Sometimes what we think other people think is not what they think. Michael Barnes and Bob Sternberg studied the extent to which partners in an intimate relationship understood what each other wanted. What the study revealed was that people in intimate relationships don’t know very well what each other wants.
Research also reveals that same problem between colleges and businesses.
Here’s what educators think employers want:
–Students who have readily transferable job knowledge and skills. Especially professional skills.
–Students who have had access to the best and most famous scholars in the world.
–Students with superb GPAs (Grade Point Averages) and standardized tests.
Actually, none of those three assertions holds up very well.
Two surveys of employers in both business and nonprofits, revealed the following:
—93% of the employers surveyed said that “a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than [a candidate’s] undergraduate major.” As Sternberg also revealed, if you look at successful leaders in business and in the nonprofits, you find that they majored in everything under the sun.
–More than 90% of the employers surveyed said it was important that job candidates “demonstrate ethical judgment and integrity; intercultural skills; and the capacity for continued new learning. More than 75 percent of employers say they want more emphasis on five key areas, including critical thinking, complex problem-solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings.”
–The surveys found, “employers consistently rank outcomes and practices that involve application of skills over acquisition of discrete bodies of knowledge. High grades on tests just don’t cut it alone in terms of the broader knowledge and skills that employers value.”
Overall, the surveys do not say that the college major does not matter—but that other qualifications matter more. An extensive and systematic survey and prioritization of issues completed just a few months ago finds the same conclusions valid.
Robert J. Sternberg, Giving employers what they don’t really want.
