*Norhayati Bte Mohd Ismail, Susan LEE, and SIM Swee Choo, Sylvia
Centre for Language and Communication (CELC)
Norhayati, I., Lee, S., & Sim, S. S. C. (2023). Conversations with the industry—How professional communication training in IHLs can better meet changing workplace demands [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Campus Conference (HECC) 2023, 7 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecc2023proceedings/conversations-with-the-industry-how-professional-communication-training-in-ihls-can-better-meet-changing-workplace-demands/
SUB-THEME
Communities and Education
KEYWORDS
Workplace, communication, professional, adaptability, self-awareness
CATEGORY
Paper Presentations
INTRODUCTION
In today’s rapidly evolving world, identifying critical/essential workplace communication skills is of paramount importance to empower graduates entering the workforce with the necessary skills to thrive, contribute meaningfully, and adapt to the ever-changing demands of the modern workplace.
Employers seek professionals who are competent in articulating ideas clearly, collaborating efficiently, and engaging with diverse stakeholders (Clokie & Fourie, 2016). However, graduates face challenges transferring or applying acquired communication skills across genres, contexts, and in workplace situations, and this is made more complex with the use of technology (Du-Babcock, 2006). Other observations highlighted the importance of interpersonal communication in speaking (DeKay, 2012), and dispositions such as adaptability, agility, and resilience in the workplace (Prieto & Talukder, 2023). Graduates’ ability to socialise in the workplace with ‘acceptable’ attitudes and behaviours impact co-workers’ perceptions of their qualities as relatable and self-aware (Coffelt & Smith, 2020) team players. Additionally, the focus on emotional intelligence in the workplace informed that self-regulation and relationship management are critical in shaping executives and leaders’ communication styles (Nguyen et al., 2019; Drigas & Papoutsi, 2019).
The study seeks to (1) understand industry’s perceptions of fresh graduates’ communication competencies, emotional quotient (EQ) skills, intergenerational and intercultural communication skills, adaptability and self-awareness, and gathers industry’s inputs on skills to future-ready undergraduates, and (2) evaluates the extent to which customised professional communication courses offered by the Centre for English Language Communication (CELC) in NUS are aligned with the communication demands of the current workplace and considers future directions for improvement.
METHODOLOGY
To gain insights from industry’s perceptions and expectations, semi-structured individual interviews based on 10 key questions were conducted with 20 executives from varied sectors, with informed consent for sharing obtained. Their professional roles range from technology consultancy, marketing and communications, advertising, medical technology, product application and web services, data protection and analysis, as well as risk and compliance analysis in sectors like higher education, pharmaceutical, airline, public healthcare, and non-profit organisations.
FINDINGS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Recurrent insights from interviewees revealed a consistent lack among newly hired graduates in the following aspects: to speak up to build rapport, check in with co-workers and ask timely questions; to speak and present concisely and simply with contextual clarity; to heighten their sense of self-awareness and respond appropriately in the organisational setting; and to leverage generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). It was also found that certain skills and dispositions are especially useful in helping fresh graduates transition from school to work. These include cultivating adaptability and reflexivity; developing self-awareness; having authentic practical experiences; and strategically communicating personal values, skills, and achievements.
The findings offer insights on evolving workplace demands and set future directions to inform curriculum design for professional communication curriculum in institutes of higher learning (IHLs). By examining emerging trends and evolving workplace communication demands, areas where the existing curriculum may benefit from enhancements are identified. This includes exploring potential opportunities to integrate GenAI tools like ChatGPT (Sousa & Wilks, 2018), address intercultural and intergenerational communication challenges, and encourage a growth mindset that promotes lifelong learning. Such conversations with industry ensure that course designers in CELC align with the CELC’s experiential learning approach, a feature that undergirds the Centre’s professional communication curriculum. These enhance the quality of authentic learning (Herrington & Oliver, 2000) in the curriculum so that graduates are better prepared for real-world challenges. By incorporating these forward-looking perspectives, the goal is to ensure that CELC’s professional communication training remains relevant and equips undergraduate students with the multifaceted skills required to excel in a dynamic professional landscape.
Figure 1 captures the summary of our findings, evaluation of the selected courses and future directions, based on our preliminary investigation.
REFERENCES
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