Between reality and expectation – An empirical study of employers perceptions of the performance of Malaysian local graduates

Producing human resource that truly matches industry needs proves to be a challenge to most higher education institutions (HEIs). For more often than not graduates’ failure to secure jobs was attributed to their lack of skills that employers need and seek. Previous studies proved that gaps did exist between employers’ skills expectations and graduates’ possession of them, thus pointing the fingers of blame to universities for such mismatches. This study examines the job performance of Malaysian graduates vis-a-vis the levels of skills required by industries. Data were collected via posted questionnaires distributed to randomly sampled human resource managers of private companies. From the 2,000 questionnaires posted 534 were returned and analyzed. The findings revealed that the biggest skill gaps of local graduates lay in communication and interpersonal relation wherein the graduates were perceived by employers as falling short of the desired levels. These were followed by the soft skills of moral and ethics, thinking, leadership, decision making, problem solving, teamwork, and planning. The smallest gaps were perceived with respect to the graduates’ information technology (ICT) skills. HEIs and relevant decision makers would do well to take the necessary steps to bridge the skill gaps revealed by this study.