Are ‘People Skills’ Really Important?

Having good people skills is a quality that is becoming increasingly important to businesses, whilst in the meantime is slightly undervalued by graduates.

In a recent survey by Hay Group it was discovered that 93% of businesses believe that if their employees have good people skills then the company is more likely to succeed. Therefore, employees that are approachable, self-aware and confident speaking to colleagues, managers and customers are becoming more sought after; 89% of businesses wish to recruit individuals who naturally possess these qualities.

In contrast, further research indicates that whilst graduates appreciate that people skills are important, 70% believe that being good at their job is enough to succeed and 51% actually feel that people skills get in the way of getting the job done. This discrepancy has led to 77% of those in charge of graduate recruitment to declare that they have had to employ some graduates without the desired people skills because of a lack of choice. These differences are a concern for graduate recruitment; although, businesses do acknowledge that just because a graduate lacks people skills, does not mean that there is no potential. After all, it would be unwise to dismiss the idea that graduates can bring a lot of advantages to a company, such as enthusiasm and a determination to succeed.

There is a solution, however. 83% of those in charge of recruitment and development now offer training for graduates so they are able to offer their clients an all rounded employee. This ultimately gives graduates the opportunity to improve their communication skills and employees the ability to recruit a graduate that possesses all of the skills they require.This latest report by Hay Group highlights, more than ever, the need for graduate recruiters to help develop the people skills of their candidates, especially if they want them to succeed - 91% of those in charge of graduate recruitment believe that employees who do not possess people skills will be ineffective leaders.