SOCIOL 4HH3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Nace International, Business Communication, Experiential Education
17 Feb 2020
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September 9th, 2019
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Employer Expectations of Skills and Personal Attributes
Employability
o (A) What is Employability
o 1. Definitional Issues
• The concept of employability is complex, and it is multi-dimensional
• Employability is a set of achievements, skills, understandings, and personal
attributes that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be
successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the
workforce, the community, and the economy
o 2. Clarifying Issues
• Employability is not to be confused with employment - On the one hand,
with employability we have characteristics that make an individual
employable and on the other hand, with employment, we have the actual
employment of an individual
• Employability has implications beyond the individual - The characteristics
that make a person employable can benefit the individual or those
characteristics can also benefit the larger society
o (B) The Key Aspects of Employability
o There are two key aspects of employability – skills and personal attributes
o Skills
• Skills can be defined as abilities or expertise that can be applied to complete
functions or perform tasks
• Examples include, writing skills, speaking skills, and analytical skills
o Personal Attributes
• Personal attributes can be defined as attitudinal or behavioural qualities
associated with personality traits or other individual differences
• Examples include, professionalism, reliability, and integrity
o (C) How Employers see Employability
o Employers are interested in various aspects of employability
o In addition to skills and personal attributes, the definition also includes
achievements, and this involves getting a university degree
o However, it is important to realize that employers are more interested in skills and
personal attributes
o It is not the university degree that employers want, but rather the skills and personal
attributes that people are expected to have acquired or developed partially by
completing the degree
Research on How Students See Employability
o (A) The Research
o Alex Tymon – The Student Perspective on Employability
o (B) The Methodology
o He did research on undergraduate students at a university in the United Kingdom
o These students were majoring in business studies, business/administration, human
resources, and marketing
o They were in their first, second, or third (and final) year of their studies
September 9th, 2019
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o He gathered most of the data for his research through focus groups – he did small
group discussions with a number of these students but some of these third-year
students were given a survey questionnaire
o He compared the perspectives of students on employability against various
frameworks associated with employability
o (C) Findings on Employability
o 1. Frameworks Associated with Employability
• In his paper, he identified six employability frameworks – these frameworks
were reported in the academic literature
• They were lists and skills, and personal attributes that are associated with
employability as seem from six varying perspectives
• One of the frameworks presented the perspective of employers on
employability, students on employability, governments on employability,
and universities on employability
• He compared these frameworks with what he was finding within his data –
focus groups and survey questionnaires
o 2. How Do Students See Employability?
• i. The Key Aspects
→ Tymon found that the students in his research understood the
importance of the key aspects of employability
→ The students realized that the degree on its own would not be enough
to secure employment
→ Across the various years of study, the students agreed that
employability included skills and personal attributes which were
linked to the needs of employers
• ii. A Narrow View
→ Tymon also found that students in his research had a narrow view of
employability
→ Employability has implications beyond the individual
→ However, most of the students saw employability in purely
individual and instrumental terms
→ Most students seem to believe that employability is a short term
means to an end – they think you need these characteristics only
when finding a job and getting employment
→ Very few students saw employability in broader terms – they had
difficulty seeing the importance beyond the individual level
→ This is because these students were in business related programs –
if the same research were done on sociology students, there may be
different results
o (D) The Findings on Skills
o 1. Skills Associated with Employability
• Various skills are associated with employability and to understand this, we
need to go back to the six employable frameworks
• He compared the six frameworks and he found that there was complete
agreement on some of the skills
Document Summary
How do students see employability: the key aspects. Tymon found that the students in his research understood the importance of the key aspects of employability. The students realized that the degree on its own would not be enough to secure employment. Across the various years of study, the students agreed that employability included skills and personal attributes which were linked to the needs of employers: a narrow view. Tymon also found that students in his research had a narrow view of employability. However, most of the students saw employability in purely individual and instrumental terms. Most students seem to believe that employability is a short term means to an end they think you need these characteristics only when finding a job and getting employment. Very few students saw employability in broader terms they had difficulty seeing the importance beyond the individual level.
