State Report Puts High Premium on Writing Skills
Still, report echoes concerns from the private sector; states spend $221 million annually to improve writing among employees
NEW YORK (July 5, 2005)—Despite the high value that state employers put on writing skills, a significant number of their employees do not meet states' expectations. Providing writing training costs taxpayers nearly a quarter of a billion dollars annually, according to an estimate based on a survey released here today by the National Commission on Writing.
The report, Writing: A Powerful Message from State Government (.pdf/535K), concludes that writing is considered an even more important job requirement for the states' nearly 2.7 million employees than it is for the private-sector employees studied in the Commission's previous survey of leading U.S. businesses. State agencies were more likely to consider writing skills in hiring and promotion, and to require writing samples from applicants. The report was issued today by the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges, based on a National Governors Association survey of state human resources directors. Forty-nine of 50 state human resources offices responded to the survey.
"Clear communication is an essential government function in a democratic society," said Bob Kerrey, president of New School University in New York, former governor and senator from Nebraska, and chair of the Commission. "Because writing is how agencies communicate with each other and their constituents, all of us have a stake in the clarity and accuracy of government writing," he said.
The report follows a similar analysis of writing in corporate America released last year by the Commission, which found that while advanced technology in the workplace is requiring employees to write more than ever, many college graduates don't have the writing skills they need. Writing: A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out (September 2004) surveyed members of the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers from U.S. corporations.
According to Writing: A Powerful Message from State Government:
- More than two-thirds of professional state employees have some responsibility for writing, as do 60 percent of clerical employees. "Is writing an important skill in government?" asked one respondent. "Of course. If there are tax policy directives or guidelines that the filers don't quite get-and the tax staff don't get right either-that creates a financial mess."
- More than 75 percent of respondents report taking writing into account in hiring and promoting state employees. "I'd say there's a premium placed on well-developed writing skills," said one human resources director.
- Ninety-one percent of the states that "almost always" take writing into account when hiring report that they also require writing samples from applicants for professional positions. "Oral and writing skills are absolutely essential in a service- and knowledge-based economy. This is a very different economy from one based on agriculture or industry," noted a respondent.
- Poorly written application materials are likely to doom the job-seeker's chances of state employment. More than 80 percent of respondents agree that poorly written applications count against professional applicants. "Managers notice written submissions around the application process," commented one.
- More than two-thirds of responding officials say they routinely offer writing training for professional employees with deficient skills. "We might have up to 300 employees each year [both professional and clerical] with some need for training in writing and composition," reported one personnel director.
- Approximately one-third of respondents indicate that, at most, one-third of professional employees possess the writing skills valued in government.
States that report placing a higher value on writing are also more likely to report that a larger percentage of their professional employees have the writing skills they need. However, based on survey responses, the Commission estimates that providing writing training for those employees who do not meet state standards costs state agencies about $221 million annually. The human resources directors surveyed in the report oversee civil servants working in state agencies, a group roughly equal in number to employees of the federal government, the two largest public workforces after local government. The report does not include the close to two million other state employees who work in state hospitals and educational institutions because they are hired and supervised locally.
Survey responses also revealed officials' concern that widespread use of e-mail encourages miscommunication. "The sender is composing on the spot. You might do a spell-check, but you can't do a 'thought-check,'" noted one official. "It's like blurting out something without thinking it through."
Despite generally high levels of education among public employees, many state respondents expressed concerns about their employees' writing skills. One official noted, "In our state, 99 percent of state employees have completed high school . . . 54 percent [have] a bachelor's degree or beyond. This compares to the state's general workforce where just 84 percent of workers have completed high school and 22 percent have bachelor's degrees or beyond." On paper, state employees are highly qualified.
"This survey confirms what governors and educators already know: strong writing skills, and the critical thinking skills associated with the ability to write well, are important prerequisites for success in college and work," said Virginia Governor Mark Warner. "The next generation of workers needs strong communication skills to compete for the best jobs in a global economy."
Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said: "The high value that states put on writing is commendable and appropriate. From the Department of Education to emergency management to family and child services, civil servants need to express themselves precisely and humanely in order to meet the needs of their fellow citizens."
The National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges is a blue-ribbon group of leaders from public schools, higher education, and the business and writing communities, founded by the College Board. Commission members are committed to doubling the amount of time students in American schools and colleges spend writing.
"In the end, communication is what makes government work," said Commission member Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board and former governor of West Virginia. "That's why it's important for schools and colleges to ensure that all graduates learn how to communicate clearly and concisely on paper."
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Contact
Chiara Coletti, The College Board, (212) 713-8052
Sandra Riley, The College Board, (212) 713-8052