"What we're hearing from top management at corporations is that students are coming out of the top universities technically brilliant, but totally lacking in social skills". Brighton College Headmaster Richard Cairns decided it was time his pupils were taught a few lessons in good manners after learning that employers were dismayed by the numbers of undergraduates who were not equipped for the business world.
A study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found business etiquette among the top three skills lacking among college graduates, along with communication skills and work ethic. The survey, called Job Outlook for the Class of 2005, was sent to 1,040 companies nationwide. According to human research managers, employers complain frequently about college graduates who lack etiquette skills. Graduates know how to deal with their computer, but they don’t know how to deal with people, talk on the phone or write a letter. Companies have also expressed frustration at having to spend money on etiquette training rather than on skills related directly to the business. Young people have aspirations and know they need to go to school, but they don’t understand what they need on the social side. The increasing role of the Internet and television has led to a generation of more socially awkward students. When families spend so much time on the computer and watching television, it cuts into the time spent talking, so communication skills suffer as well. Those social skills have proven to be equally as important as education and knowledge. After sitting through an hour-long lesson on business etiquette and networking skills, Kathryn Nguyen was all stressed out. There were so many things to remember: First impressions are set in the first seven seconds. Have a firm, but not tight, handshake. Take small bites when eating. Ask informed questions. Don't cross your arms. Smile. Look confident. As a biomedical science graduate student at UC San Diego, Nguyen said she had long been told her research, not her social graces, would get her a job. But that doesn’t work with increasing competition and a weakened economy. In a tight job market, etiquette can make the difference between otherwise similarly qualified candidates. Employers are now able to demand a complete package, the interest of their companies name and reputation can prove to be a liability if a candidate is perceived to be a social blemish.
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