Abstract

Effective organizational socialization demands soft skill competence. This article advances two goals: (a) explore the inclusion of undergraduate researchers in the scholarship of teaching and learning research and (b) present research findings on employer perceptions of new college graduates’ communication skills. The research team used a rules approach to explore employer perceptions of nonverbal communication skills for new college graduates, such as commonly violated rules. Four key findings relating to rule violations in unspoken communication include displaying a lack of interest, inappropriate attire, body art, and writing deficiencies. Suggestions are offered for including undergraduates in this kind of research.