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Career Advisory Board Survey Reveals Soft Skills Gaps Exist Despite Focused Efforts to Create an Engaged WorkforceThe Career Advisory Board, established by DeVry University, today announced the results of its 2018 Talent Activation, Employee Experience and Skills Development research, revealing a gap in soft skills such as communications, business acumen and customer service. These gaps persist despite proactive efforts to develop employee experiences designed to foster a highly engaged workforce. This effort, known as "talent activation," occurs at the recruitment, onboarding, learning and development, and performance evaluation stages of an employee's tenure. The study surveyed 505 U.S.-based hiring managers at companies with 500 or more employees on how they are activating their employee talent. The highlights of the findings reveal the following:
The Career Advisory Board survey shows the lack of certain soft skills impact employees at all levels, but according to the respondents, lower paid employees are more vulnerable. Seventy-one percent of participants said individual contributors or frontline employees don't have the necessary soft skills, while 63 percent see skills gaps in their supervisor population and 45 percent see them at the executive level. Key Actions for Employers:
"More than half of respondents cited budget as a barrier to closing the skills gap, so getting your senior leadership behind talent activation strategies is a good place to start," said Levit. To read the research report and expert commentary, visit www.careeradvisoryboard.org About the Career Advisory Board Established in 2010 by DeVry University, the Career Advisory Board is comprised of leading representatives from business and academia who deliver valuable insights on today's most important career trends and provide actionable advice for job seekers. The Career Advisory Board generates original research and commentary, and creates tools, insights and resources to prepare job seekers for success. Its members include executives from DeVry University, Google (News - Alert), Apple, GE, and LinkedIn, as well as nationally recognized career experts. For more information, visit CareerAdvisoryBoard.org. Survey Methodology The Talent Activation research was conducted online within the United States by DeVry University on behalf of the Career Advisory Board in August 2018. Survey respondents included 505 US-based individuals (53 percent male, 47 percent female) with full-time positions at the supervisor level or above, in companies with more than 500 employees (mean company size was large at 15,000). Our respondents' primary job responsibilities include the hiring, development, and management of employees.
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