Sustaining in today’s
competitive world has persuaded entrepreneurs and owners to search for the
right business management professionals who have the skills and capability of
making any business successful. Recruiters and hiring managers look for
candidates who can jump right in on the first day of work and starts helping
the company achieve its goals. Today, the employers are looking for MBA
graduates who not only have a strong command over technical or conceptual
know-how of the business but are also creative leaders, skilled, ethical,
and have a strong global mindset. MBA graduates, these days, are required to
have extensive knowledge of the corporate world, develop interpersonal skills,
organizational behavior, problem-solving skills, communication skills,
and other such soft skills that will help them become industry-ready and fetch
success in their professional career. However, Skill expectations for MBA
graduates depend largely on industry factors.
Employers in the leading
sectors identify distinct skills, priorities, and
shortcomings. For example,
consulting firms prioritize communication skills as the most important skill
compared with financial skills in the finance industry and interpersonal skills
in technology companies. Various studies have been conducted to find the employability
of MBA students. According to the India Skills report 2019 of AICTE, 36.44% of
the MBA talents are readily employable. In contrast, ASSOCHAM report 2018 states that only 7% of
the MBA students are skilled and readily employable in India. Hence, it becomes
crucial to identify the factors that make MBA students employable. Financial
Times 2018, MBA Skills Gap Survey, found that employers want to hire the
candidates who have soft skills coupled with hard skills like technology, accountancy,
marketing, use of social media,
etc. and also team players, able to solve complex problems, can build a network,
and can prioritize their time. According to various studies,
Knowledge, Skill, and Attitude factors that make MBA
employable and are expected from corporate can be listed as:
1.
Willingness to learn
Learning is about
wanting to understand new things and picking them up quickly. It also involves
taking on new tasks and being able to adapt to change. While working in the
corporate world, various times professionals come across certain skills that
they are neither aware of nor mastered yet. Under such circumstances,
professionals are required to accept their limitations and showcase the willingness
to learn new things. This reflects the process of self-improvement and ensures
the growth of the team and the company.
2. Commitment
Organizations require
professionals who are loyal and committed as MBA graduates are hired to
contribute to the growth of organizations.
3.
Teamwork
skills
Teamwork means being
able to get along with the people you work with. It involves working together
to achieve a shared goal. MBA graduates are expected to serve as a link between
the team members working under them and the top management teams of the
organization. Thus, during the hiring process, the
employers look for great teamwork skills in an MBA graduate since it ensures
that the goals and values of the company are being upheld.
4.
Interpersonal skills
MBA
graduates are expected to have strong interpersonal skills. Management students
with advanced interpersonal skills tend to collaborate well with different
groups. Hence, every MBA graduate must develop their interpersonal skills.
5.
Communication skills
Communication
means being clear about what you say and what you want to achieve when you talk
or write. Companies expect excellent
communication skills from their employees. Those MBA graduates who master the
art of effective communication come out as great leaders.
6.
Strategic Planning and Thinking
An
MBA must develop a Strategic Planning and Thinking skillset as it helps in
professional development. This skill requires innovation and creative thinking
that allows analyzing customers, employees, and
business and industry trends.
7.
Problem-solving and decision-making skills
Problem-solving
and decision-making are important skills for business and life. Problem-solving
often involves decision-making, and decision-making is especially important for
management and leadership. An MBA program introduces students to all the tools
and techniques which they can utilize to solve problems more effectively and
make better decisions.
8.
Global Mindset
Studies
by the Global Mindset
Index has recognized that businesses that are committed to their
employees acquiring an international outlook are more likely to achieve their
objectives and goals than businesses that don’t. A global mindset involves the
ability to work successfully across cultures. The growing interaction among
global markets has increased the expectations of the employers, in terms of the
skills that are required in an MBA graduate. Now, an MBA aspirant must have a
global mindset as it would help them understand the differences among cultures
and business practices and they can easily acknowledge the opportunities to
learn about the similarities.
9.
Master Technical Know-How
With
the extensive dependency of every business on the digital platforms and social
media, It has become quite crucial for the MBA students to have extensive
knowledge of all technical tools related to their MBA specialization. Technical
skill is the ability to carry out a task associated with technical roles such
as IT, engineering, mechanics, science or finance. When the students
combine the business acumen with highly-sought after tech skills, they develop
an advantageous skill set that allows them to design and implement solutions
and successfully bridge the gap between technology and business. Moreover, an
MBA graduate with knowledge of technology is considered to be a well-rounded decision-maker
in the corporate world.
10. Networking know-how
Networking
is making links from people we know to people they know, in an organized way,
for a specific purpose. Networking skills are an asset in the business
environment, as the ability to connect with people and maintain relationships
is instrumental in business.
Dr. Swaranjeet Arora
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