Why Johnny can't write, and why employers are mad
Can you tell a pronoun from a participle; use commas
correctly in long sentences; describe the difference between its and it's? If
not, you have plenty of company in the world of job seekers. Despite stubbornly
high unemployment, many employers complain that they can't find qualified
candidates for the jobs they do have. Often, it turns out, the mismatch results
from applicants' inadequate communication skills. In survey after survey,
employers are complaining about job candidates' inability to speak and write
clearly.
Experts differ on why job candidates can't communicate
effectively. Bram Lowsky, an executive vice president of Right Management, the
workforce management arm of Manpower, blames technology. "With Gen X and Gen Y,
because everything is shorthand and text, the ability to communicate effectively
is challenged," he said. "You see it in the business world, whether with
existing employees or job candidates looking for work."
Others say colleges aren't doing a good job. In a survey of
318 employers published earlier this year by the Association of American
Colleges and Universities and conducted by Hart Research Associates, 80 percent
said colleges should focus more on written and oral communication.
William Ellet, an adjunct professor teaching writing at
Brandeis International Business School, says the problem starts even earlier. He
points out that when the Department of Education in 2012 published what it
called "The Nation's Report Card: Writing 2011," just 24 percent of eighth and
12th graders were proficient in writing. From colleges on down, he said, "nobody
takes responsibility for writing instruction."
Ellet, who previously taught writing at Harvard Business
School, says the problem persists even into business school— and he believes the
problem isn't related to technology. "Most new technology is text based," he
said, adding that a majority of his students report working with people they
have never met and communicating with them largely through email.
"Thirty or 40 years ago, using writing for that wouldn't have
been possible," he said, and that makes writing that much more important.
"Businesses get that, but I don't think universities do."
Luckily for Ellet, his students have plenty of motivation to
improve. "Recruiters and companies are saying, 'Send us a writing sample, and if
you don't meet our standards for communication, we are not hiring you,'" he
said.
It's not just anecdotal: In a 2011 survey of corporate
recruiters by the Graduate Management Admission Council, the organization that
administers the standardized test for business school, 86 percent said strong
communication skills were a priority—well ahead of the next skill. (Oddly,
though, when recruiters were asked in a separate question what changes business
schools should make to meet employers' needs, the recruiters overwhelmingly
called for something different: practical experience.)
The good news for job seekers is that some companies are
providing help with writing. Lowsky estimates that Right Management is seeing an
increase of 20 to 25 percent in the number of clients investing in career
development for employees, including improving their communication skills.
T. Rowe Price has been working independently on employees'
communication skills for some time. With offices in multiple time zones and time
sensitive investment decisions to make, the firm's leaders understand that clear
communications are essential. A number of senior people at the firm may work
with analysts and portfolio managers on their communications, but Garry Cosnett,
head of global equity communications, does it full time.
Cosnett spends considerable time with newly hired analysts,
helping them learn to organize their writing and make it clear and persuasive.
Another part of his job is to read writing samples from prospective hires, often
second year MBA candidates. "Sometimes we ask for writing samples even prior to
the interview process, and I will take a look at that," he said. "I've been
doing this for so long, I have a pretty good sense of what's fixable and what's
terminal."
T. Rowe Price tends to hire graduates of the most selective
business schools, along with some lateral hires from other firms – but even for
this elite group, writing can be a challenge, Cosnett says.
"It's amazing, the frequent disconnect," he said. "These are
people who all did the very best at the best schools, probably since preschool,
but they really have not developed their writing skills to the degree that they
would have to to succeed in this organization."
Some new hires are skeptical, he said. "People think when
they first meet me that I'm going to grill them on semicolons." But in fact, he
says, he is teaching them what they need in order to succeed at the firm. "You
can be the smartest person here, but if you can't convince the portfolio
managers to buy what you're selling, you won't be successful." (In Wall Street
terms, that means you won't make much money.)
"So much," he said, "is driven by the written word."
Readability Score: 11.9
1. Define: adjunct professor, proficient, recruiters,
standards, anecdotal, persuasive, prospective, lateral, elite
2. What is a pronoun? What is a participle? Give three
examples of each.
3. What is the difference between its and it's?
4. Why doesn't William Ellet think technology is to blame for
college students' inability to write well?
5. Why should students care about improving their writing
skills?
6. Why are more businesses spending money to teach employees
how to write?
"Sometimes we ask for writing samples even prior to the
interview process...and I have a pretty good sense of what's fixable and what's
terminal."
7. What does Garry Cosnett mean by this?
8. Who is responsible for making sure young people learn how
to write? Schools? Colleges? Employers? Students? Explain.
9. Why do you think writing ability has declined over the
past several decades?
