Good (And Bad) Writing Skills Stand Out On The Job

Jul 16th, 2005 | By Bill | Category: Employment News



Good (And Bad) Writing Skills Stand Out On The Job

For 12 years, Janice Weinrick has been asking job applicants to answer some of her questions in writing. Weinrick, vice president of real estate operations for the Centre City Development Corp in San Diego, interviews a lot of job candidates. She knows that not all communication is oral and asks candidates to write narrative descriptions of their work experiences, rather than just providing a fact-laden resume. “Their ability to communicate orally and in writing is vital to our success,” declares Weinrick. More job recruiters and interviewers should be following her lead. Corporations spend as much as $3 billion annually to improve the writing skills of their workers, and poorly written job applications are often tossed out immediately, according to a recent survey. Poor Writing, Poor Prospects The survey of 120 human resources directors found that two-thirds of salaried workers depend upon their writing skills, and an inability to write can severely limit workers as they try to climb into supervisory and management jobs. The survey was done by the National Commission on Writing for America’s Families, Schools and Colleges, which hopes to expand a commitment to writing in schools.

“Whether we%u2019re talking to college professors, lawyers or anyone who is hiring, we hear, We%u2019ve got the smartest young people we%u2019ve ever had, but they just can%u2019t write well,” reports Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board, a nonprofit organization that administers the SAT and other college entrance exams. Caperton insists that while writing skills aren%u2019t as important to hourly workers, possessing an ability to write is important for people who want to climb the corporate ladder. “For years, we%u2019ve been hearing the opportunities for writing are shrinking in high schools and colleges,” he notes. “Now we find that the inability to write is having an impact in our workplaces.” Caperton feels it%u2019s not enough to have a couple of writing classes in high school and expect people to communicate smoothly with the written word. “It%u2019s a skill you need to learn early and develop every step along the way through your education,” he believes. “Employers want it because they know good writing requires good thinking.” Good writing is important in the corporate setting, whether it%u2019s for operating manuals, company policies, technical reports, emails or many other things. The importance is underscored by an increasing reliance on email in our work. Email Imperative “Email has had a tremendous impact on the job,” Caperton observes. “Everybody I know is writing much more today than they ever did because of email. Some of it is simply conversational, but much of it is crucial to the way we do business.” Weinrick points out that it becomes painfully obvious when someone doesn%u2019t possess good writing skills. “Poor writing skills are very evident. It%u2019s not what you want to display to the outside world.” Caperton and others hope the new study will call attention to the value of writing and will encourage schools and colleges to make certain their graduates have developed the ability to write. Clarity, brevity, accuracy and providing the appropriate detail in a written communication in the workplace also helps to make that workplace more efficient and more productive. Even more importantly, as workers try to gain promotions, they%u2019ll stand a much better chance if they can write directly and accurately. Those without that ability will find themselves relegated to lower-paying positions. “It just seems to make sense to me to see if job candidates can write,” asserts Weinrick. “Writing is important to us in communicating with our clients and constituents. You have to be able to write clearly if you are going to communicate.”

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