Entry level professionals lack soft skills to succeed

Businesses across India are increasingly finding it difficult to hire graduates who have the self-awareness and self-management skills to succeed in their organisations, a Hay Group survey said. According to the global management consultancy, this is so acute a problem that three quarters of business leaders and HR directors surveyed fear for the future of their businesses and 89 per cent of the ones in India are worried about the quality of future leaders.

"Currently we are seeing an awkward generation joining companies across the globe. They have acquired the technical skills and qualifications to secure work but not the soft skills they need to succeed," Hay Group Global Managing Director, Leadership and Talent Ruth Malloy said.

This generation finds it difficult to fit in and struggle to build relationships, he said, adding that they don't deal effectively with stress or get their ideas across in the right way. According to the Hay Group research, graduates in India themselves do not value people skills, with 77 per cent surveyed believing they would succeed in the workplace regardless and an equal percentage of people saying that people skills get in the way of getting the job done.

"This is a business critical issue. Around 83 per cent of the sample in the three countries (India, China and the USA) faced increasing competition to attract and retain graduates with these skills, Malloy said. To help companies respond to this challenge, Hay Group has launched a business app 'Journey', which combines leading edge technology with Hay Group's insight into how to release an individual's full potential.

This app engages young users in the digital space, but encourages them to put into practice what they are learning in the real world. Journey has been launched in the US, China and India so far, but there are plans to make it available to businesses globally over the coming year, Hay Group said.