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Employers' perspectives on work readiness in construction: are project

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DOI: 10.1108/IJMPB-10-2019-0238

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Employers’ perspectives on work Employers’

perspectives on
readiness in construction: are work readiness

project management graduates

hitting the ground running?
Jessica Borg and Christina M. Scott-Young Received 1 October 2019
Revised 20 May 2020
School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Accepted 22 June 2020
Melbourne, Australia

Abstract
Purpose – There is a need for graduates who can quickly adjust and thrive within the current increasingly
dynamic project-based workplaces. The purpose of this paper is to present the employers’ perspectives on the
work readiness of project management graduates entering the Australian construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach – To gain the industry’s perspective, qualitative in-depth interviews were
conducted with key informants from 18 different construction companies that employ project management
graduates.
Findings – Thematic analysis revealed that from the employers’ perspective, work readiness constitutes
(1) empathic communication, (2) passion and (3) technical construction knowledge. Graduates’ areas of strength
(e.g. application of technology) and weakness (e.g. responding to confrontational situations) were identified.
Practical implications – The findings provide valuable insights into employers’ perspectives of the work
readiness of project management graduates which can serve as feedback to universities to assist in aligning
their educational programmes with industry needs.
Social implications – While employers recognize that the responsibility for fostering work readiness should
be shared between themselves and universities, this research highlights that currently adequate collaboration
does not occur. This paper advocates for both universities and employers to be open to engaging in the
conversation to enhance graduate work readiness.
Originality/value – No research to date has investigated the work readiness of project management
graduates, nor whether their work readiness levels meet employers’ requirements. This paper addresses
this gap.
Keywords Employer perspectives, Project management education, Undergraduate work readiness
Paper type Research paper

Introduction
The growing trend of projectification (Walker and Lloyd-Walker, 2019) calls for a pipeline of
project management practitioners who are well equipped to successfully deliver projects
(Borg and Scott-Young, 2020). Therefore, it is imperative that project management
professionals emerging from universities possess competencies desired in the job market.
Contrary to the tendency of universities to measure the success of their degree programmes
by their graduates securing employment, it has been noted that having a degree that imparts
technical, discipline-specific knowledge does not necessarily make a graduate ready for work
(Mills et al., 2010). Recently, the spotlight has been put on the educational system and its role
in preparing graduates with the necessary transferable skills required for work life (Borg and
Scott-Young, 2020; Ekstedt, 2019); specifically, whether graduates are work-ready. Value co-
creation through collaboration between key project stakeholders has been identified in the
project management literature as positively affecting project performance (Rojas et al., 2018).
Similarly, it has been recently asserted that collaboration between stakeholders in project International Journal of Managing
Projects in Business
management education would assist in fostering work readiness in project management © Emerald Publishing Limited
1753-8378
graduates (Borg et al., 2019). This article makes a unique contribution by presenting the views DOI 10.1108/IJMPB-10-2019-0238
IJMPB of employers in relation to the observed work readiness of recent project management
graduates. In doing so, this article recognizes that project management education can be
enriched through consideration of the perspectives of interested stakeholders, especially
employers, whose voices have not yet been addressed in the academic literature.

Literature review
Defining work readiness for the purposes of this study
Work readiness is a key objective of tertiary education and an essential component of
performing well at work. It is neither a concept that is industry- nor discipline-specific. In line
with scholarly research (Caballero and Walker, 2010; Prikshat et al., 2018) as well as the grey
literature (Business Council of Australia, 2016), we define work readiness as encompassing a
mixture of values, behaviours and skills, which, alongside discipline-specific technical
knowledge, facilitate a successful transition into the workplace. We note that there are
multiple definitions of work readiness in the literature, hence the concept may vary
depending on different scholars’ perspectives. Whilst for some, work readiness may pertain
to the ability to hit the ground running, others may view it as something that is developed
over time from practice in the work environment. To avoid conceptual ambiguity, and in
alignment with the most highly cited definition in the work readiness literature (i.e. Caballero
and Walker, 2010), for the purposes of this research, we define work readiness as
encompassing the attributes that render a project management graduate capable of making a
positive and successful transition from their programme of study into their role within the
construction industry.
Although university graduates have been generally well trained in technical disciplinary
knowledge, industry leaders have been increasingly vocal in advocating for the university
sector to pay greater attention to developing their students’ work readiness skills (Cavanagh
et al., 2015). Due to this growing focus, there is a need to better understand the factors that
influence undergraduate students’ transitions into the workforce to ensure they have the
necessary skills to succeed in the current fast-paced work environment (Finch et al., 2013). We
acknowledge that individuals may require an array of skills and competencies to
continuously and successfully advance within their respective profession and that some
attributes can be learnt through experience on the job (Business Council of Australia).
However, for the purposes of this research, work readiness constitutes those attributes that
employers expect graduates to possess upon graduating from their programmes of study on
day one of their transition into industry.

Work readiness requirements for project managers

There is a perceived gap in the extant literature regarding how well the current supply side of
project management graduates’ competencies aligns with the demand side of employers’
needs. On the demand side, a tertiary qualification is viewed as a mandatory selection
criterion for project management positions in certain companies, industries and countries
(Ahsan et al., 2013; Gruden and Stare, 2018). An Australian study of job advertisements for
the five largest industry employers of project managers found that many regard a university
degree as an essential prerequisite, particularly in the construction and engineering
industries (Ahsan et al., 2013). However, there is global concern that universities are
producing graduates who do not possess the skills required by industry (Pant and Baroudi,
2008; Chipulu et al., 2013). In fact, in the scholarly literature there have been increasing calls
for universities to ensure that higher education successfully prepares students for work in the
current project-centric and dynamic work environments (Borg and Scott-Young, 2020;
Walker and Lloyd-Walker, 2019), adding weight to the concerns of employer organizations.
 Employers’ dissatisfaction with the work readiness of the current emerging graduates Employers’
highlights two issues: (1) that field-specific knowledge and technical skills alone are not perspectives on
enough to label graduates work ready and (2) that graduates need professional skills and the
capacity to deal with the stressful nature of the workplace environment (Masole and van Dyk,
work readiness
2016). Given the increasing number of emerging university graduates and the highly
competitive nature of the labour market, the inability of graduates to meet the demand of
employers is a pressing concern. The transition from academia into the workforce (Holden
and Hamblett, 2007) remains a problem which transcends disciplines, but has been rarely
researched (Wood et al., 2015). More specifically, within the context of the project
management discipline, there is little research which has investigated the work readiness
of graduates or whether their work readiness levels meet employers’ requirements (Borg
et al., 2017).
As one of the most project-based industry sectors, the construction sector is in a
constant state of change in terms of economics, labour resources, market forces, emerging
technologies and government laws and regulations (Benhart and Shaurette, 2014). As such,
it is imperative that degree programmes preparing students for work in project-based
environments reflect the dynamic nature of the industry and its myriad of challenges
(Ahmed et al., 2014; Benhart and Shaurette, 2014). However, some have argued that the
diversity of the construction industry makes it impractical for the industry to reach a
consensus on the necessary skills and labour requirements (Amaratunga et al., 2012). This
poses a challenge for higher education institutions that wish to address the requirements of
the construction industry and as Ekstedt (2019) recommends, to prepare them for project
work challenges.
Employers in construction recognize the value of talent in human resources as key to
successfully achieving organizational as well as project goals (Sweis et al., 2018). They agree
that graduates must possess practical and theoretical knowledge as well as the ability to
apply such knowledge to their work environment (Mills et al., 2010). However, over and above
imparting disciplinary knowledge, training in transferable, work-readiness competencies is
an imperative for construction-related degree programmes (Mills et al., 2010). The challenge
lies in the attempt to pin down a set of skills and competencies which are constantly changing
and being redefined. In industries characterized by fast-paced change and project
environments, such as the construction industry (Benhart and Shaurette, 2014), the need
for graduates who can thrive in this challenging profession is critical. Conversely, it becomes
more difficult to isolate exactly what skills and competencies graduates need to successfully
operate in such a dynamic industry.

The employers’ voice on graduate work readiness

In a similar vein to the understanding that value co-creation through collaboration between
key project stakeholders positively impacts project performance (Rojas et al., 2018), Borg et al.
(2019) argue that collaboration between different stakeholders of project management
education would assist in fostering work-ready graduates. This, in turn, would result in
graduates who are able to thrive in project environments and better deliver projects. Finch
et al. (2013) assert that universities can better prepare students for the workforce, with
consideration to the key skills and attributes desired by employers. Yet, as previously noted,
many employers have unrealized expectations of graduate skills and competencies.
Moreover, employers are (1) infrequently involved with higher education institutions and
(2) seldom prepared to support graduates’ transitions from university into the workplace (i.e.
through induction, learning or structured career development systems) (Finn, 2016;
Hinchcliffe and Jolley, 2011). It is an impossible task to expect universities to understand
employers’ desired values and attributes for their future employees without effective mutual
engagement and consultation.
IJMPB Theoretical framework
This research adopts the interpretivist/constructivist research paradigm, whereby social
action is analysed from the actor’s standpoint (Tracy, 2012). It explores the concept of work
readiness from the personal viewpoints and perspectives of construction industry employers
of recent project management graduates. Stakeholder theory, coupled with the underlying
theoretical principles of the resource-based view (RBV), the shared value perspective and
matching theory all frame the methodology of this research. The theoretical foundations and
assumptions are briefly discussed in the following sections.

Employers as key stakeholders in graduate work readiness

When looking at work readiness through the lens of stakeholder theory, it is clear that
employers have a stake in graduate work readiness. The fact that they have something to lose
(lack of work-ready future employees) or gain (availability of work-ready graduates who can
contribute to the workplace) as a result of activities (i.e. the systems designed by universities
to foster graduate work readiness) makes them an important stakeholder in graduate work
readiness (Borg et al., 2019). In line with Horton and Pilkington’s (2014) classification of
stakeholders, it can be asserted that in the context of graduate work readiness, employers can
be classified as “users” as they are the end consumers of the work-ready product (i.e. the
work-ready graduate/resource) (Borg et al., 2019).

Work-ready graduates as valuable resources for industry

The literature on the RBV defines resources as any organizational characteristic that can
constitute either a strength or a weakness (Wernerfelt, 1984). From the perspective of a
construction company, access to a recruitment pool of work-ready graduates would
constitute a strength. Work-ready graduates are expected to make a smoother transition into
the workforce (Business Council of Australia, 2016; Caballero and Walker, 2010), which in
turn results in higher levels of professional interaction, better performance and reduced staff
turnover (Argyle, 1989). Therefore, work-ready graduates serve as valuable resources to
employers soon after their graduation. Work-ready graduates can be seen as rare (tangible)
resources, given that only a certain number of students graduate from university per year
and that not all of those graduates will be work-ready.

Alignment between employers’ expectations and graduates’ attributes

Matching theory (Gale and Shapley, 1962), which has traditionally been influential in the field
of labour economics, has been used to explain the concept of graduate work readiness, with
specific emphasis on illuminating the mismatches between the skills possessed by graduates
and those desired by employers. Mason et al. (2009) consider that in the graduate labour
market, success entails the ability of graduates to secure employment in jobs which enable
them to successfully implement the skills and knowledge developed over the course of their
higher education studies. Hence, through the lens of matching theory, graduate work
readiness results from the ability of the graduates to successfully exercise their knowledge
and attributes, which can only be realized if their possessed knowledge and attributes match
or align with those required by their employers.

Research design
Research aim
The aim of this research is to ascertain the employers’ perspective on the work readiness of
recent project management graduates employed in the Australian construction industry.
Specifically, interviewees were key informants from 18 different project-based construction
firms operating in a large Australian eastern seaboard city. The participants’ companies all Employers’
recruited project management bachelor degree graduates from universities both within the perspectives on
city and also from across Australia. Moreover, an important objective of this study is to make
the voice of the employers heard as a first step towards promoting collaboration between
work readiness
employers and universities.

Sample and demographic profile

This study adopted purposive sampling of research participants. Construction-sector
organizations were selected by reviewing companies that advertised project management
graduate positions within the last five years. In total, 51 organizations were identified and
upon review of the types of projects they perform, 42 project-based construction
organizations were approached. Of these employers, 18 companies agreed to be
interviewed, resulting in a participation rate of 43%. In total, 18 interviews with a key
informant from each of the companies were conducted, ranging from 45 minutes to 1 hour in
duration. Theoretical saturation (Braun and Clarke, 2013) was achieved at 16 interviews.
The 18 interview participants were all project management professionals in middle
management who were responsible for supervising new graduate recruits. This enabled them
to reflect on the graduates in their employ. The roles of participants within their respective
organizations varied, ranging from Head of Operations, Director, Associate Director, Senior
Project Manager, Project Manager to Manager. In total, 72% of interviewees were male.
Participants were aged between 30 and 55 years old and had been working in the project
management discipline for between 10 and 35 years. Each interviewee was given a
pseudonym to ensure anonymity. The participants’ pseudonym, organizational role, gender,
age and years of work experience are shown in Table 1.

Data collection and analysis

Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted to capture employers’ individual voices
and stories. The process involved a meaning-making partnership between the interviewer

Pseudonym Organizational role Gender Age Experience

Eliza Director F 51 33 years

James Senior Project Manager M 54 25 years
Matthew Director of Business M 46 25 years
Alec Director of Project Management M 46 24 years
Edward Director M 43 24 years
Brandon Construction Project Manager M 40 22 years
Chris Head of Operations M 51 22 years
Damien Contract Manager M 39 18 years
Steve Senior Project Manager M 44 18 years
Kimberley Senior Project Manager F 38 17 years
Marco Project Manager M 38 17 years
Allison Associate Director F 40 15 years
Antonious Project Manager M 34 15 years
Zack Project Manager M 44 14 years
Callum Director M 31 11 years Table 1.
Karl Senior Estimating Manager M 41 11 years List of participants:
Jade Senior Manager F 30 10 years pseudonym, role,
Lilly Design Manager F 30 10 years gender, age and years
Note(s): *The sequence of interviewees is arranged by years of work experience of experience*
IJMPB and the interviewees to generate knowledge-producing conversations (Hesse-Biber and
Leavy, 2006). Thematic analysis was selected as the method for analysing the data following
the guidelines of Braun and Clarke (2006, 2013). The inductive thematic analysis process
involved coding the data without trying to fit it into a pre-existing coding frame (Braun and
Clarke, 2006). In contrast to theoretical thematic analysis (whereby the analysis is more
analyst-driven), inductive thematic analysis was chosen due to its strength of providing a
richer description of the overall data set (Braun and Clarke, 2006).

Results
After a thorough analysis and synthesis of the employers’ interview transcripts, we
constructed a thematic map to visually illustrate the themes that emerged from the data.
Thematic maps are powerful analytic tools which foster the visual interpretation of results
(Braun and Clarke, 2013). The map is presented as Figure 1. The following sections will
unpack the different themes.

Employers’ perspectives on what constitutes work readiness

The participants were asked what it means to be work ready in the construction industry.
Three major themes emerged: (1) empathic communication, (2) passion and (3) construction
knowledge. Employers looked for communication skills in their new recruits, specifically an
ability to relate ethically and empathetically with stakeholders. Employers valued strong oral
as well as written communication skills, but more than that, employers looked for graduates
who could consider the other party’s feelings and needs.
“Communication . . .I always make a big deal of it to make sure it’s not just a zip word – I
like to explain the concept of communication as that of understanding the person and where
they’re coming from, of empathizing.” (Edward, 43, Director).
Whenever employers identified communication as a work readiness skill, they did not
merely refer to the graduate’s ability to write or speak well, although these were mentioned
and considered to be important. Employers also linked effective communication with a
graduate’s ability to “build rapport with people” (Eliza, 51, Director), “put yourself in others’
shoes” (Alec, 46, Director of Project Management), “read emotions” and to “empathise”
(Edward, 43, Director). This suggests that graduates need to be able to communicate not only
clearly but also with due consideration of the perspective of the stakeholders with whom they
communicate.
The level of passion graduates expressed for the construction industry was a key
consideration when employing recruits to work in their organizations. Employers took into
consideration a graduate’s passion to assess whether they were suited to work within their
organization. Participants used different terms for passion, like ambition (Callum, 31,
Director; Alec, 46, Director of Project Management). Employers also indicated that an
individual’s demonstrated drive or passion for the industry would go a long way in
determining whether the graduate in question would be a good personality fit within the
organization.
“I guess the number one thing is trying to establish a passion and an interest, a genuine
interest in the field of project management. So that’s what we look for. I guess we have the
best of success when we find that alignment and the true passion–and that’s not something
you can be taught.” (Marco, 38, Project Manager).
Employers also considered technical knowledge of construction to be a key component of
new project graduates’ work readiness. According to employers, graduates should have an
understanding of the construction industry, an appreciation of its many facets and a
fundamental understanding of how things are constructed. Participants made note that
 Employers’
perspectives on
work readiness

Figure 1.
Thematic map:
employers’
perspectives on
graduate work
readiness
IJMPB graduates who had gained construction experience by working while studying had a deeper
understanding of the construction industry, and therefore, in the employers’ eyes these
graduates were considered to be more work ready than those who had not. Employers noted
that knowledge of the industry was usually a function of having previously worked within
the construction industry while they studied. When referring to construction knowledge,
employers were quick to point out that they referred to knowledge beyond that taught in the
classroom and often that knowledge was gained as a result of work and life experience.
“When we sit in a room of grad candidates, I think we can fairly pick clearly which ones
have worked in the industry by conversing with them. . . and they are usually the ones at the
top of the list in terms of work readiness. They’re ready to go.” (Antonious, 34, Project
Manager).

Perceived areas of strength

Participants were asked to reflect on instances which demonstrated to them that graduates
were work-ready. The themes that emerged included (1) professional presentations and
meeting conduct and (2) application of technology.
There was agreement from participants that new graduates were generally well prepared
when it came to professional presentations in a work setting. The graduates had impressed
their employers when it came to their ability to lead meetings and to verbally communicate,
suggesting that the professional manner in which they conducted themselves was beyond
what they expected of a graduate.
“I guess for us it’s a risk to take an undergraduate out to a meeting and in the lead up, the
preparation of running with the ball, there’s anxiety and everyone’s on edge in preparing
everyone, but then when it happens, they are prepared. They’re able to speak quite well and
they’re coherent in their presentation, it’s done well.” (Marco, 38, Project Manager).
Another area of strength shown by recent graduates is their ability to utilize technology.
Employers made note of the graduates’ abilities to utilize specific software such as Microsoft
Project, as well as exhibiting a general competency and proficiency with computers.
Participants praised new graduates’ skills with technical applications and their ability to
embrace the use of technology in the workplace.
“They have advantages in technology, being open minded to it. They don’t have the level
of fear of change that comes with technology.” (Lilly, 30, Design Manager).

Perceived areas of weakness

Participants were asked to reflect on situations where contrary to employers’ expectations,
graduates had not been well prepared or had not performed well. The themes that emerged
included (1) lack of confidence to ask for help in internal communications, (2) inability to
respond to confrontational situations, (3) lack of basic construction knowledge and
(4) inadequate professional writing ability.
While the graduates’ ability to present themselves professionally in their verbal
communication with external stakeholders was recognized by their employers, participants
observed that recent graduates lacked the confidence to speak up and communicate their
concerns or ask for help. They pointed out that new graduates were weak in communicating
openly and authentically with their company colleagues when they were uncertain about a
task or had a problem. Employers noted that this reluctance hindered the graduates’
development as employers perceived the asking of questions as an essential element of
professional skills.
“They shy away from exposing what they don’t know which is to their detriment.” (Lilly,
30, Design Manager).
 Employers also noted that graduates were often faced with confrontational situations Employers’
they were not well equipped to handle, thereby pointing to a weakness in their work perspectives on
readiness. One participant (Zack, 44, Project Manager) described how a graduate who had
been verbally abused by a construction worker had been very upset afterwards, but had been
work readiness
unable to stand up for herself or talk to someone about what had happened. It was only much
later, after being prompted by her supervisor, that the graduate had revealed the details of the
confrontational situation. Her employer felt that she had not been prepared well enough to
respond to this common situation. Other participants spoke about such confrontational
situations, often describing them as the “nature” of the industry.
“Unfortunately, the construction industry has some people that will challenge people and
spot weaknesses in people and play with them a little, particularly the younger people. It’s
borderline bullying. You need to build rapport and earn respect.” (Steve, 44, Senior Project
Manager).
The casual way participants spoke about such incidents of “borderline bullying” suggests
that employers expect recent graduates to be already practised and ready to respond
assertively in such confrontational scenarios.
A further perceived weakness of new project management graduates was that they lacked
the technical basics of construction, such as the ability to read drawings. Moreover,
employers asserted that while new graduates may have an understanding of some
construction elements, this knowledge was often not consolidated and they found difficulty in
applying it to their work. The employers revealed that their expectations for graduates to
have an understanding of basic construction principles were not being met.
“I guess the basic practical knowledge is sometimes missing and that can be quite a shock
when we might be talking about something that’s quite fundamental, whether it be a project
management or a construction topic. They might be really knowledgeable in some other
aspect, but at times there are just basic fundamentals that we’ve found are missing” (Marco,
38, Project Manager).
From the participants’ perspective, students were graduating without the technical
knowledge expected and their employers had to adapt their expectations. Employers noted
that they are now having to teach graduates about the different roles in the construction
industry as graduates do not appear to possess this desired knowledge.
A further key area of weakness was considered to be graduate’s inadequate professional
writing ability. The deficiencies included their inability to write professional emails to clients,
take meeting minutes and write professional reports.
“As a project manager you have to have a lot of writing skills. What I found is they don’t
know how to write reports; it comes back to the literacy side of things. I have to teach them
how to write reports and take minutes” (Eliza, 51, Director).
The poor writing skills and ability to communicate professionally through written
language was a common theme that emerged in the results. From the perspective of
employers, new graduates were lacking sound professional writing abilities and it was held
that “their writing ability, spelling, structure, grammar and presentation is certainly not
improving” (Allison, 40, Associate Director).

Employers’ advice for graduates

Employers were asked to reflect on what the graduates themselves could do to better prepare
for their transition into industry. The themes that emerged were to (1) obtain work experience
and (2) familiarize themselves with the industry.
From the participants’ perspective, gaining industry-relevant work experience was a key
recommendation for graduates preparing to transition into the construction industry. While
employers acknowledged that work experience relevant to the role the graduate was
applying for would be key, employers also revealed that they would view positively any
IJMPB experience related to the project management discipline. As an example, one employer even
made reference to a recent graduate who had been working at her local hardware store while
studying, saying that even though she did not have experience in project management, she
had taken the initiative to find work related to the construction industry. Employers place
such a high value on work experience that they would question the dedication and motivation
of a graduate applicant with no prior construction-related experience.
“The fact that people think they can graduate at 22 and 23 and never have worked and
rock up and think they’re automatically prepared – they’re kidding themselves” (Edward, 43,
Director).
This finding highlights that graduates with no work experience will be at a distinct
disadvantage when applying for a job after graduation as employers question the reason they
did not work in construction while studying. These employers expected students to work in
their intended industry while completing their project management degree.
Employers also suggested that graduates should familiarize themselves with the
construction industry prior to graduation. From understanding the nature of the work and its
demands to having a clear direction on where they see themselves within the industry,
participants suggested that graduates need to form a better understanding of the industry
before graduation. For example, participants considered that new graduates need to have a
better understanding of client-side and construction-side project management and what
working in each area would involve.
“Be definitive about the direction they are going in. In project management, you can go one
of two streams; the client/consultant side or the contracting side. They involve two different
skill-sets or attributes and they are two different work settings.” (James, 54, Senior Project
Manager).
Overall, the interviewees indicated that from the perspective of employers, new project
management graduates did not have a clear picture of the construction industry and the roles
within it. Participants maintained that a better understanding of the nature of the industry
would aid graduates in their transition.

Employers’ advice to universities

The participants were then asked to suggest how educators could better prepare their
graduates for the construction workforce. The following themes emerged: (1) more industry
engagement, (2) embedded practice, (3) literacy lessons and (4) career coaching.
Participants suggested that universities could foster work readiness in their students
through more face-to-face engagement with industry. Employers suggested that this can be
done through hosting industry nights where the students can interact with industry members
and ask questions to familiarize themselves with industry expectations. Employers indicated
a desire to collaborate with universities in the classroom education of emerging project
management professionals, acknowledging that work-ready graduates have a positive
impact on their organizations. One employer (Callum, 31, Director) revealed that his company
viewed active collaboration with universities as an investment in its future employees. Their
ongoing collaboration included guest speaking in classes and assessing team presentations
and project-based tasks.
Employers advocated strongly for educators to teach content in a practical manner and to
introduce industry practice and work placements into the curriculum. The theme of
“embedding practice” can be split into two related sub-themes: (1) practical content and
(2) practical experience. Employers suggested that educators should also ensure that content
taught within the project management programme is up to date and relevant to current
industry practice.
“There are a lot of new construction techniques coming out, so keeping up with that. . .Just
keeping the subject matter up to standard and up to date.” (Antonious, 34, Project Manager).
 In reflecting upon how universities can embed practical knowledge into their teaching to Employers’
ensure that graduates are prepared for the workplace, employers reiterated that the perspectives on
integration of practical experience was key.
“I believe in . . . learning, definitely, but I’m also a big advocate of making sure that the
work readiness
learning is relevant. And to make sure that what you are learning is relevant is to make sure
that you are able to apply it in real life scenarios.” (Callum, 31, Director).
Employers suggested that practical experience can be embedded within the curricula in a
number of ways through (1) work experience, where working while studying is a course
requirement, or alternatively through (2) closer collaboration between universities and
industry to incorporate site visits and invite industry speakers into the classroom.
Employers expressed grave concern over graduates’ literacy skills failing to meet the
industry’s expected standards. Participants advised that universities should focus on
ensuring that graduates are competent in and equipped with professional literacy skills such
as writing emails and preparing meeting minutes and compiling reports.
“I was shocked that you can get that far through a project management course and not
have those basic skills. I was actually thinking about calling [one particular university] and
saying something failed here. The command of the language for some people–they struggle. I
wonder what these students are taught.” (James, 54, Senior Project Manager).
Participants also suggested that universities should focus more on educating their
students about the various career paths and trajectories in construction. Employers have
observed new graduates’ lack of understanding of career opportunities for project managers,
suggesting they are not aware of the various roles available within the construction industry.
“Students are struggling to know what they want; need better coaching in what they could
expect from these different roles in different companies. That would help them know where to
focus their energy after graduation.” (Matthew, 46, Director of Business).

Employer’s perception of their role in graduates’ transition into work

Employers were asked about their role in assisting new graduates’ transition into work and
what they could do to help them assimilate into their organization. The two dominant themes
that emerged were (1) mentoring and (2) training initiatives.
Participants revealed that their organizations all had mentoring programmes and
initiatives which they believed assisted recent graduates in their transition into industry. In
the larger companies, mentoring was part of a structured graduate programme where a new
graduate would be paired with a previous graduate.
“Across the business, we have a professional development program, each individual finds
a coach, for a quarterly catch up – it’s about how can we help you get to where you want to be,
what can we do better to support you?” (Allison, 40, Associate Director).
In smaller companies that did not have graduate programmes mentoring took on a more
ad-hoc approach; graduates were working with experienced people to whom they were
encouraged to ask questions. Employers held that training was important in assisting
graduates to transition into the workplace, acknowledging that they had a responsibility to
provide this training.
“I think industry has the responsibility to take grads on as a piece of clay and mould them
into what they want for their company, business and systems/projects.” (Alec, 46, Director of
Project Management).
Similar to the mentoring initiatives, training regimes varied from structured programmes
to more ad-hoc approaches where graduates were trained through shadowing their senior
colleagues and managers. Larger companies with graduate programmes tended to have more
structured training initiatives. In contrast, smaller companies adopted a more informal,
unstructured approach to training, where graduates were considered to be in training when
working under the supervision of senior colleagues.
IJMPB Discussion
Work-ready attributes overlap with project management skills
The findings of this study have elicited the voice of construction industry employers on the
work readiness of new project management graduates. The participating employers
identified that recent graduates working as project management professionals possess
strong work readiness competencies in empathic communication, passion and construction
knowledge. This resonates with the findings of other scholars who argue that in addition to
project-specific technical knowledge and skills, project practitioners also require a range of
interpersonal or “soft” competencies (Scott-Young and Samson, 2008). By acknowledging
empathic communication and passion, employers recognize the value of professional skills
alongside “hard” technical construction knowledge as components of work readiness.
When reflecting upon graduates who had successfully made the transition into their
workplaces, employers observed that these graduates were well prepared in terms of their
professional presentation and verbal communication skills, as well as in their ability to use
new technology. Conversely, employers observed that graduates were not well prepared in
some critical competencies. New project management graduates generally lack confidence in
asking for help, responding to confrontational situations, applying basic construction
knowledge and professional writing ability. Essentially, all the aforementioned skills are
what construction employers expect of their new graduate project management recruits.
These findings are consistent with the project literature that shows that employers value soft
skill competencies such as communication (Skulmoski and Hartman, 2010), emotional
intelligence (EQ) (M€ uller and Turner, 2010), social skills, negotiation skills and
professionalism (Skulmoski and Hartman, 2010). Certainly, there are overlaps with the
project management skills detailed in previous research and the skills appraised as important
by construction industry employers in this study. For example, professionalism in
presentations, in leading meetings and in verbal communication with stakeholders was
noted by the employers in this study, as well as the ability to respond to confrontational
situations using the negotiation and emotional intelligence skills identified in other studies.

Employers have a part to play in mentoring

Overall, the findings show that in line with the RBV, employers appear to recognize the value
to be gained from having work-ready graduates in their organizations. Apart from the
benefits to be gained by employing graduates who emerge work-ready from their university
studies, employers recognized that they too have a part to play in helping nurture graduates
as they transition into their organizations. Employers considered that they had a role in both
mentoring and training the graduates. This is encouraging given that the construction
industry is characterized by distinct challenges (Ahmed et al., 2014; Benhart and Shaurette,
2014). When transitioning into the construction workforce, students often experience
negative feelings including stress, pressure and bewilderment (Davis, 2010; McNamara et al.,
2011). Studies show that graduates need support after graduation and that a smooth
transition into the work environment is fostered by high levels of interaction and mutual
support in the workplace (Argyle, 1989). Through recognizing their role in mentoring and
training, employers are taking an important step towards offering graduates this much-
needed support.

Discord exists between employers’ expectations and university preparation

The findings show that employers in the construction industry place a high value on work
experience when recruiting graduates. Employers noted that if graduates do not have any
industry-related experience, then this may negatively impact their job application outcomes.
This is not surprising, given that literature shows that an increasing number of students are
choosing to combine work and study prior to graduation, especially within the context of Employers’
construction (Curtis and Williams, 2002; Forsythe and Zou, 2006; Lingard, 2005; Mills et al., perspectives on
2012; Moore and Loosemore, 2014). The high proportion of students combining professional
work and study prior to graduation may explain why graduates without any relevant work
work readiness
experience are considered outliers by employers. In light of this, the findings from this study
point towards a discord between the expectations of employers and those of bachelor of
project management programmes (Borg and Scott-Young, 2020) which offer minimal work
experience or internship opportunities. This suggests evidence of a critical mismatch in
perspectives between employers and educators.
In a similar vein, it is concerning that basic construction knowledge was found to be
lacking in project management graduates entering the construction industry. This suggests
that project management undergraduate degrees may not be adequately contextualizing
project management theory within construction practice. It was also of note that professional
writing skills were lacking. These generic skills are important across all business disciplines,
not merely for project managers working in the construction industry. The poor quality of
graduates’ writing and their lack of basic construction knowledge suggest a disparity
between what employers expect and the educational preparation that graduates have been
receiving. Looking at the results from a matching theory perspective, there appear to be
elements of misalignment between some of the work-ready skills required by employers and
those possessed by graduates. This misalignment suggests that both employers and
universities would benefit from more open ongoing dialogue, in accordance with the
recommendation that universities require input and support from industry in improving their
graduates’ education experience for entry into the construction industry (Farooqui and
Ahmed, 2009).

Collaboration between employers and universities is needed

The employers in this study advocated for a stronger partnership with universities, believing
that through closer industry engagement, universities could establish a better fit between
graduates and industry. This conclusion is in alignment with the shared value perspective of
stakeholder theory, which posits that focussing on value creation for stakeholders fosters the
ability to create win-win situations for all (Hickman and Akdere, 2017). From the perspective
of employers, having graduates who are work ready means they are equipped with the skills
and attributes that enable them to make positive contributions to their workplace.
Furthermore, employers who recruit work-ready graduate employees can expect higher
levels of professional interaction and reduced staff turnover (Argyle, 1989). It is therefore
essential that creating “shared value” is emphasized among stakeholders (in this case, the
universities and the employers) since a lack of alignment, coupled with a limited
understanding of stakeholder expectations, can lead to problems among stakeholders
(Balser and McClusky, 2005; Nankervis et al., 2018). Recent research (Borg et al., 2019) has
advocated for closer collaboration between key stakeholders in education, including between
universities and employers, asserting that it “involves a major (but necessary) departure from
the traditional educator-only approach to curricula design” (p. 59). This study has further
illuminated elements of discord between employer requirements and university educators’
preparation of project management graduates. The findings highlight that while possessing
some work readiness attributes recognized as essential by employers, there is still more that
universities and graduates themselves can do to ensure that they can hit the ground running
when they transition into the construction workplace.

Limitations and directions for future research

This study has taken a step towards shedding light on stakeholder perspectives on the work
readiness of project management graduates. The findings of this research are based on
IJMPB interviews with employers, a key stakeholder in graduate work readiness. However, it is
important to note that there are other key stakeholders in graduate work readiness (Borg
et al., 2019) such as the graduates themselves, academics and existing students. It is possible
that these stakeholders may hold different perspectives on what constitutes graduate work
readiness, but the employer-focussed design of this study does not capture their views.
Further research should be conducted to ascertain the perspectives of these other
stakeholders to produce a holistic picture of graduate work readiness in the context of
project management in construction. Future research may wish to consider the perspectives
of other key stakeholders such as governments and project management professional bodies.
As this study only focussed on undergraduate degrees, researchers could study the work
readiness expectation for other degree types such as master of project management
programmes or doctoral degrees. A further limitation is the research context of construction
employers located in one city in one developed nation, which limits the possible
generalizability of our findings. Further nation-wide studies in other geographical
locations are recommended.

Conclusion
This research serves as a critical step towards ascertaining the perspectives of employers on
the perceived work readiness of recent project management graduates working in the
construction industry. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore emerging
project management professionals’ work readiness from the perspectives of construction
industry employers, thus contributing new knowledge to an under-researched area. In
reflecting on recent graduate employees’ transition to work, employers highlighted critical
areas of weakness and strengths in graduates’ work readiness. The employers suggested
ways in which graduates themselves can enhance their work readiness and provided
valuable feedback to universities preparing project management students for careers in
construction. Moreover, employers recognized that they have a role in supporting new
graduates’ transition into industry through mentoring and training initiatives. Employers
advocated for a stronger partnership between themselves and universities, recognizing that
graduate work readiness is the responsibility of more than one stakeholder group.
While the findings of this study cannot be generalized to apply to all employers in the
construction industry, the results can serve as a foundational step in beginning to understand
project management graduate work readiness from an employer perspective within the
context of the construction industry. In alignment with the shared value perspective framing
this research, it is held that graduate work readiness can only be enhanced if there is active
involvement between universities and employers in ongoing and topical discussion. It is
recommended that universities pay heed to the voice of employers and seek to engage with
them in open dialogue. The results of this research are of value to universities, who can
benefit from considering the voice of the employers in curriculum design to foster their
students’ work readiness.
Moreover, the results of this research can serve as guidance to prospective and/or current
project management students as to what work experience they should seek and what
attributes they should develop, in order to make themselves work ready in the eyes of future
employers. In this way, this research has the potential to contribute practically to their
preparation for a career as a project management professional in the construction industry.

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About the authors

Jessica Borg is currently completing her PhD within the School of Property, Construction and Project
Management at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Having successfully delivered a number of
high-profile projects within the Melbourne CBD, she brings relevant industry experience to her research
endeavours. Jessica was awarded the prestigious Women in Project Management Scholarship, by the
Project Management Institute (PMI) in recognition of her achievements in industry and academic study
Jessica’s research focusses on exploring work readiness within the context of project management and
the built environment industry. She is particularly interested in graduate work readiness, the transition
from education to the workplace, employability and career paths within the project management
discipline. Her research has been published in the project management journal. Jessica Borg is the
corresponding author and can be contacted at: jessica.borg@rmit.edu.au
Dr. Christina M. Scott-Young is a clinical psychologist who researches in the fields of project
teamwork, leadership, work readiness, resilience, well-being and diversity. Christina is currently
associate professor at RMIT University, having previously held academic positions at Pennsylvania
State University, the University of South Australia and Melbourne University, where she was awarded
her PhD in Management. Her research has been published in the Journal of Operations Management, the
International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Construction Management and
Economics, Studies in Higher Education and Higher Education Research and Development.

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