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Running head: SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 1
Soft Skill Development within Social Science Disciplines
Victoria Brookhouser, Shaunice Cyrus, Kay Linger, and Samantha Rodriguez
Tarleton State University
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 2
Abstract
Students enrolled in institutions of higher education with the intention of entering into a
steady, well-paying job in their desired workplace. Employers report new college graduates are
lacking in their readiness to enter into the workforce. Employers state new graduates are lacking
in soft skills with strong work ethic, team work skills, initiative and interpersonal skills being
among the top skills desired in new hires. This quantitative study assesses the perceived soft
skills of students and informs individuals on how significant soft skills are to employers. A total
of 100 participants are surveyed using convenience purposive sampling. Researchers use a pre-
developed survey of demographic questions and Likert scale questions. Researchers identified
Bloom's Taxonomy (1956) as an applicable theory because it deals with education and aims to
promote higher forms of thinking. The six cognitive levels of Bloom serve to improve the
thinking and educational levels of individuals. The researcher’s hypotheses focus on participants
ranking themselves highly in terms of self-perceived soft skills, and that males are more likely to
report the increased soft skills compared to female participants. Researcher identified
participants who have utilized career services, practiced soft skills, and experienced resume
development. The results serve as an information for employees of future students as well as
current employers working with Career Services and intern programs at higher education
institutions. Being aware of soft skills and how they are utilized enhances competency and
allows professionals to better connect with their clients as well as their coworkers.
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 3
Soft Skill Development within Social Science Disciplines
Soft skills is a broad term for a specific set of acquired skills that are not taught
academically, but rather, experienced and matured. Interchangeably referred to as “people
skills,” the terms encompass a variety of sociable skills that can be demonstrated professionally,
and fine-tuned through rehearsal and specific target trainings. Utilizing these skills, compiled
with the required education and experience needed, it is expected that employees will be more
holistically prepared for the workforce and serve as better executers of tasks within the
profession. This research explores the need for college students to acquire the soft skills essential
to being effective in the workforce. University students are not being prepared with the work
ethic, teamwork, and communication skills sought after by employers. The purpose of this
research is to expand current knowledge of the importance of soft skill development in career
based services within institutions. As it relates to the social work profession, practitioners can
exercise soft skills in advocacy, general client or agency engagement, or when facilitating
services. Additional knowledge on the subject can aid clients or graduating students in obtaining
gainful employment. Likewise, advocating for this population increases the programs available
in bridging the gap between self-perception and employment outcome. The following research
provides an in-depth analysis on the observation of soft skills by employers versus the
experiences and implied perceptions of graduating students.
Problem
As a group we identified the problem statement as: University students are not graduating
with the necessary soft skills to be productive in today’s workforce. Finch et al. (2013) reported a
study conducted by the Council for Aid to Education (C.A.E.) that surveyed employers across
the nation. Participating employers report new college graduates are lacking in their readiness to
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 4
enter into the workforce (Finch et al., 2013). Employers stated new graduates are lacking in soft
skills such as: a strong work ethic, team work skills, initiative and interpersonal skills are among
the top skills desired in new hires (Di Meglio, 2008). Jobs are going unfilled because employers
are not finding new hires that have a combination of soft skills, technical skills, and experience
to meet the employment criteria for the position (State of St. Louis Workforce, 2013).
Objectives
Researchers identified the following objectives to address the phenomenon:
O1 Identify participants who have utilized career based services within the institution.
O2 Acknowledge the participant interpretations of soft skills.
O3 Identify how participants practice soft skills.
Hypotheses
Researchers will test the following hypotheses:
H1 Male participants will report higher utilization of soft skills.
H2 Upper classmen, juniors and seniors will rate themselves higher as possessing and using soft
skills.
Literature Review
The following literature review focuses on the participant’s interpretations of soft skills
and how participants practice soft skills.
Through the research it was discovered employers and college students have a different
opinion on the students’ knowledge and ability to utilize soft skills. The disparities prevent
college graduates from succeeding in gainful employment upon graduation or being promoted
within the company. The NACE job outlook (2008) survey has shown that college students are
lacking in soft skills necessary for success.
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 5
Through this research literature we gain the insight to the skills desired by employers,
soft skills achieved by graduates, and soft skills that are needing improvement.
The study conducted on behalf of the Association of American Colleges & Universities
by Heart & Associates (2006) surveyed 400 employers and found a difference of opinion
between employers and students as to their readiness for real world employment. Out of a range
of 20 skills, the employers consistently rated the students lower than they rated themselves
(Selingo, 2015). For example, 59% of the students said they were proficient in analyzing and
solving complex problems, however, only 24% of the employers agreed. Employers evaluated
college graduates as not prepared for the future job market. As an example, many new recruits do
not wear the proper attire or arrive at work on time. Internships help to provide experience in the
work place and also help to develop soft skills that employers are seeking in new hires (Malik,
2015).
The Council for Aid to Education (CAE) study was conducted by testing 32,000 students
across 169 colleges and universities. The study revealed that 40 % of college seniors do not have
the complex reasoning and other soft skills needed to enter into today’s workforce upon
graduation (Selingo, 2015) The top ten skills desired by employers include the ability to work in
a team structure, the ability to make decisions and solve problems, the ability to communicate
verbally with people inside and outside the organization, ability to plan, organize and prioritize
work, ability to obtain and process information, ability to analyze an quantitative data, technical
knowledge related to the job, proficiency with computer software programs, ability to create and
or edit written reports, and the ability to sell and influence others (Wilhelm, 2004).
A supporting study was completed by survey method and was mailed to 178
professionals on the abilities of 196 students to conduct an interview. Of the 178 surveys sent out
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 6
82.5% (n, 147) were returned. The information was used to analyze and interpret student’s
interview skills. The purpose of the study was to determine the soft skills (Finch et al., 2013)
employers believe students need to develop in order to be successful. The business professionals
were most impressed by the student’s manners, positive attitude, preparation for the interview,
and ability to close the interview. The interviewer’s consideration of the business professional’s
time, use of correct grammar, and clarity of purpose also ranked very high.
Michigan State University conducted a cross institutional study identified the top soft skills that
employers are looking for in new graduates (Crawford, et al.). This study was conducted
nationwide and included 2,669 student participants from 31 universities and 282 employers
representing all 50 states. It was reported that all of the skills are important, the ratings are
reflected as trade-offs depending on the qualifications best suited for particular employment
opportunities. The seven soft skills ranked by employers to be most important are:
Communication skills at 1st, Decision making/ Problem solving skills 2nd, Self-management
skills at 3rd, Teamwork skills at 4th, Professionalism skills at 5th, Experiences skills employers
ranked this as least important soft skill at 7th , and Leadership skills 7th. Students listed the same
soft skills in an different ranking order: Communication skills 1st, Decision making/ Problem
solving skills, 3rd, Self-management skills 4th , Teamwork skills 6th, Professionalism skills 7th,
Experiences skills students ranked at 2nd , and Leadership skills 5th. This study further
illustrates the difference of opinion on the importance of these particular soft skills and their use
upon graduation and entrance into the workforce.
Based on studies conducted across various countries, soft skills are acknowledged as
traits that reinforce an employer’s determination of employability. Although technical skills
(hard skills) display qualification to a specific discipline, soft skills bridge rehearsed knowledge
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 7
with interactions expanding beyond the physical workplace. Arnett, Prahakar, and Litecky
(2004) noted the differences and importance’s of the skills as it relates to a conducive work
environment, and employment process. The research explained how although hard skills are
discipline specific, such skills are subject to change over time. Therefore, technical skills can
assist a candidate in getting further into the employment process, surpassing the “filtration stage”
(the phase in which employers weed out the less qualified), but not guaranteeing employment.
Alternatively, soft skills are the final stage of employment determination where candidates with
sufficient hard skills are viewed comparatively based on their possession of soft skills (Arnett,
Prahakar, & Litecky, 2004).
Soft skills, as defined by Tech Directors (2003), are “the cluster of personality traits,
social graces, language skills, friendliness, and optimism that mark each one of us to varying
degrees.” The definition samples some of the more well-known qualities that are categorized as
soft skills. Additionally, the statement “that mark each one of us to varying degrees” implies job-
seekers have an innate foundation of a quality that assists in securing a job. However, data from
Association of American Colleges & Universities by Heart & Associates (2006) concludes that
only 24% of employers believe that graduates are equipped to enter the workforce. The
reasoning, in part, is the applicant’s inability to demonstrate skills that mesh the textbook
information, with the skills identified by Garton, Robinson, and Vaughn (2007), in their study, to
be the most desirable by employers: Problem Solving and Analytic, Lifelong Learning,
Motivation, and Listening. These were the top four of sixteen ranked soft skills by employers.
Contrastingly, all four of the top skills were ranked lower in importance for the workplace by
job-seeking graduate participants. In this way, the discrepancies in student perception of skills
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 8
necessary for employment, and employer’s perception of skill necessary for employment are
demonstrated.
To further explore this phenomenon, three researchers, Coulmont, Levant, and Sandu
(2016), aimed to note some of the inconsistencies in student’s self-evaluation of soft skill levels,
with student’s utilization of such skills in a workplace setting. Workforce simulations were
designed to examine the participant’s integration of such skills in practice and posed the question
as to whether business simulations (which would mock some of the tasks and crises of the
workplace) would assist in developing soft skills. The results indicated students ranking
themselves significantly higher for competency of soft skill, after the conclusion of the three day
simulations. The aforementioned research emphasizes the need for education and soft skill
training through university based career services. These services will ensure that graduates are
informed on the benefit of soft skill development throughout their educational experience.
Theory
The use of theory has helped to further expand the understanding of the skills tested by
the survey. Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) provides a framework for engaging students in
different levels of cognitive thought about a topic, ranging from basic factual recall through
evaluation of a set of results based on predefined criteria (Ward, 2010). There are six different
levels including: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 9
Blooms taxonomy relates to the research because different questions in the survey can be
directly paired with one or more of the levels in this framework. The survey used to collect data
asks questions regarding a participant’s ability to observe, understand/deconstruct, and rebuild
information they are given. When a student answers a question about their role, guidelines,
procedures, and tasks, the participants are answering questions related to knowledge. Questions
related to the application level include using individual skills or the skills of others, or problem
solving. Evaluation level questions consider the participant’s ability to judge the standards or
quality of work produced.
Learning is not a one size fits all type of situation. The Adult Learning Theory (1980),
constructed by Malcolm Knowles, explains different requirements of an adult that influence their
learning. In 1980, Knowles used 4 assumptions to explain adult learning, and added a fifth
assumption in 1984 (Pappas, 2013). Pappas also includes the four principles Knowles suggests
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 10
can be applied to adult learning. The first principle suggests adults need to be involved in the
planning and evaluation of their instruction. The second and third principles involve the need for
experience, providing the basis for learning activities, and the idea that adults are interested in
topics that have immediate relevance or impact on their job or personal life. The final principle
proposes adult learning is problem-centered rather than content oriented. Knowles also suggests,
“the best learning environments are the ones that are collaborative and utilize a problem-based
approach” (Pullagurla, 2014).
Adult Learning Theory, like Bloom’s Taxonomy, is related to the research because
several questions asked by the researchers can be matched with a specific characteristic
mentioned in the framework. Questions regarding a participant taking initiative can be associated
to the first characteristic, self-concept. This characteristic involves a person’s personality
changing from dependent to self-directed (Pappas, 2013). When asked about their participation
or past experience with student services, the participants explain their use of characteristic two,
Adult Learner Experience. Characteristic three of the framework, Readiness to Learn, can be
shown when participants answer a question about their role or their ability to meet any
guidelines, and taking criticism or opinions from others. Participant’s orientation to learning is
exhibited when answering questions regarding time, their application of knowledge, and problem
solving. And lastly, Motivation to learn is purely internal, this can be shown by a participant
acknowledging their skills, skills of others, and their ability to determine whether their actions
are appropriate for the setting.
Methods and Research Design
The intended sample size was 100, however, additional samples were collected totaling
110. The samples were collected from current students attending a rural university. The
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 11
researchers were using a convenience and purposive sampling technique from engaging students
in the student center, however, that proved to be unproductive because of not finding students
within the helping profession majors. The researchers utilized snowball method of gathering
information. The researchers voiced their concerns to the community partner. The community
partner then reached out to professors in helping profession classes to gain permission to for the
researchers to conduct surveys in their classes. The researchers utilized a pre-developed
questionnaire that was constructed by the professor and the community partner. The instrument
included 3 demographic questions and 3 open ended university service related questions, plus a
quantitative 32 rating question collection method. Survey implemented a Likert scale rating of
“Not at All,” “Sometimes,” “Often,” and “Very Often.” The planned recruitment of sampling
data was collected from participants identifying their majors as being in the helping field such as
Nursing, Psychology, Social Work, Criminal Justice, Education, Counseling, and Sociology. A
preliminary examination of the data collected revealed ages of participants ranged from 18 to 70.
For comparative analysis this demographic was divided into 2 groups: 18-24 and 24 & up.
Further demographic information collected included: sex, race, class status, major, minor.
There are 3 closed ended qualitative questions were applied to university student services were
engaged in by students: in whether students have participated in Career Services, and have
students participated in an Intern to Learn program and were any of the internships a requirement
for a class. The 32 quantitative rating questions allowed students to rate themselves on how they
utilize soft skills by selecting “Not at All,” “Sometimes,” “Often,” and “Very Often.”
The researchers have identified 2 hypothesis:
(1) Males are more likely to report higher levels of soft skills because of rural southern locality.
(2) Junior and Senior classmen will rate themselves with higher soft skills.
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 12
Career services “Have students taken advantage of University Career Services”; “Have students
participated in University Intern to Learn Program”; “Was it a paid or unpaid internship?”
Data Analysis and Results
There were 110 participants in total. The ages of the participants were divided into 2
groups of 18-24 & 25 & up, then subdivided into male (n=31) and female (n=79), and
transgender (n=0) participants
For analysis the participants were categorized into male, female and transgender. Male
participants in the 18-24 age group; 90.3% (n=28), group 25 & up: 9.67% (n=3). Female
participants; in the age group 18-24; 88.6% (n=70), group 25 & up, 11.39% (n=9), and
transgender participants in the age group 18-24 0% (n=0), 25 & up, 0% (n=0).
The data revealed the majority of the participants were Caucasian/White 69.09% (n=76),
followed by Hispanic 17.27% (n=19), Biracial and African American/ Black were tied at 5.454%
(n=6), Asian 1.81% (n=2), and Native 0.90% (n=1)
Male % Female % Overall %
Black 2 0.208117 4 5.063291 6 5.454545
Asian 1 0.104058 1 1.265823 2 1.818182
White 21 2.185224 55 69.62025 76 69.09091
Hispanic 5 16.12903 14 17.72152 19 17.27273
Native 0 0 1 1.265823 1 0.909091
Biracial 2 6.451613 4 5.063291 6 5.454545
TOTAL 31
79
110
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 13
Helping major percentages by class: Criminal Justice, 16.3% (n=17), Counseling 0%
(n=0), Education 18.7%: (n=19), Nursing 26.4% (n=27), Psychology 30% (n=33), Social Work
13.2% (n=13), Sociology 0.09% (n=1)
The information relating to the university career services that were or were not utilized by
the students discovered that 26.3% (n=29) used career services. This qualitative information was
broken into male, female and transgender. Males .9% (n=10), females 17.2% (n=19), and
transgender 0% (n=0).
The majority of the participants that participated in Intern 2 Learn were males 2.27%
(n=3), female 1.8% (n=2), transgender 0% (n=0). The overall participation in this program was
4.5% (n=5). Which means that 95.4% (n=105) of the 110 students surveyed did not participate in
Intern 2 Learn program.
Out of the 110 surveys collected 0.9 % (n=1) received a stipend for internship.
Upon analyzing the data of how the males, females, and transgendered rated themselves on
utilizing soft skills. All participants rated themselves using a Likert scale of “Not at All,”
“Sometimes,” “Often,” and “Very Often.” Males rating themselves “Not at All” were 1.61%,
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
male
%
female
%
overall
%
RACIAL DEMOGRAPHIC
biracial native hispanic white asian black
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 14
“Sometimes” 16.02%, “Often” 39.21% and “Very Often” 44.45%, while the females rated
themselves “Not at All” .553%, “Sometimes” 12.46%, “Often” 36.31% and “Very Often”
44.62%. This data proves the hypothesis false that the male students of the participation will rate
themselves higher in utilizing soft skills. The differences between males and females were
insignificant at 0.165%.
The second hypothesis states junior and senior classmen will rate themselves with higher
(3 & 4 on the Likert scale) soft skills. According to the 32 quantitative questionnaire data, this
hypothesis proves true. Juniors and senior classmen rated themselves 85.94% higher than
freshmen and sophomores which rated themselves 80.15%.
1.6
16.0
36.3
43.8
.055
12.4
38.7
46.8
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Axis
Title
Axis Title
Male VS Female
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 15
Fresh Soph. Junior Senior
352 802 1189 1120
1154=32.78% 2309 =65.59%
Total # out
of 110
surveys
Total %
out of
100%
Freshman=1 11 10%
Sophomore=2 23 21%
Junior=3 41 37%
Senior=4 35 32%
Grad=5 0 0
Doctoral=6 0 0
10%
21%
37%32 %
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1
CLASS SELF -RATING
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 16
Strengths and Limitations
While conducting the research, there were a few strengths and limitations observed. A
strength the researchers experienced is the availability and willingness of the partnering
community agency (Career Services) to provide resources for the researchers to utilize. After
realizing the first attempt at collecting data was proving to be difficult, the community partner
provided resources as an attempt to collect data more effectively.
Another strength is the researchers’ ability to survey different helping professionals
rather than limiting data to the social work profession. In order to get a general idea of what
skills are being used and how often these skills are used, the data should be collected by more
than one area of work. By using data from five different helping professions the researchers can
observe a broader spectrum of soft skill utilization. A third strength or benefit for this research is
simply the length of the instrument used to collect data. For research using a qualitative method
to collect data, they might not have as many willing participants. By using a quantitative method
05
1015202530354045
CLASS STATUS
Total # out of 110 surveys Total % out of 100%
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 17
to collect data, the researchers run into a higher possibility of ready participants. Using a
quantitative survey keeps the researchers from having to condense a range of answers that would
be provided by the participants when using a qualitative survey.
A limitation of the research is the amount of data collected. By being limited to only
collecting one hundred surveys, the researchers were not able to collect data that is proportionate
to the population of the University. In order to gather accurate representation for the five majors
listed, the researchers would have needed to figure out the total number of students in each major
in proportion to the total number of students enrolled on campus.
Also, though the community partner was able to connect the researchers with professors,
communication turned out to be more difficult than expected. Both parties were busy and due to
the tight schedule, finding time to collect data from the specific classes took longer than
expected. The snowball method of collecting data proved to be the most effective but also the
most time consuming.
Ethical Considerations
The undergraduate research group who conducted the study underwent the Institutional
Review Board (IRB) approval process to ensure compliance with existing ethical standards. All
affiliates of the study (researchers/ investigators, research designers, data collectors, etc.) were
also required to take the online Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). The training
provides information on the basis of appropriate and inappropriate usage of human subjects as
samples for research.
Additional steps were taken to ensure such compliances were upheld throughout the
duration of the study. In terms of participant protection and consent, individuals were informed
that participation was optional, and the choice to discontinue participation could be exercised at
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 18
any point. Discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation were
not made. Apart from general demographic questions, no personally identifying questions were
included within the surveys to protect confidentiality. Gender sensitivity was also considered
when developing the survey; participants had the option to select from either male, female, or
transgender.
Implications for Social Work
The knowledge of soft skills and how to utilize them can affect anyone from the
individual seeking a job, to an institution administering such services to students. On the micro
level, soft skills are important to university students in search of a career. Studies have shown
that more employers are looking for soft skills in potential hires, however, employers do not
believe students are effective in utilizing these skills. Based on the above research 85% of
upperclassmen and 80% of underclassmen rated themselves as having the appropriate soft skills
sought by employers. Future studies could explore the disparities between student perception of
their possession and their implementation of them. It is beneficial to inform students about soft
skills and to provide resources to help improve them. The knowledge of soft skills can directly
affect the student being able to obtain an interview with an employer as well as being able to get
a job offer.
On a macro level, soft skills can affect an institution and how it educates its students. The
development of university career services is important to keep students informed on how to use
their skills to get a job and maintain employment. The research conducted found that only 26.3%
of students had participated in university career services, which demonstrates the need to
promote the programs offered by institutions. This level also includes advocacy for the students
as well as university career services. Helping professionals can advocate for more funds in order
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 19
to maintain the usage of career services for university students. They can also advocate for the
students in terms of improving the services and resources that are provided by an institution.
Overall, the study conducted proves the need for university career services and how
important they can be to a student’s success. Being able to identify and utilize soft skills is
imperative to individuals being able to attain interviews and keep jobs in the helping professional
field. During the research project, the researchers worked to promote career services and allow
students to learn about the resources that are offered on campus. When students are aware of
these services they are able to put them to use and remain successful, not only in school but after
graduation in the workforce.
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 20
References
Crawford. P, Dalton, R., Fielitz, L., Fink, W., & Lang, S. (2011). Comparative analysis of soft
skills: What is important for new graduates? Washington, DC: Association of Public and
Land Grant Universities.
Finch, D. J., Hamilton, L. K., Baldwin, R., & Zehner, M. (2013). An explanatory study of factors
affecting undergraduate employability. Education & Training, 55(7), 681.
Malik, M. M. (2015). The legal void of unpaid internships: Navigating the legality of internships
in the face of conflicting tests interpreting the FLSA. Connecticut Law Review, 47(4),
1183-1214.
Pappas, C. (2013). The Adult Learning Theory-Andragogy-of Malcolm Knowles. eLearning
Industry.
Pullagurla, A. (2014). Six Top Facts about Adult Learning Theory. eLearning Industry.
Selingo, J. J. (2015, Jan 26). Why are so many college students failing to gain job skills before
graduation? The Washington Post. Retrieved from
https//www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/01/26why-are-so-many-
college-students-failing-to-gain job-skills-before-graduation/
Tillotson, K., & Osborn, D. (2012). Effect of a resume-writing workshop on resume-writing
skills. Journal of Employment Counseling, 49(3), 110-117.
Vedder, R., Dehart, C., Dehart, M., Matgoguranis, C., & Robe, J. (2015). From Wall Street to
Wal-Mart: Why college graduates are not getting good jobs. The Center for College
Affordability and Productivity, 1-12. Retrieved from
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED536148.pdf
SOFT SKILL DEVELOPMENT 21
Ward, D. (2010). A methodology for applying Bloom’s taxonomy to increase instruction in the
reference interview. Reference Services Review, 39, 167-180. doi:
10.1108/00907321111108187
Wilhelm, W. J. (2004). Determinants of moral reasoning: Academic factors, gender, richness of
life experiences, and religious preferences. The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 49(2), 105.
Levant, Y., Coulmont, M., & Sandu, R. (2016). Business simulation as an active learning activity
for developing soft skills. Accounting Education, 25(4), 368-395. doi:
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