A Study on the Employability Skills and Workplace-Challenges Experienced by Management Graduates

Past research revealed that organizations that hire fresh management graduates are generally satisfied with their academic and technical skills. However, the employers complain that there is a significant ’skill gap’ between the organizations’ expectation and requirement of employability skills and the level of skills among the newly hired Graduates from Business Management Schools. The objective of this study is to examine the gravity of this problem through a survey of challenges faced by graduates of selected two-tier B-Schools in Bangalore City. This cross-sectional exploratory study was carried out with a two-fold investigation. Firstly, an extensive review of the relevant literature was conducted to identify the most popular set of employability skills required by the employers who hire fresh Masters’ (Post) Graduates in Management. Secondly, a survey was conducted among the young professionals who graduated in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. In all, 183 graduates of the selected schools participated in the survey (online and paper-pencil. The survey inquired about various employability skills and challenges faced in their initial jobs. The results supported the view of the employers from different sectors that the newly hired management graduates are academically and technically qualified. Overall, graduates expressed that the training they have undergone helped them to go through the interview process and perform well in the initial jobs. However, they faced challenges in a variety of employability skills. The findings of this study would form a strong basis for developing and delivering training interventions to strengthen the employability skills required and expected in the management roles.