Empirically derived competency profiles for Australian business graduates and their implications for industry and business schools

Two hundred and eleven Australian employers were surveyed to produce a set of business graduate competency profiles which accurately reflect the current needs of Australia employers. Three distinct clusters (or ‘types’) of graduates were identified: the ‘Manager’, ‘People Person’ and ‘Business Analyst’. They provide an overview of the required balance of cognitive and affective competencies important in the modern Australian business graduate. The preferred ‘types’ align with recent literature in the area of employability skills and historical research on managerial competencies. Desired competency profiles did not differ significantly across a range of background and demographic characteristics or business activity/work area variables, implying employer perceptions on competencies do not vary with context. Implications for business curricula and graduate recruitment strategies are discussed.