A survey of business leaders and recent graduates found that 76% of managers feel new employees lack readiness for their jobs. Specifically, new grads are lacking in emotional intelligence and soft skills that are important for motivation, focus, and collaboration. These soft skills include being collaborative, adaptable, resilient, open to diversity, and good communicators. The document recommends that companies promote self-regulation, create mentor programs, teach time management, and consider training resources to help fill gaps in soft skills.

1. soft
skills
intelligence
commitment
ambition
passion
tech
smarts
Hay Group surveyed 450 business leaders and 450 recent
graduates based in India, the US, and China. A massive 76% of
managers reported that entry-level workers and recent grads
are not ready for their jobs.
New grads don’t value emotional intelligence’s role in
professional environments. And we know these qualities
are necessary for strong motivation, sustained focus, and
productive collaboration.
The signifiers of emotional self-regulation are easily
identified. A person who knows how to self-regulate
possesses:
This is an opportunity for new grads to:
The HR and EI Collection is designed to fill the gaps in your
learning and development library. HR executives, senior leaders,
and management coaches can tailor team trainings or
one-on-one sessions to address common performance
obstacles. Visit morethansound.net to find the right collection
for you.
Introduce specific time
management methods.
When you’re interrupted,
practice asking yourself:
Can this wait? You’ll find
that the answer is almost
always Yes.
Communicate this clearly
— and kindly.
• Collaborative
• Adaptable
• Resilient
• Open to Diversity
• Cool-Headed
• Empathetic
• Clear Communicator
• Good Listener
• Self-Disciplined
Skills New Professionals Have Skills New Professionals Lack
69% believe
soft skills get in the
way of doing their
job well.
70% believe their
technical skills are
more valuable than
their soft skills.
90% believe employees
with strong soft skills
deliver a better
commercial impact.
91% believe
employees with
refined soft
skills advance
faster.
85% see technical skills as
the basic necessity for new
hires, while soft skills are
what set them apart.
an inclination
towards reflection and
thoughtfulness
acceptance
of uncertainty
and change
integrity —
specifically, the
ability to say no to
impulsive urges
practice
face-to-face
communication
make
connections
hear
interesting
career
stories
see another
aspect of the
organization
get a
big picture
perspective
illustrations by bryant paul johnson
WHAT BUSINESS LEADERS EXPECT VS
WHAT RECENT GRADUATES OFFER
THE GRADUATE’S MINDSET
THE LEADER’S MINDSET
PROMOTE SELF-REGULATION
CREATE A MENTOR PROGRAM
TEACH TIME MANAGEMENT
THE CHALLENGETHE CHALLENGE
THE FINDINGSTHE FINDINGS
THE SOLUTIONTHE SOLUTION
LEARN MORELEARN MORE