American Research Journal of English and Literature Original Article ISSN 2378-9026 Volume 1, Issue 5, 2015 www.arjonline.org 35 Potent Communication Skills in the Workplace: Perspectives from the Employers Danebeth Tristeza Glomo-Narzoles Ph.D. 1 Department of Languages and Social Sciences, Center for General Education AMA International University-Bahrain Abstract: This study aimed to determine the potent communication skills in the workplace as perceived by the employers. A questionnaire was distributed to 64 employer representatives of companies/institutions/ organizations where the students are working or having their practicum/ on-the-job-training (OJT). Results revealed that the top potent communication skills in the workplace are as follows: reading and understanding work instructions and standard operating procedures; reading and comprehending letters and notices, electronic data, and email; reporting factual issues or incidents to the supervisor; demonstrating ability to listen effectively; and completing pertinent office forms, report sheets, tender documentation, work plans and specifications, incident report forms and notes. No significant differences were noted between the perceived communication skills in the workplace according to the type and sector of company/institution/organization where students are working or having their practicum/OJT. Keywords: Communication Skills, Workplace Communication, Employers’ Perspectives. I. INTRODUCTION Higher education institutions continuously strive to achieve quality and excellence in its tripartite functions which are instruction, research, and community engagement in order to produce graduates who are fully prepared to immerse in the world of work. Taking into consideration the needs of the industry, educational institutions also ensure that the knowledge and skills taught in the academe are aligned to the workplace needs and requirements. A number of reports show that the top ten workplace skills encompass interpersonal, leadership, computer, problem solving, communication, time management, and mathematical, organizational, professional, analytical skills. Surveys on the skills required by graduates conducted by Microsoft, the BBC, NACE, Target Jobs, and other organizations exemplified that teamwork, spoken and written communication, computing, language, and decision making skills, among others are regarded important by the above-mentioned companies and organizations. The employability basic skills which include learning strategies, critical thinking, monitoring, mathematics, science, active learning and listening, reading comprehension, speaking, and writing were regarded pertinent according to the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) 1992 report, SCANS 2000 Report by America, and conclusions of a 2006 survey by the Conference Board to Human Resources Executives (in Smerd, 2007). The National Association of Colleges and Employers 2007 Survey tagged communication skills and honesty and integrity as the graduates’ most important skills and qualities. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2011) highlighted the 21 st century graduate attributes which include teamwork, collaboration, and leadership; life-long learning; research, scholarship, and enquiry; personal and intellectual autonomy; employability and career development; global citizenship; communication adeptness; information literacy; and ethical, social and professional understanding. As such, the burden of producing graduates who are communicatively and linguistically competent is on the language teachers who ensure that the curricula, learning outcomes, and activities among others meet the workplace language needs. It is therefore deemed significant to gather employers’ perspectives on the potent communication skills in the workplace. Hence, this study. 1.1. Objectives of the Study This study aimed to determine the potent communication skills in the workplace as perceived by the employers. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: 1.1.1. What are the top potent communication skills in the workplace as perceived by the employers? 1 Corresponding Author: dtglomo@amaiu.edu.bh