Communicating Competence: Soft Skills in STEM Hiring and Implications for Inequality

• In Event: 40412 - Labor Markets

Abstract

STEM jobs are some of the most lucrative in the economy for recent college graduates. However, little is known about how non-technical or “soft skills” are evaluated in STEM hiring processes. Based on four in-depth case studies of firms in the life sciences industry, we identify soft skills commonly sought by STEM employers and how they evaluate applicants for these skills. By revealing soft skills clusters required for life sciences jobs, we provide a roadmap for individuals trying to enter the lucrative life sciences industry and discuss the implications of how employers evaluate these skills for race and gender inequality in STEM hiring.

Authors

• Corey Moss-Pech, Florida State University

• Sara Haviland, Educational Testing Service (ETS)

• Michelle Van Noy