Communication skills are the single most desired competency that employers seek in business school graduates. They're also notoriously difficult and inefficient to assess. Let's discuss how admitting great communicators into your MBA program can lead to happier graduates, more satisfied employers, and a better reputation for your school.

1. Communication Skills
The Essential Business School Competency
Andrew Hastings
andrew@kiratalent.com

2. Increasingly, students are looking at higher
education as a way to improve their employability
and get a good job.
Gallup/Lumina

3. Schools know both students and parents care about
employability, and they’re working to improve it.
Inside Higher Ed study
88% of Admissions Directors agree that students
place high importance on their employability
96% of Admissions Directors agree that parents
place high importance on their child’s employability
82% of Admissions Directors agree that their
institution is increasing their attention on helping
students get a good job

4. But there’s a gap—college graduates and
business leaders agree that recent graduates are
not well-prepared for the workplace.
Gallup Study
96% of Chief Academic Officers
say their institution is effective at
preparing students for the world
of work.
14% of Americans agree that college
graduates are well-prepared for
success in the workplace.
11% of business leaders agree that
college graduates are well-prepared
for success in the workplace.
but only

5. So, what are employers looking for?
Employers care more about the quality of the students than the
reputation of the school they're recruiting from.
And they definitely don’t care how high your admissions standards are.
GMAC Study

6. How do employers define “quality”?
What qualities are top employers looking for?
GMAC Study
It’s unanimous. They want strong communicators.
Strong oral communication, listening, written, and presentation skills.

7. This is consistent across nearly all industries:
GMAC Study

8. A massive survey of Fortune 500 employers performed by
Bloomberg has confirmed this as well.
It doesn’t matter which industry—
communication skills are still ranked as
the “most desired” by top employers.
Bloomberg

9. Consulting? Communication skills ranked #1.
Bloomberg

10. Financial services? Communication skills.
Bloomberg

11. Technology? Still communication skills.
Bloomberg

12. Not surprisingly, communication skills are highly
correlated with employability.
The GMAT score is not.

13. In fact, the only GMAT component positively correlated
with employability is the AWA section—analytical writing
assessment. The only written component on the test.
“AWA scores and admissions interviews are at least
twice as predictive as the GMAT for employability.”
Poets & Quants

14. What does this mean for
business schools?

15. More employable graduates.
More satisfied employers.
A better reputation for your school.
Testing for communication skills:

16. Can schools really improve their
reputation this way?

17. 50% of a school’s ranking comes from their ability to get
their students jobs and deliver value to employers.
US News website

18. 25% of a school’s ranking comes from peer
assessment—schools ranking other schools.
Yet schools show clear (sometimes comical) bias
when assessing their peers in other areas.
Has your institution ever falsely reported admissions data?
Yes - 1%
No - 99%
Have other institutions?
Yes - 93%
No - 7%
Inside Higher Ed study

19. The remaining 25% comes from how
selective your program is.
GMAC Study
Despite the fact that employers don’t care how high your
admissions standards are. In fact, it’s rated dead last.

20. So what’s a business school to do?
Focus on the areas you have control over.
Focus on recruiting and enrolling great communicators.
Focus on improving the quality and employability of your graduates.
Producing more employable graduates—those with the skills needed to succeed, not just
in your program, but in the workplace—is the best long term approach for your school.

21. It can help your school get
more applicants too.

22. What are the most important criteria for students
when deciding where to apply for their MBA?
The quality and reputation of your school (43%), and your school’s
ability to improve their career outlook (20%).
GMAC Study

23. They care more about the reputation of your school
and its ability to get them a job than they do about the:
Curriculum
Culture
Financial Support
Class Profile
….combined.

24. A nationwide survey by Gallup also
confirmed this connection.
72% of Americans view the employment rates of a school’s
graduates as very important when selecting a college or university.
Gallup Study

25. Higher employment rates for graduates.
A better reputation for your school.
More applicants for your program.
Testing for communication skills:

26. You cannot effectively test for communication—including oral,
written, presentation, and listening skills—through test scores
and written essays alone.
We’re not saying don’t look at test scores, but
we are saying you must look at more than
test scores.

27. So how do you assess
applicants on their
communication skills
effectively and
efficiently?

28. Interviewing your Applicants
Interviews can be performed either in-person, over the phone, or
digitally using programs like Skype.
They’re an effective way to assess verbal communication skills.
But interviews are:
Inconvenient
Time consuming
Inconsistent
Expensive

29. Personal Statements and Written Essays
Collecting written samples from your applicants as a component
of their admissions application.
They’re an effective way to assess written communication skills.
But written essays are:
Over-Perfected
Difficult to verify the authenticity
Incomplete without a verbal assessment

30. Kira gives your school a way to add interactive timed
video and written questions into your online admissions application.
Applicants respond to these questions on their own time, giving you an
authentic look at their verbal and written communication skills.
The Kira Platform
It’s both effective and efficient.

31. Communication skills are the most
important competency to look for in
your applicants.
Whether you’re using interviews, written essays, or Kira,
what matters the most is that you’re making it a priority
in your admissions assessments.
Want to learn more about how business schools are using Kira to
assess communication skills? Watch this three minute video.
Watch Now