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Information Systems Education Journal (ISEDJ) 15 (3) ISSN: 1545-679X May 2017 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ©2017 ISCAP (Information Systems and Computing Academic Professionals) Page 55 http://www.isedj.org; http://iscap.info Microsoft Excel®: Is It An Important Job Skill for College Graduates? Sam K. Formby [email protected] B. Dawn Medlin [email protected] Virginia Ellington [email protected] Computer Information Systems & Supply Chain Management Department Appalachian State University Boone, NC 28608, USA Abstract Several studies have found that a large percentage of middle-skilled jobs require at least a basic understanding of spreadsheets, and some even advanced level skills. A study was conducted at a four- year university to identify Excel skill sets that were determined as necessary by employers of the university’s current students, advisory boards, recruiters, and other relevant parties. The findings suggested that the needs and opportunities for Excel® based analytical skills is pervasive in businesses of all sizes and ubiquitous in business. Keywords: Microsoft Excel®, job opportunities, analytical skills, business curriculum 1. INTRODUCTION Excel was launched by Microsoft in 1985, and has grown in use by businesses in their need for charts, graphs, statistical data computations, and formula creation. With that growth came the need for individuals with spreadsheet skills. Previous studies have found several skills such as communication and relationship building skills to be necessary in the workplace, while 80% of middle-skilled jobs have been found by online recruiters to require at least a basic understanding of Excel skills. Several reports have also found that advanced analytical skills, Excel® in particular, results in increased marketability and increased compensation for graduates. For business students, spreadsheet knowledge is imperative in order for the likelihood of success in the job market. Therefore, a business school should pose the question “What Microsoft Excel® skills are necessary to be taught to students for them to be successful in acquiring a job?” A second question can direct a business program by questioning, “What is the purpose of a college education?” Gerstein and Friedman (2016) point out that the answer to this question has varied over the years and still varies greatly today in different institutions. Should the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) curriculum focus predominantly on theory, concepts, critical thinking and knowledge? How much effort should be spent on skills development? With greater intensity employers are demanding skills and competencies that ensure students are productive and resilient in life in spite of the high degree of change being experienced in many professional fields. Barrett (2015) quotes Ronald Reagan in 1967 who said “we can no longer afford intellectual luxuries in universities.” His point was that that education should create productive and economically sustainable members of society, implying that knowledge alone without skills is incomplete education. Over 80% of freshmen entering college say that the purpose of education is to get a good paying job and businesses are demanding basic skills beyond traditional topical knowledge http://www.isedj.org/ Information Systems Education Journal (ISEDJ) 15 (3) ISSN: 1545-679X May 2017 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ©2017 ISCAP (Information Systems and Computing Academic Professionals) Page 56 http://www.isedj.org; http://iscap.info in the employment process (Barrett, 2015). Freidman and Friedman (2015) make a compelling case that institutions must stress and teach skills that help students be successful and survive and thrive in the new knowledge economy. The need for graduates to start jobs with sound functional analytical skills, e.g. proficiency with Microsoft Excel®, is therefore becoming more of a prerequisite for employment. According to Dana Manciagli (2013), author of Cut the Crap, Get a Job, found that students must have not only a proficiency in Excel, but have advanced skills. “A white paper study commissioned by Microsoft and released by IDC, October 2013, reported that the top two skills cited in over 14 million job postings for the top 60 job growth occupations of the economy were oral and written communications and Microsoft Office skills. Microsoft Excel® was cited as the most ubiquitous analytics tool in business. Geiger (2015) reported on a study finding that 78% of middle-skilled jobs require digital skills like Excel®. Middle-skilled jobs are fast growing job categories that place more emphasis on skills than on the having a bachelor degree, and in many cases pay more than traditional jobs requiring the bachelor degree alone. These jobs require significant business understanding, but with the added emphasis on skills to apply quantitative business intelligence to decision making. Some could argue that business graduates should aspire to more senior management positions, but it is more appropriate to consider these middle-skilled positions as part of an accelerated path for business graduates into management. The business education, coupled with the analytical skills with tools like Microsoft Excel®, place the business graduates in a highly favored position for future leadership. Business school graduates are therefore often in competition for these higher paying jobs and the skills proficiency makes the difference in the hiring selection (Geiger, 2015). Soergel (2015) reports additional details on the middle-skill job study which concluded that salaries are 13-38% higher based on the analytical tools skills a candidate has when interviewed. Soergel concludes with the following quote from the study, “Jobs requiring advanced analytical tools skills offer the strongest opportunity for middle- skill job seekers in terms of salary and growth as well as career advancement. Effectively, entire segments of the U.S. economy are off-limits to people who don’t have basic analytical skills.” Thus new BSBA graduates need to have these analytical skills to compete for these higher paying middle-skilled jobs. There also appears to be a shift in hiring criteria such that skills are gaining in importance, and degree, school name, and GPA are dropping in importance, (The Role of Higher Education, 2012). This message was also reinforced at the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) workshop “Co-Lab Connecting Business Schools with Practice” in June 2016. In the session “Recruitment, Retention, and Engagement” panel speakers commented that talent acquisition was the #1 issue with many companies today and candidates with cyber and analytics skills and competencies were drawing significantly higher salary offers. Many companies are also establishing baseline quantitative assessment tests at part of the screening and interview process to ensure essential skills and competencies are present before hiring. In the broader context of business analytics and big data trends, Microsoft Excel® is still the “ubiquitous and popular choice” for data analysts, (Dumbill, 2012). Madhu Reddy, Senior Product Planner for Microsoft Big Data, stated that the interoperability Excel® with other BI and big data systems and applications is an obvious high priority in Microsoft, (Dumbill, 2012). In many cases, analytical skills are becoming more important in the employment decision than whether or not a candidate has a bachelor degree. A search for what specific Microsoft Excel® skills are important to employers will find a number of very general suggested lists such as Sravani (2016) but very few of these sources specifically address the needs of business school graduates. This paper summarizes exploratory research collected over a multiyear period aimed at identifying specific Microsoft Excel® skills important for BSBA graduates to have at graduation. The authors acknowledge the differences of opinion, some strong, on the subject, but take the position that importance of Microsoft Excel® skills is significant to employers and affects opportunities for BSBA graduates whether or not one agrees that it is the role of the business school curriculum to address it. Another question that may be asked is whether it should be the student’s responsibility to learn these skills independently thus demonstrating the initiative to bridge the gap between traditional education and the needs of the workplace. Regardless of where educators feel the responsibility lies, employers are placing increasing importance on these skills at graduation. http://www.isedj.org/ Information Systems Education Journal (ISEDJ) 15 (3) ISSN: 1545-679X May 2017 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ©2017 ISCAP (Information Systems and Computing Academic Professionals) Page 57 http://www.isedj.org; http://iscap.info 2. METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS By, definition, exploratory research often relies on collecting and analyzing data and information in a variety of ways from disparate primary and secondary sources, (Shields & Rangarajan, 2013). Data was gathered through focused discussions in advisory board meetings and discussions with employers, recruiters, and students returning from internships. More quantitative data was also collected from Monster.com, employer surveys and student course feedback. Specific Microsoft Excel® skills that enhance business student success in internships and full-time employment opportunities were identified. Though exploratory research is generally only useful in gaining understanding of a phenomenon of interest and not direct problem solving, the feedback from these activities was consistent enough to allow creation of a recommended set of analytical and Excel® skills that would enhance graduates’ success. Advisory Board Meetings – Evaluating the Need In 2012-2013, discussion items were included on the agendas in advisory board meetings at the dean’s and several department levels. The question asked was open ended. Describe the types of analytical tasks assigned and Microsoft Excel® skills expected of new BSBA graduates. Members of these board were all managers, and though the feedback was consistent, it was not as detailed or specific as desired. However, the conclusion was clear: more advanced Excel® skills are desired of both business student interns and graduates. The descriptions of analytical tasks were a little more specific with descriptions like inventory management, scheduling, financial and account analysis, performance analysis and metrics creation. These discussions clearly validated the need identified earlier through the spontaneous feedback from advisors and recruiters. Job Posting Study Following these discussions, a study of “entry level, bachelor degree, business jobs” in Monster.com was made using the available search tools. A comparison was made in six states of all jobs meeting the above criteria and all jobs meeting the same criteria but also calling for Microsoft Excel® skills. The results are shown in Table 1. There was surprising consistency of the results across several regions of the U.S. In the body of the job descriptions, the most frequent terminology used by the employers was advanced Excel® skills or proficiency in Excel®. These results are based on a generic BSBA search. State % Requiring Excel® North Carolina 43.48% Virginia 51.43% Georgia 44.53% South Carolina 46.15% California 51.44% New York 51.03% Table 1. Monster.com Results This element of the exploratory research confirmed that the feedback we received from our advisors and employers was not specific to our BSBA programs, but a more universal issue. Though the majority of our graduates fill positions in the Southeast U.S., this element of the study suggests that the desires of employers are relatively consistent across the U.S. Employer Survey As part of a larger 2013-2014 survey of 107 advisory board members and employer managers, two seven point Likert scale statements were presented. The first was “Data analytics (quantitative tools to analyze business data to support decision making) is a very important skill for students.” Overall 94% agreed or strongly agreed with this statement; 67% strongly agreed; 27% agreed and none disagreed with the statement. The second statement was “Being able to create spreadsheets, charts and graphs and analyze data with Excel® are very important skills that students need when they graduate.” Overall 96% strongly agreed or agreed; 77%