Writing for Success Author: James E. Vincler Nancy Horlick Vincler Vincler Communications Inc.; Kim, Irene Publication info: Chemical Engineering ; New York 104.2 (Feb 1997): 111. ProQuest document link Abstract: If you design and implement your correspondence as carefully as you do your engineering projects, your return on investment will be more than worth the effort. Good correspondence can help you get requests granted, sell your projects to upper management and maintain optimal relationships with internal and external customers. No matter who receives the correspondence, neatness, correct spelling, clear organization and concise writing all show a professional attitude and respect for the reader. Guidelines are presented for writing successfully. Links:Check Full Text Availability Full text: If you're like many engineers, you might think of writing memos and letters as an onerous task or obligation that does little to help you in your daily activities. But, if you design and implement your correspondence as carefully as you do your engineering projects, your return on investment will be more than worth the effort. Good correspondence can help you get requests granted, ``sell'' your projects to upper management and maintain optimal relationships with internal and external customers. Memos and letters are similar, containing news, requests, legal points, problem descriptions or solutions. Both may also serve as records of past actions -- such as technical events, observations and findings. In their most-effective form, both are brief, ranging from a few sentences up to a full page, but no more. The main difference is in the reader: Memos are usually written for someone inside the organization, while letters typically go to outside readers. Usually, an inside reader doesn't need as much introduction to you or to your topic, product or terminology. No matter who receives the correspondence, neatness, correct spelling, clear organization and concise writing all show a professional attitude and respect for your reader. In addition to having a positive effect on the reader, you want your memos and letters to reflect well on you, the writer. Setting the right tone If you've decided that a memo or letter is the best way to go (box), it's time to work on your ``memo mindset.'' Your tone conveys not only your message, but also your attitude. Depending on the situation, you may select a tone that's formal, informal or casual. Think about how you would speak to your reader in the current situation, and just put that into your memo or letter. For a thank-you note to a supplier, use a positive and informal, yet professional tone. For example, ``Your always-on-time delivery to our Mainville construction site helped our district crew complete its rerouting project a week before the deadline. Thank you.'' A recommendation to a prospective client may require a more-formal, but not stuffy, tone: ``Pipex Corp. has delivered pipe materials to the South Bay Wa.

1. Writing for Success
Author: James E. Vincler Nancy Horlick Vincler Vincler
Communications Inc.; Kim, Irene
Publication info: Chemical Engineering ; New York 104.2 (Feb
1997): 111.
ProQuest document link
Abstract:
If you design and implement your correspondence as carefully
as you do your engineering projects, your return on investment
will be more than worth the effort. Good correspondence can
help you get requests granted, sell your projects to upper
management and maintain optimal relationships with internal
and external customers. No matter who receives the
correspondence, neatness, correct spelling, clear organization
and concise writing all show a professional attitude and respect
for the reader. Guidelines are presented for writing
successfully.
Links:Check Full Text Availability
Full text:
If you're like many engineers, you might think of writing
memos and letters as an onerous task or obligation that does
little to help you in your daily activities. But, if you design and
implement your correspondence as carefully as you do your
engineering projects, your return on investment will be more
than worth the effort. Good correspondence can help you get
requests granted, ``sell'' your projects to upper management and
maintain optimal relationships with internal and external
customers.
Memos and letters are similar, containing news, requests, legal
points, problem descriptions or solutions. Both may also serve
as records of past actions -- such as technical events,
observations and findings. In their most-effective form, both are
brief, ranging from a few sentences up to a full page,
but no more.

2. The main difference is in the reader: Memos are usually written
for someone inside the organization, while letters typically go
to outside readers. Usually, an inside reader doesn't need as
much introduction to you or to your topic, product or
terminology.
No matter who receives the correspondence, neatness, correct
spelling, clear organization and concise writing all show a
professional attitude and respect for your reader. In addition to
having a positive effect on the reader, you want your memos
and letters to reflect well on you, the writer.
Setting the right tone
If you've decided that a memo or letter is the best way to go
(box), it's time to work on your ``memo mindset.'' Your tone
conveys not only your message, but also your attitude.
Depending on the situation, you may select a tone that's formal,
informal or casual. Think about how you would speak to your
reader in the current situation, and just put that into your memo
or letter.
For a thank-you note to a supplier, use a positive and informal,
yet professional tone. For example, ``Your always-on-time
delivery to our Mainville construction site helped our district
crew complete its rerouting project a week before the deadline.
Thank you.''
A recommendation to a prospective client may require a more-
formal, but not stuffy, tone: ``Pipex Corp. has delivered pipe
materials to the South Bay Water District for the past decade,
consistently ensuring prompt delivery and one of the most-
efficient monitoring systems in the business.''
For a brief memo to compliment an employee for a job well
done, use a casual, appreciative tone: ``You did it! You
spearheaded one of our most-successful design projects this
year. Thanks for your excellent work and award-winning
results.''
The three-part pattern
Correspondence has a beginning, a middle and an end -- called,
respectively, the orientation, information and close. At the

3. beginning of your message, you want to grab your reader's
attention within just a few seconds and keep him or her
interested enough to keep reading.
The orientation may briefly answer any of the five ``W''
questions: who, what, when, where and why. The information
section then elaborates on what you've said in the orientation,
filling in the details. And the close might request confirmation,
assign duties or mention the expected outcome.
Messages for all occasions
Most memos and letters fall into the following categories.
News or updates. If writing about a discovery, problem,
solution, meeting or contract win, you're sharing that
information to keep your readers current. Give the basic
information, and don't drag it out.
Requests for products, help, money or information. Keep one
point in mind: Ask for what you want -- though not necessarily
in the first sentence. You may first need to persuade your reader
to see things your way.
If the reader is resistant to your request, explain in the
orientation how the project you're working on will benefit him
or her. In the information section, tell what aspect of the project
you need help with, and perhaps explain what discrepancy,
conflict or unanswered questions you have found in your
research. In the close, be specific. ``Your cooperation will be
appreciated'' doesn't tell the reader what you need from him or
her. If you need specific data, detail your needs. If you want an
opinion, ask for one.
``Yes'' replies. Reread the letter you're answering to ensure that
you understand the request or problem. Address the point
immediately, giving only enough details to solve the problem or
answer the question.
``No'' responses. You want to firmly refuse a request without
alienating the reader. Keep a respectful, positive tone. First,
reread the request to make sure you understand the reader's need
and that the reader understands your product or service. (E.g., if
the reader simply misunderstands your CAD package and is

4. trying to draw cartoons with it, tactfully explain the product's
correct use.)
If you must write a ``no'' letter, open with a courteous, soothing
comment that shows a positive approach. Subordinate bad news
to good news (if you have any). Explain or justify your refusal
reasonably and logically. Don't give company policy as a reason
-- give the reason behind the policy. Try to offer a reasonable
alternative or consolation. End positively, and offer the reader a
suggested benefit, if possible.
Rapport builders, such as thanks, congratulations or
recognition. Although easy to write and greatly appreciated by
all, these are fairly uncommon. With these, avoid conditional
expressions, such as ``I would like to thank you,'' which implies
that you would like to thank the reader, but somehow can't. Just
say ``thank you.''
Similarly, don't thank someone ``in advance,'' as this sounds
like you're trying to coax or coerce the person into doing
something. Instead, say, ``I will (not would) appreciate your
help on this project.'' Keep these notes short and concise.
Recommendations. With a proliferation of hiring-based
lawsuits, some companies now refuse to write recommendation
letters. However, if your company allows you to write such
documents, make sure your letter explains how long you've
known the individual, your business relationship with him or
her and your honest evaluation of the person's skills, with
examples.
Sales letters for overcoming potential resistance to your idea,
project, product or service. As an engineer, you have to sell
your ideas. Explain how your idea will benefit your reader.
Since most benefits are measured in terms of money, your best
bet may be to explain how your project can save the reader
money.
On the other hand, if you're trying to sell the solution to a
problem, just state the problem clearly, and then offer the
solution as your best option.
Adapted from Engineering Your Writing Success by James and

5. Nancy Vincler (1996: Professional Publications Inc., Belmont,
Calif.).
AuthorAffiliation
James Vincler and Nancy Vincler are owners of Vincler
Communications Inc. (P.O. Box 3479, Redwood City, CA
94064; Phone: 415-364-5136; Fax: 415-364-5273). Currently
writing and training consultants, they are past presidents and
directors of the Peninsula Marketing Assn. and are members of
the American Soc. for Training and Development. James
Vincler, with a B.A. in journalism from Pennsylvania State U.,
has experience in public relations, business and sports editing
and technical writing. Nancy Vincler, with an M.A. in English
and education from California State U. at Los Angeles and a
B.S. in education from Clarion U. (Pennsylvania), has
experience in teaching English, tutoring languages and serving
as director of a learning-disabilities center. Their clients
include Hewlett-Packard Co., Blue Shield of Calif., Chevron
U.S.A., Pacific Gas & Electric, Kaiser Permanente, Genentech,
Synopsys and Allergan International.
Subject: Writing; Correspondence; Interpersonal
communication; Guidelines
Location: US
Classification: 9190: US; 9150: Guidelines; 2200: Managerial
skills
Publication title: Chemical Engineering; New York
Volume: 104
Issue: 2
Pages: 111
Number of pages: 0
Publication year: 1997
Publication date: Feb 1997
Section: YOU & YOUR JOB
Publisher: Access Intelligence LLC
Place of publication: New York
Country of publication: United States
Publication subject: Chemistry, Engineering--Chemical

6. Engineering
ISSN: 00092460
Source type: Trade Journals
Language of publication: English
Document type: PERIODICAL
Accession number: 01376311
ProQuest document ID: 194430911
Document
URL: https://search.proquest.com/docview/194430911?accounti
d=9699
Copyright: Copyright 1997 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Last updated: 2016-11-19
Database: ABI/INFORM Global
Good Corporate Writing: Why It Matters, and What to Do
Author: Canavor, Natalie; Meirowitz, Claire
Publication info: Communication World ; San Francisco 22.4
(Jul/Aug 2005): 30-33.
ProQuest document link
Abstract:
Quality writing on the corporate scene is in bad shape. There
are ways to counteract the downward slide, but the reasons for
it are profound, and the fix won't be a quick one. To get to the
bottom line, what does bad writing cost companies in terms of
credibility, image and sales? What happens when the audience
can't understand or won't read the message? Much business
writing is obtuse and pretentious - the exact opposite of simple,
clear, concise language. Obtuse writing is more inappropriate
than ever in the wake of globalization. Whatever the language,
there's a critical need for clear, jargon-free writing that can be
readily understood by non-native readers, and that can easily be
translated. How to correct the problem? First, it has to be
acknowledged. Then make good writing a core value, train
employees, and give them tools and examples. Public education
is failing to turn out good writers - 40% of companies report

7. having to train employees to write.
Links:Check Full Text Availability
Full text:
Headnote
Poor corporate writing-in press releases, ads, brochures, web
sites and more-is costing companies credibility and revenues.
Here's how to put the focus back on clear communication
Enlarge this image.
Can good writing be tied to the corporate bottom line?
We conducted a totally unscientific survey, tapping IABC
colleagues, WorldWIT (Women in Technology) and other
networks for insights into the state of corporate writing and its
impact on organizational health.
We got an earful of anecdotal evidence that revealed that 1 )
quality writing on the corporate scene is in bad shape; 2) it
matters-a lot; and 3) there are ways to counteract the downward
slide, but the reasons for it are profound, and the fix won't be a
quick one.
We acknowledge at the outset that we began our survey without
any claim to objectivity. As professionals whose entire careers
have been invested in the crafts of business writing and editing,
our feelings about what we see in all media-from newspapers to
organizational newsletters to government forms to web sites-
hover too often between dismay and horror.
We can't help wondering what readers think when they read,
"The network must seamlessly accommodate these immerging
usage patterns," or, in a food catalog, "Your taste buds will
experience an exciting bust of flavor."
Typos are inevitable, you may say, and people forgive such
carelessness. But consider a few recent examples of convoluted
writing from our cringe collection.
From a global company's advertorial: "Given the limitations on
current storage management technology imposed by
heterogeneous storage infrastructure, achieving nominal
capacity allocation and utilization efficiency is nothing short of
a black art."

8. Or this, from a web site that, as far as we can figure out,
promotes services that test the user-friendliness of web sites:
"Design happens at the intersection of the user, the interface,
and their context. It's essential for interface designers to
understand the gamut of contexts that can occur, thereby
ensuring they create designs that are usable no matter what's
happening around the user."
So here's the question: What does writing like this cost
companies in terms of credibility, image and sales? What's the
result when audiences cannot understand what we're saying, or
simply don't read it? How do we measure the dollar loss of
failing to explain our products, messages and values?
The ponderous and the pretentious
"You've just got to wonder if so much corporate writing is
really written to be understood," comments Don Ranly, who has
been teaching journalism at the University of Missouri for 31
years and who has led close to 1,000 writing seminars in
corporate settings. "You've got to know so much of it is
ponderous and pretentious and trying so hard to be obtuse that
it's just the opposite of simple, clear, concise language that says
what it's trying to say."
Obtuse writing is more inappropriate than ever in the wake of
globalization. Whatever the language, there's a critical need for
clear, jargon-free writing that can be readily understood by non-
native readers, and that can easily be translated.
During the course of our research, we learned of two defense
contractors whose communications produced very different
results. One, which will not be named, was competing for major
contracts against several other companies and, having brilliant
engineers, was confident of winning them. But that didn't
happen. Why? Poor proposals. "They had no clear direction,
they were too complex, they were not well organized, [and] the
sections didn't connect or flow," explains MeI Haber, whose
company, Writing Development Associates, of Little Neck, New
York, USA, has been working with private industry and
government for 25 years. The contractor brought Haber in to

9. help the team write clearer-and, ideally, winning-proposals.
However, the other contractor, GSE Dynamics, based in
Hauppauge, New York, has recognized the benefits of good
writing. "We work directly with the government and have to
look and be professional in everything we present," says Vice
President Anne D. Shybunko-Moore. "The more clearly we
express our needs or requests for clarifications, the easier it is
for the government to respond accordingly." Beyond the
efficiency and competitive advantage gained, Shybunko-Moore
has actually received letters from the defense supply center
thanking her for the company's communications "because
they're so clear and [our] technical questions are so accurate,"
she reports.
In both cases, it's clear that much of the key writing is not
coming from communication departments. Indeed,
organizationwide, more people than ever before are being called
on to write-proposals, reports, letters, web sites, newsletters.
Often they've had no training, and get little help.
Are major companies noticing the results? A study released in
September 2004 documents that in the United States they most
definitely are. The National Commission on Writing surveyed
120 CEOs of companies that belong to The Business Roundtable
and issued a report titled Writing: A Ticket to Work...or a
Ticket Out; A Survey of Business Leaders. Among its
highlights: Two-thirds of salaried employees in large companies
have some writing responsibility, and getting hired and
promoted in many industries demands this skill.
However, people are coming to work unable to write because,
the report charges, public education is failing to teach them.
George Giokas, CEO of Hauppauge, New York-based Staff
Writers Plus, which supplies companies with writing services,
agrees with this finding. He sees definite erosion in writing
skills even among entry-level people who aspire to writing
careers. "Young people are not reading enough. Learning the
rules of grammar is not learning to write," he says. "You have
to listen and feel words, not go by subject and verbs, which is

10. how teachers teach."
What's the bottom line?
The ultimate result: 40 percent of the companies responding to
the Writing Commission's survey said they find it necessary to
invest in training employees to write-to the tune of an estimated
$3 billion-plus annually.
Are corporate communicators involved with making these
expensive training arrangements? Are they advising business
leaders about how to improve writing companywide?
We suggest that corporate communicators should not only be
involved, but should be leading the charge. Nothing could be
more important. If we can't write, we aren't communicating.
Sidebar
Skill-building strategies
If you think your company's communication skills could use
improvement, there are steps you can take.
* It's like psychotherapists say: First you've got to acknowledge
that you have a problem-in your department and/or your
company overall. You also have to decide that good writing is
worth the battle. If your communication unit is turning out
sterling, appropriate prose, good for you. But according to
Diane Turnbull's recent article on communication in Lab
Medicine, "business consultants and counselors vouch that
communication is the No. 1 problem in the workplace."
* Centralize the review of important written materials, and
make writing supervision an important job. Vica Vinogradava
was hired by DataArt Inc., a New York software outsourcing
firm with a development center in Russia, to be the vice
president of corporate communication. Part of the reason
Vinogradava was hired was that DataArt had signed some
important clients, and a typo on an invitation to a corporate
party was no longer an option. DataArt has just 165 employees,
but a company with thousands of employees could implement
this approach on a department-by-department basis.
* Training, training, training. In the old days, many corporate
communicators had honed their skills early on as journalists.

11. Today, those without that experience-whether they are
professional communicators or employees in other departments
who find themselves writing for internal or external audiences-
can benefit from intensive training. A set of outside workshops
or an internal course by a good writing instructor can be
productive.
* Give employees tools to use. A reference book or style guide
can solve a lot of problems, but few companies use them. You
can urge adoption of an existing one (see list on page 32) or,
better yet, create your own, dictating how things should be
done. Yes, it's time-consuming, and it needs to be done
collaboratively. Also consider furnishing templates for lower-
level employees to draw on for writing letters and other day-to-
day communication.
* Gain support by connecting writing to core goals.
Demonstrate how strong writing can help achieve sales,
efficient staff interaction, successful proposals or whatever
other objective is important. Have the courage to build tracking
into your own materials. Success breeds support. Demonstrate
return on investment, response rate, reader interest or better
understanding of benefits or policies, and you're likely to enlist
management in the cause-and get bigger budgets.
* Show them business publications such as The Wall Street
Journal, The Financial Times or the Asia Times. "We never
write for the [target] audience-we write for those who approve
our copy," observes journalism professor Don Ranly. "And
those people think they're better communicators than those they
hired to do the job." Gaining trust from higher-ups is critical, he
points out. "Once they trust you, they will let you write the
message the way you want to."
Specifically, he says, write the way The Wall Street Journal
does-"interesting, bright, full of anecdotes and examples, paced,
varied"-and use it to make the case with executives. "These
people generally think of the Journal as their Bible and read it
religiously," Ranly says. "It tests out at the eighth-grade level!
So many people feel they should be writing on a graduate or

12. college level when there is no reason to do that whatsoever."
-N.C. & C.M
Sidebar
We can't help wondering what readers think when they read in a
food catalog, "Your taste buds will experience an exciting bust
of flavor."
More people than ever before are being called on to write-
proposals, reports, letters, web sites, newsletters. Often they've
had no training, and get little help.
Selected resources for improved writing
Style guides-general use: The Gregg Reference Manual, The
Associated Press Stylebook, The New York Times Manual of
Style and Usage, The Chicago Manual of Style, Words into
Type, U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual.
Style guides-specific fields: MLA (Modern Language
Association) Style Manual, AMA (American Medical
Association) Manual of Style, CBE (Council of Biology
Editors) Manual for Authors, Editors and Publishers. Several
other professions also have their own style guides.
Dictionaries: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate, American Heritage
College, Random House, Webster's College, Webster's New
World.
Usage guides: Follett's Modern American Usage: A Guide;
Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage; Bernstein's The
Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage; Strunk &
White's The Elements of Style; Zinsser's On Writing Well;
Lauchman's Plain Style: Techniques for Simple, Concise,
Emphatic Business Writing.
Grammar handbooks: The Elements of Grammar, The New
Webster's Grammar Guide, The Oxford Companion to the
English Language, The Handbook of Good English.
AuthorAffiliation
Natalie Canavor is a business writer who focuses on
publications, feature writing, and scripting for video and
interactive media. She also teaches business writing. Formerly
she was a national magazine editor-in-chief and, for more than

13. 15 years, communications director for a major educational
agency. E-mail her at [email protected].
Claire Meirowitz, the owner of Professional Editing Services, is
an editor, writer, proofreader and publications project manager
based on Long Island, New York, USA, where she specializes in
information technology, business and labor relations. She has
20-plus years of experience in publishing and in university
public relations. E-mail her at [email protected].
Both are board members of IABC/Long Island (New York).
Subject: Business writing; Effectiveness; Skill development;
Corporate culture; Guidelines
Location: United States US
Classification: 9190: United States; 2500: Organizational
behavior; 6200: Training & development; 9150: Guidelines
Publication title: Communication World; San Francisco
Volume: 22
Issue: 4
Pages: 30-33
Number of pages: 4
Publication year: 2005
Publication date: Jul/Aug 2005
Publisher: International Association of Business Communicators
Place of publication: San Francisco
Country of publication: United Kingdom
Publication subject: Business And Economics--Management
ISSN: 07447612
Source type: Trade Journals
Language of publication: English
Document type: Feature
ProQuest document ID: 210234377
Document
URL: https://search.proquest.com/docview/210234377?accounti
d=9699
Copyright: Copyright International Association of Business
Communicators Jul/Aug 2005
Last updated: 2014-05-26

14. Database: ABI/INFORM Global
Evaluating writing: A selection procedure for recruiting
accountants
Author: Rankin, Larry J
Publication info: Ohio CPA Journal ; Columbus 55.1 (Feb
1996): 19.
ProQuest document link
Abstract:
While the accounting profession recognizes effective writing as
an important capability of its newly hired personnel,
corporations, accounting firms and other organizations rarely
evaluate the writing skills of their potential hirees as a specific
selection procedure in recruiting. Traditional strategies of
screening students' resumes and grade point averages,
conducting on-campus interviews, and sponsoring office visits
appear to provide little information about the writing skills of
prospective accountants. A 4 step selection procedure to
encourage and enable employers to evaluate the writing skills of
potential hirees is presented: 1. Identify specific writing skills.
2. Develop a writing skills evaluation form. 3. Decide who
evaluates the writing. 4. Obtain writing samples for evaluation.
Links:Check Full Text Availability
Full text:
Headnote
Abstract
While the accounting profession recognizes effective writing as
an important capability of its newly hired personnel,
corporations, accounting firms and other organizations rarely
evaluate the writing skills of their potential hirees as a specific
selection procedure in recruiting. Traditional strategies of
screening students' resumes and grade point averages,
conducting on-campus interviews, and sponsoring office visits
appear to provide little information about the writing skills of
prospective accountants. This article suggests and describes a

15. four-step selection procedure designed to encourage and enable
employers to evaluate the writing skills of potential hirees.
The purpose of this article is to suggest a four-step selection
procedure designed to encourage and enable corporations,
accounting firms and other organizations to evaluate the writing
skills of potential hirees. The four steps are as follows:
Step 1: Identify specific writing skills.
Step 2: Develop a writing skills evaluation form.
Step 3: Decide who evaluates the writing.
Step 4: Obtain writing samples for evaluation.
Step 1: Identify Specific Writing Skills
As the first step in a recruiting strategy designed to evaluate the
writing of potential hirees, employers should identify the
specific writing skills associated with successfully producing
documents in their work places. The identified job-related skills
will then serve as valid criteria for which potential hirees'
writing capabilities can be evaluated.
Organizations may carry out this writing skill identification
process by consulting their practitioners, consulting writing
specialists, or referencing published works. As one example of a
published work, authors Claire and Gordon May identify and
illustrate several specific writing skills in their excellent book
Effective Writing: Handbook for Accountants (1996). These
skills include accountants capabilities to write in a coherent,
clear, and concise manner; use standard English correctly,
including the proper use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling;
design and prepare documents in a professional manner; and
document references appropriately.
For illustrative purposes only, the remainder of this section
describes the specific writing skills identified by the Mays.
Employers may adopt these skills or identify others to serve as
criteria for evaluating the writing skills of prospective
accountants. Organizations may also identify multiple groups of
writing skills with certain groups of skills more suitable to
different entrylevel positions, e.g., staff accountants,
supervisors, managers.

16. Coherence
Coherence is a particular writing skill enabling accountants to
express their ideas in a logical and orderly way. Different
qualities of coherence in accounting documents include the
following: determine who receives the writing and for what
purposes; determine the tone and style of writing; achieve unity
within the writing by using thesis, topic, and summary
sentences appropriately; organize ideas so that readers will find
them easy to follow and understand; and edit and revise written
work.
Clarity and Conciseness
The writing skills of clarity and conciseness enable accountants
to express their thoughts simply and clearly. Following are
different features of clarity and conciseness: use accounting
technical terms that readers understand; avoid the use of jargon,
unnecessarily large or unfamiliar words, and complex sentences;
use the active voice rather than the passive voice for verbs; use
descriptive nouns; use transitional words, transitional sentences,
and transitional paragraphs appropriately; and use variety in
sentence structure and length.
Standard English Grammar
A mastery of standard English equips accountants to write
grammatically correct documents. Different qualities of this
particular writing skill include the following: avoid fragments
or incomplete sentences; avoid dangling modifiers and
misplaced modifiers; use parallel structure to ensure that
sentence elements are grammatically uniform; use verb tense
(past, present, future) consistently; use verb mood (indicative,
imperative, subjunctive) consistently; use subject-verb
agreement; avoid faulty references, (a pronoun does not agree
with its antecedent in number, person and gender); use
capitalization correctly.
Standard English Punctuation
Accountants' correct use of punctuation is another writing skill
associated with a mastery of standard English. Appropriate uses
of punctuation include the following: avoid the use of a comma

17. to separate two independent clauses not joined by a
coordinating conjunction; avoid fused sentences in which two
independent clauses are joined without any punctuation; and use
apostrophes to show possession, not usually to form plurals.
Standard English Spelling
Mastery of standard English further includes the ability of
accountants to spell words correctly in work documents.
Characteristics of good spelling include using the dictionary to
check the spelling of words, using spell check software, and
proofreading documents for spelling errors.
Document Design and Appearance
Another writing skill enables accountants to select appropriate
types of documents and to prepare documents in a professional
manner. Different features of this skill include the following:
select the appropriate type of document; use the correct form
for writing letters, reports, memoranda, or other document
types; prepare documents that are professionally acceptable in
appearance; use formatting devices such as headings, lists, and
graphic or other illustrations in order to improve the
attractiveness and readability of documents; and avoid penciled
or inked insertions or corrections.
Documentation and References
The last writing skill identified in this section describes
accountants' capabilities to correctly document quotations and
other references from external sources. Different qualities of
this capability include the following: recognizing content
material that should be referenced in the work document; using
internal documentation, endnotes, or footnotes to reference
external sources; and preparing a bibliography of cited
references, if necessary.
The next section describes how to develop a writing skills
evaluation form that is based on writing skills identified as
important in a specific workplace. Step 2: Develop a Writing
Skills
Evaluation Form
The second step in a selection procedure to evaluate the writing

18. of potential hirees is to develop a writing skills evaluation
form. The form provides employers a formal means to document
the evaluation of applicants' writing capabilities. Organizations
which identify a group of writing skills equally applicable to all
entry-level positions should develop a single form containing
those writing skills. Organizations which identify different
groups of writing skills applicable to different levels of
potential hirees (e.g., staff accountants, supervisors, and
managers), should develop different evaluation forms, each
specific to the hiree level.
This section both illustrates a potentially useful writing skills
evaluation form and describes its two components, listing the
specific writing skills and providing alternative choices for
evaluating the skills. The illustrated form is based on the Mays'
identified writing skills described in the previous section.
Listing the Writing Skills
The writing skills evaluation form should first contain a listing
and brief description of each writing skill identified by
accounting organizations. For example, the left side of the
sample form shown on page 23 lists and summarizes the skills
described previously: coherence, clarity and conciseness,
grammar, punctuation, spelling, document appearance, and
documentation.
In addition, the evaluation form should contain a single
category representing an overall evaluation of writing skills.
Providing Evaluation Choices
The evaluation form should contain alternative choices for
qualitatively evaluating each writing skill. For example, the
sample form uses the following evaluations: Very Good (no
examples of writing errors), Good (one or two examples of
writing errors), Fair (several or repeated writing errors), and
Poor (many or constant examples of errors).
Step 3: Decide Who Evaluates the Writing
The third step in the selection procedure is to decide who
should evaluate the writing of potential hirees. Should
managing partners in CPA firms evaluate the writing

19. capabilities of their applicants? Should corporations employ
writing specialists to evaluate the writing of potential hirees?
Or should these organizations use diagnostic tests for writing
evaluation purposes? Each of these approaches is discussed
below. Practitioners
The first approach requires practicing accountants to evaluate
the writing samples of their potential hirees and complete the
writing skills evaluation form.
Advantages to this approach are its practicality and perceived
cost savings, especially among small and medium sized firms.
First, practitioners' working knowledge of their organizations'
documents provides a practical and easy way to evaluate
applicants' writing skills. A related advantage is that
practitioners, particularly those in supervisory and managerial
positions, may be able to evaluate writing skills required for
different entry-level positions.
Several disadvantages, however, may discourage CPA firms and
corporations, especially larger ones, from using this approach.
A serious disadvantage is how do organizations meaningfully
compare the writing evaluation forms completed by its
practitioners who may subjectively interpret both the specific
writing skills and evaluation choices differently? Many
practitioners are not sufficiently trained to evaluate specific
writing skills. Finally, practitioners may not have the time to
carry out this potential selection procedure.
Writing Specialists
Another approach in deciding who evaluates the writing of
potential hirees involves employing writing specialists.
Organizations may employ such specialists either on a
permanent basis or with part-time contracts. These writing
specialists are capable of evaluating the writing samples of
prospective accountants and completing the writing skills
evaluation form. (To find a writing specialist, try
technical/business writing instructors at a university or college.)
This approach provides employers with several advantages. One
is that organizations can rely on writing specialists to both

20. competently evaluate the writing capabilities of prospective
accountants and complete the writing skills evaluation form. A
second advantage is that this approach is cost effective if a
large number of applicants are hired for the same entry-level
position, e.g., hiring graduates as staff accountants. Writing
specialists should be able to evaluate the different writing skills
required for different positions. Finally, an important advantage
is that specialists will give employers a more consistent way of
evaluating writing, resulting in better comparability of potential
hirees' writing skills.
Disadvantages of this approach are increased cost and
impracticality. First, in addition to the direct costs of employing
writing specialists, there may be administrative costs associated
with coordinating writing specialist activities and waiting for
writing evaluation results. A second disadvantage is that this
approach may neither be cost effective nor practical for small
and medium sized accounting organizations.
Diagnostic Tests
A third approach for evaluating the writing of potential hirees is
to use diagnostic tests. Such tests are available from
organizations such as Educational Testing Service (Princeton,
New Jersey) in either standardized or customized forms.
Customized tests enable accounting organizations to test and
evaluate the specific writing skills of their prospective
accountants.
The primary advantage of this approach is that the results of
diagnostic tests provide a more meaningful measurement of
potential hirees' writing capabilities, enabling employers to
more objectively compare the writing skills of competing job
candidates. Another advantage of using diagnostic tests is its
cost effectiveness if large organizations hire a large number of
applicants for the same entry-level position, e.g., national
public accounting firms hiring college graduates for staff
accountant positions.
The main disadvantage of this approach for accounting
organizations is increased cost; that is, costs either to acquire

21. the rights to use standardized tests or to develop and use valid
and reliable customized tests. Further administrative costs
involve the coordinating of diagnostic test-taking activities and
waiting for test results. For many employers, the use of
diagnostic tests may neither be a cost effective nor a practical
alternative to evaluate the writing skills of potential hirees.
Step 4: Obtain Writing Samples for Evaluation
The last step in a selection procedure to evaluate the writing of
prospective accountants is obtaining writing samples
Current Samples at the Start of Recruitment
One way for accounting organizations to obtain writing samples
from potential hirees is to require one or more of their writings
as a condition for starting the recruiting process. This may be
accomplished by requiring prospective accountants to either
prepare short papers, specifically assigned by practitioners or
writing specialists, or take diagnostic writing tests. For validity
purposes, assigned short papers should focus on real job-related
topics and specific document forms.
Requiring current writing samples at the start of recruitment
offers several advantages. Employers can use the writing
evaluation results as additional input for screening applicants.
Also, by using either similar writing assignments or diagnostic
tests, organizations improve their own capabilities to compare
the writings among potential hirees.
Several disadvantages, however, may deter employers from
requiring potential hirees to write short papers at the start of
recruitment, one being that these samples may reflect biased
writing capabilities. Such writing samples probably reflect
prospective accountants' very best writing efforts, with the prize
of landing a job spurring them to spend a large amount of time
on the sample or have a friend write it for them. A second
potential disadvantage is the increased cost for employers to
evaluate the writing capabilities of all potential hirees starting
the recruiting process.
Current Samples at the End of Recruitment
A second way for employers to obtain writing samples is to

22. require writing samples at the end of the recruiting process.
Organizations can require already-screened applicants to
prepare short papers, specifically assigned by practitioners or
writing specialists, or take diagnostic writing tests.
Furthermore, organizations can require potential hirees to
prepare these papers or take the diagnostic tests at their
premises during office visits. By using writing evaluations as
one of the last selection procedures before making hiring
decisions, organizations should be able to evaluate a fewer
number of candidates and the writing evaluations may better
reflect potential hirees' unbiased work, especially if the papers
or tests are written during office visits.
Equal Employment Opportunity Laws and Regulations
The writing evaluation procedure described in this article is an
example of an employee selection procedure that is regulated by
federal and state governments. Employers should understand
that laws and regulations require that such a procedure is valid
and does not discriminate against potential hirees based on race,
color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability A
selection procedure is valid when its content represents
important aspects of performance on the job for which
applicants are evaluated. Employers enhance the validity of the
writing evaluation procedure by identifying specific writing
skills appropriate to particular entry-level positions, real work
documents, and actual performance evaluations; assigning
writing samples associated with real job-related topics and
specific document forms; and employing evaluators who
understand the relevant writing skills and who will fairly
evaluate these capabilities.
For more information about employee selection laws and
regulations, employers should consult legal or regulatory
experts, read published regulations such as Uniform Guidelines
on Employee Selection Procedures (29 CFR Section 1607,1978),
or read published works such as Fairness in Selecting
Employees (Richard Arvey and Robert Faley, 1988).
Conclusion

23. If the accounting profession recognizes effective writing as an
important skill for all accountants, then the profession needs to
increase its efforts to recruit prospective accountants with
acceptable writing skills. Using the four-step selection
procedure outlined in this article can help employers with this
effort.
Sidebar
Write Better Now!
Agreeing that good writing skills are important is easy; the hard
part is improving your own writing skills or those of your co-
workers.These resources may help.
Books
Grammar for Smart People, by Barry Tarshis, 1992.An
excellent, easy-to-follow soft-cover book that explains the
basics as well as the subtleties of writing well.
Dictionaries
Beware of Webster's! The term "Webster's" no longer has
copyright protection and is in the public domain.Anyone can
throw together a dictionary and call it a "Webster's"
dictionary.There are three major, reputable dictionary
publishing houses in the United States: Merriam-Webster,
Houghton Mifflin, and Simon & Schuster. Make sure your
dictionary is current and published by a reputable source.A
good dictionary is Merriam-Webster's Webster's I Oth edition
Collegiate Dictionary.
Style Guides
Dictionaries tell you how to spell it and what it means; they do
not tell you if it is barbecue or barbeque. For that, you need a
style guide.The most widely used is the current ( 994 copyright)
AP Stylebook. (Use barbecue.)
AuthorAffiliation
Larry Rankin is an associate professor of accountancy at Miami
University in Oxford. He can be reached via e mail:
[email protected] muohio. edu.
Subject: Writing; Skills; Recruitment; Personnel selection;
Guidelines; Accounting firms; Accountants

24. Location: US
Classification: 9190: US; 9150: Guidelines; 8305: Professional
services; 6100: Human resource planning; 4110: Accountants
Publication title: Ohio CPA Journal; Columbus
Volume: 55
Issue: 1
Pages: 19
Number of pages: 4
Publication year: 1996
Publication date: Feb 1996
Publisher: Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants
Place of publication: Columbus
Country of publication: United States
Publication subject: Business And Economics--Accounting
ISSN: 07498284
Source type: Trade Journals
Language of publication: English
Document type: PERIODICAL
Accession number: 01184925, 00563437
ProQuest document ID: 214822681
Document
URL: https://search.proquest.com/docview/214822681?accounti
d=9699
Copyright: Copyright Ohio Society of Certified Public
Accountants Feb 1996
Last updated: 2014-05-18
Database: ABI/INFORM Global
Bibliography
Citation style: APA6
Rankin, L. J. (1996). Evaluating writing: A selection procedure
for recruiting accountants. Ohio CPA Journal, 55(1), 19.
Retrieved
from https://search.proquest.com/docview/214822681?accountid
=9699