Entrant-related Competence Expectations and Its Measurement

Abstract

THE AIMS OF THE PAPER

Employers adjust their competence expectations to their employees in relation to the current situation in the goods andlabour market. However, defining personal attributes that contribute to company success on the market is a difficult managerial task. Thus, research into employer competence expectations involves a number of methodological problems. The aim of the present research is to assess the general competency expectations of employers in the current domestic labour market situation. However, our research experience also contributes to the further development of the related measurement methodology.

METHODOLOGY

In the framework of a corporate questionnaire survey (N = 100), we examined competency expectations about fresh graduates. For our expert questionnaire, the development of the measuring tool was based on the results of previous in-depth interviews (Tóthné Téglás - Hlédik 2018), which revealed the content-related components of employers' expectations about new graduates and their related way of thinking. Through the expert questionnaire we measured employers' (chronological) preferences for competences along a 54-item competency scale in relation to the processes of both recruitment and work commencement. Competence variables were examined using hierarchical clustering.

MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS

The analyses helped identify ten competency variables in the employers' system of expectations related to the selection and integration of graduates. In the sample under analysis we found that a high level of expectations at the time of entry was clearly expected by employers and this has expanded further than previously explored. Future success factors identified in labour market forecasts, such as self-study ability, the ability to cope with complex problems, creativity, and the use of new information technologies, however, do not appear as components of the entry expectations towards fresh graduates in the sample of employers under analysis, but only later in relation to their becoming experts.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Identifying competency expectations for new graduates can represent an important starting point for employment and development issues, in particular for labour market players. However, from a research methodological point of view, we believe that this research into expectations about fresh graduates has helped developed a measurement tool that is better tailored to the practices of employers and enables more accurate measurement.