Application of Professional Skills in Engineering Organizations for New Hires

Abstract: Due to rapid evolution of globally dispersed work contexts, IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) has recommended the adoption of a “T” shaped focus to prepare individuals for the 21st century with attention to specific technical knowledge for flexibility across disciplines and to the ability to work with others (BeyondIT, 2009, Conley, et al., 2017). The vertical bar of the T represents specific domain knowledge whereas the horizontal bar is the breadth of expertise and ability to engage with individuals in different systems, intellectual cultures, and disciplines. Within this horizontal bar lies professional skills and their expectation for development. Employer expectations for technology-based professionals are reflected in job descriptions. Details from these job descriptions reinforce the areas where human resource development professionals should focus efforts to develop these interdisciplinary skills. To gain a greater understanding, open ended questions and rating of skill performance were posed to professionals working with newly hired engineers to ascertain proficiency and opportunities for further professional skill development through preparation, training, structured on-the-job training, or coaching events.
Professional preparation of technical skills is usually given primary attention and efforts when developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to enter a discipline requiring detailed knowledge within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (Miller, 2017). Within the horizontal bar in the T-development of STEM professionals is an expectation to cultivate interpersonal skills and personal attributes (Robles, 2012) to augment the development of STEM-field technical skills. The technological advances in the workplace are increasing the demand that employees should demonstrate skills that machines cannot master (Autor, 2015; Cottam, 2019; Deming, 2017; World Economic Forum, 2021b). Although advances have been made in machine learning to recognize human emotions from facial expressions, speech, behavior through gesture and posture, or physiological signals, humans can mask their emotions involuntarily or deliberately; thus, social masking can inhibit the effectiveness of automation perceiving and recognizing human emotions (Zhang, et al., 2020).
The study’s purpose was to assess the types and extent of professional skills expected by employers when hiring for entry-level engineering roles in organizations. Differences in expectations were explored for organizations with a global presence compared to a domestic presence only. This research explored a) What are the qualities that employers look for in applicants and new hires as entry-level engineers? and b) What are the differences in expectations of employers based upon the geographic placement of the organization, its headquarters, and its branches?
To answer these questions, a survey instrument was developed to compare the ratings of importance and proficiency (Flanders & Utterback, 1985) of 26 identified professional skills to assess the importance of the skills as job requirements, proficiency as ability to perform the skills, and the difference as an indication of strengths and areas for development. Open-ended questions were included to garner perceptions not reflected in the rating. Demographics collected were related to the respondent’s position in the organization and information about the organization’s size, locations, geographical boundaries, public or private sector, types of contracts, and primary line of business.
A representative from nearly 500 organizations responded to the survey. Unstructured interviews were conducted with professionals to confirm the findings of the research study were not unduly influenced by changes that occurred because of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The open-ended comments and those professional skills with the greatest differences between expectations of performance (importance) and proficiency could be grouped into communication skills, personality traits, and interpersonal skills. The size of the organization, global location, type of public or private sector, primary line of business, role of the respondent within the organization, and supervisory requirements of the respondent revealed differential effects.
Chief human resources and strategy officers have supported the importance of educating before and after employment initiation (World Economic Forum, 2021a). Professional skills such as complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordinating with others, emotional intelligence, judgment, decision making, service orientation, negotiation, and cognitive flexibility were identified as important and were successfully applied across industries and geographies. Categorization of attitudes partitioned into learned behaviors, emotional intelligence traits, beliefs that individuals allow to influence their ideas, interactions with others, and responses to situations. The taxonomy also included working with people, self-intelligence, global citizenship, and civic responsibility.
The outcomes of this explanatory sequential research design can be used by human resource development practitioners and scholars to focus attention on the development of behaviors, mindsets, and practices as they add to the key Industry 4.0 performance indicators and empower people to work together and understand the lives of other people.