A UNIVERSITY diploma and an ability to speak foreign languages are no longer enough for a successful career.
Graduates and entry-level managers should undergo training and educational programmes, the Hospodárske Noviny daily wrote.
One of the areas that graduates could improve the most is team leadership and delegating responsibility, according to Kristína Demáčková, a human resources partner at computer firm Lenovo.
She sees flaws in the way young managers evaluate their employees and in how they lead meetings.
Recruitment Specialist Bronislava Potašová from the same company said many also lack skills in delivering unbiased and factual criticism or feedback. They should also learn more about career planning for their team.
Both experts agreed that a successful manager is seen not only as having the necessary experience, but as someone who is fair-minded, unbiased, willing to listen, and open to changes. Graduates who have had some experience during their study have a clear advantage.
There are a number of education companies that offer programmes and training seminars to build these skills. Marián Štermenský, who heads HR at Gebrüder Weiss, said employees should seek advice from their company’s HR department about which training seminars to take part in. The safest bet is always to take courses directly related to one’s responsibilities, he said.
The most requested education programmes involve developing managerial skills: effective communication, presentation techniques, time management, team leadership, project management, cooperation, team motivation, self-motivation, strategic planning, negotiating and persuasion.
The ideal manager has taken such courses, is proficient at business English, and has professional experience, Štermenský said.
PricewaterhouseCoopers reported that it employs 50–60 graduates a year, mostly from study programmes in economics, but also some technical and social sciences graduates. Tests have shown the graduates have an insufficient knowledge of certain legal and economic topics, and lack expert terminology in English.
