Characteristics of the Successful New Employee

Transcription

1 Characteristics of the Successful New Employee Uachit Thasnapark and Wisanu Launglaor, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce Raj Sharma, Swinburne University of Technology Abstract The development of competencies and skills goes hand in hand with today s transition to a technology driven workplace. Ideas, information and relationships are becoming more important for the employee, which requires new approaches to self management. Additionally many organization put greater emphasis on selection and evaluation of employees so that employees fit the performance of the organization. Along with the new approach of self management of the employees, the students undertake university studies so that they can subsequently acquire well paid jobs and climb the ladder of success in the corporate or public sector and sustain themselves in the world of work for at least thirty to forty years. It is therefore incumbent on universities to not only develop the knowledge of disciplines in their graduates for future life but also the necessary workplace competencies and skills required by their alumni to function competently in the workplace of the future. A number of researchers have identified the importance of soft skills that complements the hard skills required by university graduates to perform successfully in the workplace. However, such research, in the main, has been undertaken in USA and European countries although the concept is equally valid to the emerging economies of such South East Asian countries as Thailand. Further they have focused essentially on the University s students. Accordingly, this paper reports on employees perceptions of their competencies and skills development requirements for the world of work in Thailand. It also examines the future implications of the study, including identification of possible further areas of institutional research and on the Thai universities curriculum development. Introduction Information technology plays an important role by enabling the storage and dissemination of data and information across the organization, including rapidly changing of new technology that increase workplace efficiency. Yet technology is only one part of a future workplace. An inclusive future workplace includes not only the new technology but also the new management systems, new perspectives, shifting patterns of new competition, challenge and opportunity. The movement to flatten organization by empowering workers has been increasing steadily. Accordingly the employees need to have the right blend of competencies and skills to fulfilling work, getting opportunities for professional development, career advancement and respects for all individuals. In the midst of this new challenge workplace, the employees are rethinking the meaning of careers and of career success. They also emphasize on self management of career and how to fit to careers. Each year, hundreds of thousands of graduates enter the workforce. Higher education is an expensive undertaking from the perspective of students and the broader community. Accordingly, for example, employers wish to access graduates with the right mix of knowledge and skills that will permit their organizations to grow and prosper in the future and be capable of adjusting to environmental changes. Similarly the University graduates wish to acquire those skills that will permit them to earn a good income for the rest of their lives. However, this raises the important issue as to what are the required skills for the trained workforce of the twenty first century? It is the purpose of the present study to address this issue based on a survey of Thai employees drawn from the Bangkok Metropolitan area and surrounding region. In many countries there has been some discussion about the sort of skills that are required from University graduates and that the employee need; some of these are based on properly constructed institutional

2 research projects whilst others border on speculation. We will turn our attention on what the literature has identified as some of the major issues concerning the development of skills in higher education and the competencies and skills that the employees require in turn this will assist in the design of the instrument for the characteristics of the successful employees in the future workplace of Thai study. Rainsbury et al. (2002) make a distinction between soft and hard skills. These authors believe that hard skills are those that are linked to the technical aspects of performing a job and generally include the acquisition of knowledge. It is suggested that such skills are fundamentally cognitive in nature and may be associated with a persons Intelligence Quotient (IQ). On the other hand Rainsbury et al. (2002) contend that soft skills are interpersonal, human, people, or behavioral skills that place emphasis on personal behavior and the management of relationships between people. Such skills, according to these authors, have been linked to the so called Emotional Quotient (EQ) and are regarded as a blend of innate characteristics and human/personal/interpersonal skills. A study by the U.S. Department of Labor and the American Society of Training and Development of Skills Employers want revealed 16 critical skills include knowing how to learn, reading, writing, mathematics, listening, oral communication, problem solving, creative thinking, self confidence, motivational goal setting, personal and career development, interpersonal skills, negotiation, teamwork, organizational effectiveness and leadership. Floud (2002) indicates some mix signals from UK employers about the knowledge and skills possessed by University graduates and indeed the worth of a degree. He states that on the one hand the employers are putting money into graduates by giving them a job and paying them a premium of around six thousand pounds per annum more than non graduates. However, despite this the employers, according to Floud (2002), are also claiming that today s graduates do not have the necessary skills and also there are accusations that universities are dumbing down and offering Mickey Mouse degrees. This author believes that the solution to this dilemma is having employers working with universities in a cooperative way to identify and tackle any issues related to the knowledge and skills required of University graduates. The Careers Services Desk (2003) addressed the issue of how much does higher education enhance the employability of graduates. Their broad findings can be summarized as follows: There is a wide degree of variability between subject areas regarding the focus on employability skills. For instance in Biology the subject specialization is less important than generic employability skills whilst in Computer Science employers sought mainly their specialist knowledge. A number of skills sought by employers are best acquired after starting employment rather than perhaps in the University. Acquiring work experience during undergraduate studies impacts positively on the development of employability skills. Exactly which competencies need to be developed in our graduates? The Scottish Qualifications Authority (2003) notes, for example, that in Australia the Mayer Committee identified the following competencies for effective participation in emerging patterns of work: Collecting, analyzing and organizing information Communicating ideas and information Planning and organizing activities Working with organizing activities Using mathematical ideas and techniques

3 Solving problems Using technology However, the Scottish report notes that the Mayer Committees neglect of the human factor and cognitive processes and motivation that effect the acquisition of these competencies has led to a range of issues in the implementation of the key competencies and their integration into the work of sub degree level education covered by the school and vocational education sector. In contrast to the Mayer competencies, the previously mentioned Rainsbury et al. (2002) study identifies a range of hard skills including computer literacy, technical expertise, organizational awareness, analytical thinking, personal planning and organizational skills, written communication and conceptual thinking; and a number of soft skills such as teamwork and co operation, flexibility, relationship building, impact and influence on others, initiative, customer service orientation, developing others, directiveness, team leadership, self control, willingness to learn, organizational commitment, interpersonal understanding, self confidence, information seeking, achievement orientation, and order and quality. The present study has as its main objective the perceived importance of certain skills and competencies by the Thai employees and their strengths and weaknesses. In doing so, it will draw on a number of items drawn from the literature but taking into account the context in that country. Research methodology The study addressed the following research issues: The demographic and related characteristics of the employees. Their perceptions of the importance of skills and competencies for the workforce of the future. The employees current strengths and weaknesses in terms of the development of skills and competencies. Their overall satisfaction with skills and competencies development. The above issues were addressed by designing a survey instrument based on the literature review. The resulting questionnaire was piloted with a few subjects and the feedback was used to modify the instrument. The employees were approached to complete the questionnaire using convenience sampling; they were drawn from a range of organizations (small to very large) from the corporate and public sectors. The survey questionnaire was divided into four sections. The first section collected information on demographic details of the respondents. The second section used five point Likert Scale ranging from 1 (Very Unimportant) to 5 (Very Important) to seek the employees perceived importance of skills and competencies of the successful employee for the future workforce. The Cronbach s Alpha for the scale was suggesting that the scale was very reliable. The penultimate section sought the employees overall satisfaction with the competencies and skill development, again using a five point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). The final section provided an opportunity for qualitative inputs from the respondent regarding their strengths and weaknesses in terms of the development of skills and competencies for the workforce of the future. In total 200 employees were approached to participate in the study. 177 employees responded to the survey providing the response rate of 88.5 %.

4 Survey of Thai employees Demographic characteristics of Thai survey respondents It is noted that a total of around 177 valid responses were received to the quantitative aspects of the survey questionnaire. There was a reasonable gender balance in terms of the respondents with around 51% female and 9% male employees responding to the survey. This provides a degree of confidence in terms of findings of the study. Approximately 0 % of the respondents were at or below 30 years of age, with nearly 1% being 31 to 0 years old and the balance (approximately 19%) were over 0 years old. This is reflective of the youthful Thai population of working age and consistent with the general demography of the population in the country s workforce. A majority of the respondents (59%) were single, in keeping with the age profile of the sample; 0% were married with the balance (1%) in the other category in terms of marital status. Approximately 91% of the employees were working full time, again consistent with the workforce in general within Thailand. About 12% of the respondents emanated from the public sector, with the vast majority (nearly 83%) drawn from the private sector and the balance (5%) owning their own business. The majority of employees (72%) held staff positions within the organisation whilst % were drawn from the top executives and the balance (2%) were first line executives; this would be reflective of the pyramidical structure of most Thai organisations. Approximately 8% of the respondents had worked in their current organisation for up to 5 years, with nearly 23% having served their existing firm for six to ten years and the balance (29%) had worked there for more than ten years. It is interesting to note that all respondents were graduates of higher education institutions. This was a fine tune since the researchers wished to primarily target University graduates so as to receive informed inputs about skills and competencies considered important for universities of the future. Indeed nearly 71% of the employees held Bachelor degrees with around 21% acquiring Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificates and the balance (8%) with Masters Degree. Quantitative survey results Importance of Skills and Competencies As previously stated, the second part of the survey instrument sought the graduate Thai employees perceptions regarding the importance of skills and competencies of the successful employee for the Thai workforce of the future, using a five point Likert scale ranging from very unimportant (1) to very important (5). Table 1 below provides the mean and standard deviation of the importance of the 29 skills and competencies included in the survey questionnaire. It reveals that the three most important skills and competencies for the future workforce include competency in allocating resources effectively in the workplace, technical expertise, improved understanding and application of social, organizational and technological systems in the workplace and in equal third place achievement orientation, order and quality. However, the three least important skills and competencies include directiveness, developing others and team leadership. Table 1: Mean and Standard Deviation of the Importance of Skills & Competencies Apply principles to new situations Confidence to investigate new ideas Put theory into practice Good combination of theory & practice Develop teamwork & cooperation Develop relationship building skills Allocating resources effectively Information seeking Make productive use of information Understanding & application of social, organisational & Tech systems Computer Literacy Mean S.D

5 Technical Expertise Organisational Awareness Analytical thinking Personal Planning & organizational skills Written communication & conceptual thinking Flexibility Impact & influence of others Initiative Customer service orientation Developing others Directiveness Team leadership Self control Willingness to learn Organisational commitment Interpersonal understanding Self confidence Achievement orientation, order & quality The above competencies and skills perceptions were cross tabulated against the previously mentioned demographic and related variables, with the t test of significance of mean differences identifying the following statistically significant results: Age was found to be a significant variable in terms of employees perception of the importance of a number of skills and competencies. In particular, the employees were segmented into the relatively young (at or below thirty years of age) and the more mature employees with the difference in mean importance subject to the previously mentioned statistical testing. The older employees (mean =.09) accorded greater importance to the ability to put theory into practice than was the case with the younger age group (3.71, t=2.99, p<0.01). Similarly the older group (3.97) assigned greater importance to the ability to develop teamwork and cooperation than their younger colleagues (3.53, t=3.5, p<0.01). The more experienced (older) employees (.15) again accorded greater importance to the ability to develop relationship building skills than was applicable to the younger age group (3.86, t=2.7, p<0.01). In a similar manner, the more mature respondents (.35) assigned greater importance to the competency to allocate resources than was the case with the more youthful group (3.9, t=3.11, p<0.01). Information seeking was accorded greater importance by the older age group (3.93) than was the case with the younger respondents (3.60, t=2.86, p<0.01). The more mature employee (.01) assigned greater priority to analytical thinking in comparison to the more youthful employee ( 3.7, t=2.36, p<0.05). Similarly the older age group (.13) assigned greater importance to personal planning and organisational skills than applicable to their younger counterparts (3.80, t=2.67, p<0.01). Flexibility was regarded of greater importance by the older employees (.1) in comparison to the younger respondents (3.93, t=1.99, p<0.05). Similarly the more mature employees (.00) assigned greater importance to initiative than was the case with the more youthful employees (3.69, t=2.91, p<0.01). Developing others was considered to be of greater significance by the older employees (3.79) than applicable to the younger age group (3.9, t=2.53, p<0.05). Similarly directiveness was accorded greater importance by the more mature employees (3.68) than applicable to the younger employees (3.39, t=2.82, p<0.01). Team leadership was assigned a greater importance by the older age group (3.79) in comparison to the younger group (3.50, t=2.55, p<0.05) Again the more mature respondents (.1) believed that self control was of greater importance in the workforce of the future than was the case with the younger respondents (3.79, t=2.05, p<0.05). Willingness to learn was regarded as being more important to the older workers (.18) than applicable to the younger counterparts (3.9, t=2.30, p<0.05). Similarly organisational commitment was of greater importance to the older aged employees (.08) than their younger colleagues (3.7, t=2.93, p<0.01). Finally the older employees regarded interpersonal understanding (.00) to be of greater priority than was the case with the more youthful group (3.77, t=2.22, p<0.05). The employees were again subdivided into binary populations based on the length of their service in the current organisation, in particular those who had worked for up to ten years and employees who had

6 worked there for greater than ten years. Statistical testing revealed only one significant result, in particular, the more experienced employees who had served that organisation for more than 10 years (.00) believed that information seeking was of greater importance than the less experienced employees (3.7, t=2.33, p<0.05). Similarly the respondents were subdivided into binary groups according to their hierarchical level in the organization; in particular whether the employees were at the executive or lower staffing levels. As observed for age, a number of statistically significant results were obtained with this variable. The ability to apply principles to new situations was assigned greater importance by executive (.12) than was the case with other employees (3.7, t=3.11, p<0.01). Similarly the executives believed that the confidence to investigate new ideas (.21) was of greater priority than was the belief of their other staff (3.72, t=3.97, p<0.01). The executives also felt that the ability to put theory into practice (.35) was of greater importance to the organizations of the future than observed with other employees (3.77, t=.0, p<0.01). In a similar way the executives accorded greater importance to the achievement of a good combination of theory and practice (.19) than observed with other staff (3.89, t=2.23, p<0.05). The ability to develop teamwork and cooperation was of greater importance to the executive (.12) than their more junior colleagues (3.65, t=3.1, p<0.01). Similarly analytical thinking was of greater importance to the executive staff (.16) than observed with others (3.80, t=2.9, p<0.01). Again executives assigned greater importance to personal planning and organizational skills (.30) than was the case with their subordinates (3.88, t=2.97, p<0.01). Written communication and conceptual thinking was of greater priority to the executives (.05) than applicable to their more junior staff 3.72, t=2.5, p<0.05). Similarly flexibility was regarded to be of greater importance by executives (.) than by other staff (3.91, t=.9, p<0.01). The executives believed that impact and influence on others ought to be of greater importance (3.8) than was the viewpoint of their junior staff (3.60, t=2.01, p<0.05). In a similar manner, the executives assigned a greater priority to initiative in the future workplace (.12) than was the case with other staff (3.76, t=2.87, p<0.01). Developing others was considered to be more important by executives (3.95) than applicable to the subordinate staff (3.55, t=3.12, p<0.01). Executives also felt that directiveness (3.72) was of greater significance than was the observation of the other staff (3.7, t=2.06, p<0.05). Similarly self control was assigned greater importance by executive (.35) in comparison to the more junior staff (3.97, t=2.86, p<0.01). The senior staff accorded higher priority to organizational commitment (.26) than did the subordinates (3.8, t=2.78, p<0.01). Similarly the executives felt that interpersonal understanding (.1) ought to be of greater importance than other staff (3.82, t=2.7, p<0.01). Finally being achievement orientated including quality of outcomes was of greater importance to the executives (.37) relative to the junior staff (.0, t=2.5, p<0.05). Similar analysis was undertaken according to the level of academic qualification of the staff in particularly those with post graduate qualifications and employees with the undergraduate degrees. Without exception, it was found that the postgraduate employees assigned greater importance to the acquisition of all the various skills and competencies; indeed in vast majority of cases, the differences in mean importance were statistically significant. Employees perceptions of skills and competencies importance were compared according to the marital status. It was found that this variable was not statistical significant. Employees perceived importance of skills and competencies was also compared according to whether their employment status was full time or part time; a couple of statistically significant results were obtained. First it was found that full time employees (.21) accorded greater importance to technical expertise than was observed for part timers (3.5, t=2.77, p<0.01). Second the full timers assigned greater priority to personal planning and organizational skills (.02) than was the case with part time employees (3.5, t=2.00, p<0.05). The employees were sub divided accordingly to their organizational type (public versus private) with again a couple of statistically significant results. Regarding technical expertise the private sector (.19) assigned greater importance to this factor than was observed in relation to public employee (3.76), t=2.21, p<0.05). Similarly private sector employees accorded greater priority to customer service orientation (.20) than did the staff from public institutions (3.62, t=2.89, p<0.01).

7 Gender was the final variable to be considered in relation to employees perceptions of importance in terms of skills and competencies requirements for the workforce of the future. Only one statistical significant gender difference was noted. In particular male staff (.19) assigned greater importance to flexibility than was the case with female employee (3.93, t=2., p<0.05). Overall satisfaction with skills and competencies The employees were requested to assess their overall confidence regarding the respondents acquisition of knowledge competences and skills development in order for them to fit into the workforce of the future. A five point Likert scale was again used to guage the employees satisfaction with their overall skills competencies development for the future world (1=very dissatisfied and 5= very satisfied). The overall mean satisfaction score (.26) was relatively high in absolute terms indicating a high degree of confidence by employees in adjusting to future changes in terms of the world of work. The employees overall satisfaction was cross tabulated against the previously mentioned demographic and related variables captured by the study. Although the over 30 years of age employees (.31) appear to be more satisfied than their younger colleagues regarding their skills and competencies the mean difference was not statistically significant (t=1.26, p>0.05). Similarly the length of service in the current organization (up to 10 years or greater than 10 years) made no significant difference to the overall satisfaction with skills and competencies for, the future. Although the executives (.39) were slightly more satisfied with their skills/ competencies development for the future than other staff (.21) the mean difference was not statistically significant (t=1.36, p>0.05). The academic qualifications of respondents appears to influence their confidence in their skills and competencies for the work force of the future with staff holding postgraduate qualifications (.71) being more satisfied than those holding bachelors degrees (.22, t=2.51, p<0.05). However, marital status made no statistically significant difference to overall confidence in terms of skills and competencies (single=.21, married=.33, t=1.08, p>0.05). Similarly whether the employee is full time (.25) or part time (.08, t=0.75, p>0.05) made no real difference to confidence in skills and competencies for the future. Employees drawn from government (.32) and private organisation (.2, t=0.1, p>0.05) appear to be equally statistically satisfied with the acquisition of their skills and competencies for the future workforce. Qualitative Employee Observations In addition to providing quantifiable inputs, as per the above analysis, the Thai employees were also given an opportunity to furnish qualitative inputs on the strengths and weaknesses of their existing competencies and skills. In order to analyse these observations, the framework of competencies and skills suggested by the North Central Regional Education Laboratory (1991) was used. More specifically they suggest five competencies including Resources, Interpersonal, Information, Systems and Technology; and three skills including Basic Skills, Thinking Skills and Personal Qualities. Where the respondents comments did not fit into this conceptual framework, the residual category of other was adopted for purposes of analysis. Strengths Table 2 specifies the employees perceived strengths in terms of existing skills/ competencies using the previously mentioned conceptual framework. Disregarding the residual category, it reveals that the respondents tended to emphasise on the strengths emanating from their thinking and personal skills. It may be that some of the other areas could be taken for granted. For instance, since the Thai employees responding to this survey completed their tertiary education, it is accepted that they would have acquired the necessary basic skills including numeracy and literacy skills.

8 Table 2: Perceived Strengths of Employees Skill/Competency Resources Interpersonal Information Technology Basic Skills Thinking Skills Personal skills Other Total Frequency % Given the relatively large percentage of responses (35%) falling into the residual category, it is useful to consider these in more detail to distill some of the key themes emerging from the comments received from the respondents. One of the themes noted in terms of this residual group is that of lifelong learning. Comments in this area include I have the opportunity for further studies or continuous learning and training or continuous training and searching for knowledge. Yet another major theme emerging from the residual group relates to the acquisition of experiential and other knowledge. Some of the examples regarding this area include I have direct experiences in my areas of employment responsibilities or I possess the technical skills and expertise related to my current employment. Yet others believe that their strength relates to the acquisition of certain discipline specific knowledge. Examples here include I have expertise in terms of organizational theory or I have the ability to analyse the customer groups and market situation. Weaknesses The method of analysis used for strengths was replicated in terms of weaknesses providing the results contained in the table below. Significant areas of weaknesses include interpersonal and technology related competencies and personal skills. Other cells sustained relatively small numbers with the exception of the residual category of other. Table 3: Perceived Weaknesses of Employees Skill/Competency Resources Interpersonal Information Technology Basic Skills Thinking Skills Personal skills Other Total Frequency % Again it is interesting to consider the themes emerging from the other category given that one third of the respondents fell into this category. One of the major sub themes emerging in terms of this other category relate to certain external factors. Examples here include customers not following the company rules or uncontrollable external factors such as the political domain or economic conditions in Thailand or abroad. Yet another theme relates to the demographic or other characteristics of the individual. For example, I am not in good health or I am too old or lack of knowledge. Conclusions There is much more to a career than just moving up the hierarchies of organization. The employees also focus on their self management and career success. An important finding from the study is that the employees suggested that the three most important skills and competencies for the future workforce include

9 competency in allocating resources effectively in the workplace, technical expertise, improved understanding and application of social, organizational and technological systems in the workplace and in equal third place achievement orientation, order and quality. However, the three least important skills and competencies include directiveness, developing others and team leadership. Career Adaptability and career attitudes may change over the course of careers and are shaped by the internal and external environment. As the workplace becomes more dynamic and uncertain, the employees become inflexible in their attitudes and outdated in their knowledge as they can stay more proactive, fresh and responsive in the future workplace. Another important finding from the study is that university education does make a difference to Thai employees capacity to embrace the workforce of the future. In particular, the study established that employees completing postgraduate qualification are significantly more confident in terms of their skills and competencies to adapt to future changes in the workplace. Given the increased participation rate in higher education regarding undergraduate studies and the need to balance university budgets through the enrolment of more postgraduate fee paying students, the finding of this study if replicated more globally is capable of providing a strong rationale to market and boost postgraduate enrolment in higher education institutions. It suggests that postgraduate studies appear to add value in terms of the acquisition of skills and competencies for the workforce of the future. A major weakness identified by the Thai graduate employee respondents relate to the acquisition of personal skills. Clearly the development of such soft skills by the universities will need to be assigned a greater priority by the Thai higher education institutions in the future. This study sustained some limitations that necessitates the undertaking of further institutional research by universities. For instance, this study focused on employees holding Thai higher education qualifications. Perhaps the research sample can be extended in future to widen the scope as follows: Examine both graduates and non graduates employees perceptions of skills and competencies required in the workforce of the future. Survey both employees and other sub groups including those currently undertaking educational studies and people who may be currently unemployed such a comparative study may help to identify gaps in the development of skills/competencies development. References Aldag Ramon J., Kuzuhara Loren W. (2005), Mastering Management Skills, South Western, Thomson Corporation, Canada. Careers Services Desk (2003). Higher Education and graduate employability published at the website: Floud, R. (2002). Enhancing emploabaility, recognizing diversity, a keynote address delivered at the Congress Centre, London, UK, on 3 July 2002 and published at peeches/show.asp?sp=9 North Central Regional Education Laboratory (1991). Skills and Competencies Needed to Succeed in Today s Workplace, published at Rainsbury, E., Hodges, D., Burchell, N. & Lay, M. (2002). ʺRanking Workplace Competencies: Student and Graduate Perceptionsʺ, Asia Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, Vol. 3, No 2, pp Scottish Qualifications Authority (2003) Key Competencies some international comparisons, published by the Scottish Qualifications Authority as a Research Bulletin, Glasgow, UK.