Soft skills and the corporate social dimension: the perspective of university graduate employers

Abstract

Today’s job market is characterised by intense competition among young graduates with the same qualifications. Consequently, soft skills have become particularly important in the processes of attracting and recruiting talent because they allow improvements in productivity, innovation, and internationalisation within businesses. This study aims to determine the soft skills that Spanish employers demand most from university graduates within the Spanish context. More specifically, it seeks to provide evidence related to the demand for these skills according to variables such as Corporate Social Responsibility, employers’ social engagement, and candidates’ participation in non-formal education activities. To this end, a quantitative methodology was applied, using a sample of 83 employers from different businesses. The results show that the soft skills in most demand were related to interpersonal relationships, self-management, and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, there were differences in this assessment related to employers’ social engagement and graduate participation in non-formal education activities. The study has implications for higher education institutions’ strategies and for students’ academic and professional development, contributing to a better fit between education and business.