Western Carolina University - Employees Lack Writing Skills in the Workplace

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The Role of Writing in the Workplace

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Employees Lack Writing Skills in the Workplace

Would it surprise you to learn that a third of all workers fall short of employers' expectations in written communication skills? That's exactly what the College Board discovered when it surveyed 120 corporations in the Business Roundtable. The companies who responded employ a staggering four million workers, meaning that approximately 1.33 million employees within these businesses have unsatisfactory writing skills. How can so many people lack these essentials, and is writing really that important?

Half of all companies take writing ability into consideration when hiring, and in the FIRE sector (which includes corporations in the services, finance, insurance, and real estate industries), this number jumps to greater than eighty percent. Again, half of all companies surveyed said they also assess writing when making promotions ("Writing: A Ticket to Work...or a Ticket Out," 3).

Who writes, and what do they write during their daily tasks? According to the survey, writing is a regular part of the job for two-thirds of all employees. Emails, reports, and presentations are just a few types of writing one might be expected to do in a professional setting, regardless of occupation. One director stated "All employees must have writing ability...Manufacturing documentation, operating procedures, reporting problems, lab safety, waste-disposal operations — all have to be crystal clear" (8).

Employees who cannot write well cost their companies big bucks each year. "The Commission estimates that remedying deficiencies in writing costs American corporations as much as $3.1 billion annually," the 2004 report says. Sending a single worker for remedial training in writing can cost more than $3000. These workers, it is safe to assume, have little future with the companies they work for if their writing skills are not brought up to professional standards. Commission co-chair Bob Kerry offers these words of encouragement: "You're never too old to learn. [...] It's a skill that is acquirable" (Read, B7).

Why do so many college graduates lack writing skills needed in the workplace? The truth is that it is easy to slip through the cracks in the system, especially if you do not take responsibility for your own development as a writer. Nobody else can ensure your success, and you will be held accountable in the workplace. For assistance, please visit the Writing Center's resource page.

The Commission recommends that writing time be doubled at the university level ("The Neglected 'R'," 28). This is a clear call for professors in every discipline to take a more vested interest in writing in their classrooms. "If students are to make knowledge their own, they must struggle with the details, wrestle with the facts, and rework raw information and dimly understood concepts into language they can communicate to someone else. In short, if students are to learn, they must write" ("The Neglected 'R'," 9). For ideas on how to incorporate writing in the classroom, read "Everyone Can Help Teach Writing."

Sources:

Read, Madlen. "Employers say one-third of workers' writing skills fall below job standards." The Asheville Citizen-Times. 19 Sept. 2004: B7.

United States. The National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges. The Neglected 'R': The Need for a Writing Revolution. College Board, 2003.

United States. The National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges. Writing: A Ticket to Work...Or a Ticket Out, A Survey of Business Leaders. College Board, 2004.

Authored by Mel Eatherington