September 14, 2004 2:31 PM

Writing skills wanted
Posted by at 2:31 PM

E-mailing, instant messaging, and text messaging have allowed people to communicate a lot by writing very little. However, employers are finding it difficult to find the key skill of being able to write well. While being able to write well is important for salaried positions, it is also important for hourly/part-time jobs. Read more in: No Hemingways here: Employers say workers need help to improve writing ability

In a fast-paced workplace, precision and brevity are essential. For e-mails, reports and presentations, the commission found that accuracy, clarity, spelling, punctuation, grammar and conciseness ranked among the most sought-after skills....

A majority of survey respondents said about two-thirds of employees both current workers and new hires meet writing requirements. While lackluster writing skills do not necessarily impede success in all realms, more than half of the companies surveyed reported that they assess writing in hiring and promoting salaried employees.

What's the key take-away for employers? Provide training for those employees with less than stellar writing capabilities.
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