutterstock
