THE NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and High Point University's Bold Response. Data shows that executives consistently say professionals need these timeless skills to get hired and promoted. These national surveys reveal what most college graduates are missing.
UNLOCK THE SECRETS TO PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS WITH: AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FROM
HPU PRESIDENT NIDO R. QUBEIN PLUS: The Six Essential Interview Questions You Should Be Asking Every New Hire
The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 1
Read the biography of this Life Skills leader on page 26.
Leading with LIFE SKILLS
Dear Executive Leader: As a leader, you’re looking for employees who will add value to your organization the very moment they come on board. High Point University’s Survey Research Center surveyed 500 C-Suite executives nationwide twice during a disruptive decade. The data reveals what leaders want in their future hires and which traits, characteristics and attitudes they see in their current employees that make them successful. These executives lead businesses with anywhere from 2,500 to 25,000 employees, and the answers they gave us are resounding. But what we discovered is what I expected. The skills needed to succeed never change. Practical Data You Can Use NOW to Your Advantage You’ll want to take a few minutes to review the results from our Executive C-Suite Poll. You’ll also find practical takeaways, such as six questions you should be asking job candidates and why. And I share insights on why you should ask job candidates these questions. We all need Life Skills development, regardless of our age, position or stature. Of course, you know that, or you wouldn’t have risen to the level of success you enjoy today. Finding the best employee possible can be as hard as reading hieroglyphics. But we at High Point University want you to utilize these survey results as a “Rosetta Stone” to help you craft the questions you need in order to discover which job candidates will likely fit best with your culture and vision. In the President’s Seminar on Life Skills that I teach to all freshmen, I always tell them that applying talents without thinking of values and principles is like using your car’s accelerator without touching the steering wheel. That is true for all of us. When we hire, we all need to think about what works best for our organization’s values and principles. We all know we are the sum total of the choices we have made in the past. But we also need to know that we can change what we are in the future through the choices we make today. Let us all choose well. And as we challenge all our students at HPU: Choose to be extraordinary! Sincerely, Nido R. Qubein President nqubein@highpoint.edu
99% 2 | HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
of HPU graduates begin careers or graduate school within 180 days of earning their HPU degree, 14 points higher than the national average.
How to Use THIS DATA As a business consultant, executive coach, professional speaker, entrepreneur and university president, Dr. Qubein’s resume is as prolific as it is unique. He has authored a dozen books on the subject of leadership and Life Skills. He serves as a board member at several major companies, including Truist, the nation’s sixth largest financial institution, La-Z-Boy and FinThrive, and is executive chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company (read more about President Qubein’s extensive leadership and recognitions on page 26). This data is a continuation of his tireless commitment to coach and grow the capacity of leaders. While HPU provides
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The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 3
EXECUTIVES:
“Here’s What Colleges Are Missing” As The Premier Life Skills University, HPU is committed not only to preparing our students to be impactful contributors to the workforce, but also to be leaders who create appreciated value. To do that, HPU is dedicated to understanding the needs of the marketplace and regularly commissions surveys that gain insight from executives across America. The data featured in this publication was captured during 2018, before the global pandemic, and in 2022, after the global pandemic. You’ll notice that the responses from executives on what it takes to succeed are consistent despite the turmoil the world experienced over this time frame. That’s because the skills needed to lead and succeed outlast and extend beyond inevitable global disruption and technological change. This national survey with longitudinal data reveals what most college graduates are missing. See page 24 for survey demographics.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Throughout this data, you’ll find these thoughtful insights from Dr. Qubein that will help you understand how to apply the data to professional growth for your organization.
4 | HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
STEP 1:
Where Colleges Miss the Mark Let’s start at the beginning! Employers want to hire qualified candidates, which most often requires a college education. But executives say that many colleges aren’t instilling a necessary set of skills in their graduates:
Of these two sets of skills, which would you rather colleges and universities instill in recent college graduates? TECHNICAL SKILLS
Of these two sets of skills, which do you think colleges and universities are best instilling in recent college graduates? TECHNICAL SKILLS
35%
67%
LIFE SKILLS
LIFE SKILLS
65%
33%
THE BOTTOM LINE: The results here reveal that employers don’t think colleges throughout the nation are doing a good job instilling Life Skills. This is why HPU students are challenged to both excel in their discipline (major) AND develop their Life Skills. The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 5
Of these two sets of skills, which do you think colleges and universities are teaching least effectively? TECHNICAL SKILLS
31% LIFE SKILLS
69%
6 | HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
HOW HPU ANSWERS THE CALL: High Point University students begin their Life Skills training as early as their first weeks on campus with the First-Year Seminar on Life Skills led by HPU President Nido Qubein and supported by visiting influential leaders. Fiscal literacy, emotional intelligence, time management and other crucial Life Skills are taught throughout the course, equipping students with the Life Skills lens through which they will view and experience their years at HPU.
STEP 2:
How to Land That Job Professional success begins with landing that first job and presenting oneself as a valuable candidate. When it’s time to apply, executives are evaluating candidates on a set of skills the candidate may not even be apprised to. This data reveals what executives are really looking for in the hiring process.
Of these accomplishments, which is most important to you on a recent college graduate’s resume?
DEGREE OF STUDY
27% HIGH GPA
24%
INTERNSHIPS/ WORK EXPERIENCE/ LEADERSHIP ROLES
41%
49%
VOLUNTEERISM
8%
THE BOTTOM LINE: Nearly 50% relates to experiential learning. HPU students are encouraged to learn by doing! Facilities like Cottrell Hall (funded entirely by HPU parents) provide dedicated resources and opportunities to learn experientially. These include the Harris Sales Center, Entrepreneurship Center, Norelli Global Education Center and more.
The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 7
Do you think that interacting with a candidate in an interview setting outside of the office, such as a coffee shop or a restaurant, reveals important aspects of their personality which could provide a sense of how they might handle themselves on the job?
YES 91%
Which of these reasons would make you most hesitant about hiring a new college graduate? LACK OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND PEOPLE SKILLS
68%
LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN A CORPORATE SETTING
21%
NO 9% LACK OF TECHNICAL SKILLS
11%
THE BOTTOM LINE: 1924 PRIME, Alo and Kazoku are HPU’s fine-dining learning labs, designed specifically to ensure that HPU students master protocol in out-of-office business settings, like a restaurant, and experience global cultures and cuisine. 8 | HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
We tell our HPU students that employers will train them on the technical aspects of a position IF they are grounded in Life Skills development, including teamwork and relational capital.
When you’re interviewing recent college graduates, do you think about how comfortable you would be with the candidate representing your company with clients?
YES 97% NO 3%
When you’re interviewing a recent college graduate for a position, are they:
70%
MORE FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU WILL PROVIDE THEM
30%
MORE FOCUSED ON HOW THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR BUSINESS
THE BOTTOM LINE: How you present and carry yourself matters! This is why HPU students are educated to develop their executive presence.
HPU’s culture reinforces daily the notion that students must be prepared to render appreciated value and be committed to organizational welfare.
The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 9
STEP 3:
Success in the First 100 Days Here's what executives say they want to see from the new team members they hire. One consistent finding is that while technical skills are important, those are easiest to teach on the job. It's Life Skills, such as coachability and motivation, that are the hardest to teach but the most valuable to bring to any organization. The first 100 days on the job are critical for both the organization, the hiring manager and the new employee. This survey has demonstrated that employers consistently report that new hires don’t work out for reasons such as coachability and adaptability rather than technical competence. HPU faculty understand that educational knowledge is the foundation for success. They listen to the demands of the marketplace and prepare students to excel in the areas that matter most.
When you hire recent college graduates, what are the reasons they fail?
38% MOTIVATION
HPU’S RESPONSE to Motivation: Think environment doesn’t make a difference? Ask any professional sports coach if they prefer to play at home or away. Leading organizations understand that one’s surroundings shape one’s behavior. At HPU, an inspiring environment is part of a strategic effort to surround students with energy, enthusiasm and the lift they need to walk and act with purpose. “Your outlook upon life, estimate of yourself and estimate of your value are largely colored by your environment. Your whole career will be modified, shaped and molded by your surroundings and the character of the people with whom you come into contact every day.” -Orison Swett Marden, founder of Success Magazine
29% EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
HPU’S APPROACH to Emotional Intelligence: The President’s Seminar on Life Skills is a required course for all freshmen taught by Nido R. Qubein, HPU president, serial entrepreneur, business leadership consultant and author. In their first semester, students learn about relational capital, the art and science of persuasion, communication skills, energy management and many more Life Skills that will help chart a path for their success. In fact, HPU graduates often cite the Life Skills Seminar as a catalyst for their personal and professional transformation. No surprise!
10 | HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
13%
COACHABILITY
HPU’S ANSWER to Coachability: Every freshman at HPU is assigned to a Success Coach, a professional staff member who offers guidance, wise counsel and encouragement. If you want to be coachable, you need practice! Mentorship is the responsibility of every faculty and staff member at HPU. And students benefit from an ecosystem of mentorship and support — ALL FOUR YEARS. Students benefit from career advisors, faculty advisors, peer mentors and more. Even HPU’s club sports teams have professional coaches. No one in life gets far without the help of others. HPU understands this and has forged a culture where students are surrounded by coaches who care.
11%
TECHNICAL COMPETENCE
9%
TEMPERAMENT
HPU’S STRATEGY on Technical Competence: HPU’s academic curriculum is both innovative and relevant, in part because our faculty mentors include a mix of scholars and real-world practitioners. Just as the marketplace is in daily flux, majors in all disciplines are in a continuum of evolution. HPU’s newest programs in engineering, actuarial science and physical therapy are merely a few examples of HPU’s commitment to ensuring graduates are prepared for the world as it is going to be.
HPU’S POSITION on Temperament: Growth mindset is our answer. It represents faculty’s strategic approach to instilling students with the temperament to overcome life’s obstacles and view challenges as opportunities. Dr. Carol Dweck, Stanford professor and expert on growth mindset, has even visited campus to share with our faculty her research and describe its impact.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Wow! 89% of the success/failure factors are related to Life Skills!
The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 11
Of these areas, where do you spend the greatest amount of time training and educating recent college graduates?
19% UNDERSTANDING COMPANY CULTURE
25% INCORPORATING A NEW EMPLOYEE INTO A TEAM ENVIRONMENT
36% DEFINING WORK ETHIC EXPECTATIONS
20% TECHNICAL SYSTEMS
THE BOTTOM LINE: The vast majority of executives spend their time training employees in areas related to Life Skills (80%) as opposed to technical skills (only 20%)!
12 | HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
Which trait is the EASIEST to develop in an employee?
Which trait is the HARDEST to develop in an employee?
PERSONAL INITIATIVE
PERSONAL INITIATIVE
TEAM PLAYER
TEAM PLAYER
18%
59%
12%
24%
TECHNICAL SKILLS
TECHNICAL SKILLS
69%
17%
THE BOTTOM LINE: Note that while executives are asking for college graduates with Life Skills, they aren’t seeing colleges deliver effectively. HPU students have a distinct advantage with Life Skills development because HPU is intentional in its efforts to instill these valuable skills in our students.
Motivation matters! It’s why we challenge HPU students to live by our call to action: Choose to be extraordinary! It’s also why HPU’s Student Success Coach program is so important. Every student at HPU has an ecosystem of support throughout their four-year educational journey. The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 13
Of these characteristics, which are the HARDEST to develop in recent college graduates you hire?
THEY ARE COACHABLE
THEY ARE MOTIVATED
40%
25%
Are you likely to say this phrase to a recent college graduate you hire? “I need you to figure out this problem.”
YES 84% THEY WORK WELL WITH OTHERS
16%
THEY HAVE HIGH TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
19%
NO 16%
THE BOTTOM LINE: Remarkable — 81% of the characteristics that executives say are the hardest to develop in newly minted college graduates are overwhelmingly related to Life Skills, while a mere 19% are related to technical capabilities.
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In Fast Company’s Generation Flux series, executives noted that the most important jobs are “Figure-It-Out“ (FIO) jobs. The world is changing at such a rapid pace that employers don’t always know what specific instructions they need to give their employees. They need their associates to figure it out and know which questions to ask — without being prompted.
STEP 4:
Who Gets Promoted and Why Executives revealed clear insights on how employees can not only be successful in their current role, but how they can also show they’re ready for growth.
Which is the single most important reason for recent college graduates succeeding at your organization?
Of these attributes, which would most likely cause an employee to be overlooked for a promotion at your organization?
THEY HAD A GROWTH MINDSET AND STRONG WORK ETHIC
DOESN’T ACCEPT FEEDBACK AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
THEY HAD A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND WORKED WELL WITH OTHERS
DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS
THEY HAD INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE
DOESN’T HAVE THE TECHNICAL SKILLS NEEDED
53%
26% 22%
46% 36% 18%
THE BOTTOM LINE: Note that a lack of technical skills isn’t what’s causing employees to miss out on promotions! Life Skills make the difference in getting a job and advancing a career. The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 15
When it comes to work ethic in new college graduates, which of these statements best aligns with your beliefs?
71%
MY GENERATION HAS A STRONGER WORK ETHIC THAN NEW GRADS
23%
MY GENERATION AND NEW GRADS HAVE THE SAME WORK ETHIC
NEW COLLEGE GRADS HAVE A STRONGER WORK ETHIC THAN MY GENERATION
Regardless of job title, do you think all members of your team are responsible for sales or the company’s bottom line?
YES 78% NO 22%
6% THE BOTTOM LINE: HPU students are reminded that perception is reality, so they have to overcome this stereotype by developing and habitually demonstrating an energetic work ethic.
16 | HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
At HPU, sales education is not exclusive to sales majors. ALL students are encouraged to take these classes, and ALL HPU students can learn inside the Professional Selling Center, regardless of their major. Building basic sales competence is critical for all leaders.
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being high and 1 being low, how much stress does it cause you or your team when an employee has a difficult time accepting feedback or constructive criticism?
Average = 7.48% 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
22% 18% 19% 13% 7% 9% 4% 4% 3% 1%
HOW HPU ANSWERS THE CALL: High Point University graduates aren’t just taught how to get a job, they are prepared to excel in their careers. They do this by demonstrating their adaptability, positive temperament, coachability and other Life Skills instilled in them at HPU. These traits make them essential employees and leaders and propel them beyond the entry level phase — like the graduate who launches a career with Facebook and soon finds upward mobility climbing the career ladder at Google.
THE BOTTOM LINE: HPU students learn to accept and apply feedback with grace and gratitude thanks to their Student Success Coach, a mentor and guide who coaches them through their freshman year. This sets the tone for not only their remaining college years, but for their behavior in the workplace. The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 17
THE SIX ESSENTIAL
Interview Questions YOU’LL WANT TO ASK CANDIDATES IN EVERY INTERVIEW (And Be Prepared to Answer These Yourself)
1. Give me an example of a time you failed in your career and how that experience helped you grow. Understanding Their Response: A resume is often designed to showcase one’s accomplishments, but discovering how the candidate processed and managed their decision during difficult situations is key. Be able to decipher the difference between productive failures and nonproductive successes. The process of learning and growing always involves challenges.
2. Talk about a time when you had a task you disliked. How did you stay motivated? Understanding Their Response: Motivation is crucial in any position, and it often boils down to work ethic. Bad habits are easy to develop but hard to live with. Yet, good habits are hard to develop but easy to live with. Motivation is one of those good habits to cultivate.
3. Internships and leadership roles in clubs and organizations in college can prepare a student for life after college. How have you seen this work experience help you grow, not only intellectually but emotionally? Understanding Their Response: There is no substitute for experience, which creates competence. And competence leads to confidence. Commitment is a byproduct of confidence.
18 | HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
4. Tell me about your goals in life. How do you plan to achieve them? Understanding Their Response: What matters is not so much what someone wants to do but rather what someone wants to be. This question will give you insight into prospective employees’ personal initiative, underlying motivations and self-assessment of their strategic thinking.
5. Give me an example of how you found a solution to a problem you faced in your life or your work experience. Understanding Their Response: In any line of work, every organization needs solution finders — NOT merely problem solvers. Solution finders think vertically to eliminate an issue permanently. Problem solvers think horizontally and only react to the tyranny of the urgent. You are looking for deep, vertical thinkers to join your team.
6. Tell me about a time when you took on a leadership role — whether assigned or pursued. How did you motivate the people around you to carry out the mission? And how did you handle uncommitted teammates? Understanding Their Response: Leaders must build bridges of understanding in order to persuade, influence and guide others. Look for candidates who can clearly explain how they connected with their teammates in order to foster trust. Remember, “if no one will follow you, you’re not a leader!”
The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 19
N AT I O N A L H E A D L I N E S R E P O R T
Life Skills Deficit Reports published by media outlets across the nation document the skills gap with which new hires are struggling, as highlighted in a sampling of headlines on this page. Employers are looking for graduates who are prepared to be coachable, communicate with others different from themselves, build solid relationships, be adaptable and navigate complex problems. High Point University answers the call and delivers on outcomes.
“For employers, it’s important to know that experts say Gen Z’s rough ride in recent years means many are also coming into the workplace lacking a set of critical, often invisible skills for interacting with colleagues and handling jobs.” The invisible handbook of skills Gen Z employees lack By Ana Homayoun
“Most of the gaps have to do with what I refer to as power skills, oftentimes seen as soft skills—the ability to have conversations, make eye contact, shake hands, or eat at a table with multiple people; the types of things that are indicative of a society that is social...” President and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center By Kaye Monk-Morgan
Fast Company “A large segment of the U.S. workforce is said to lack soft skills such as communication, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.” The dying art of building relationships By L. Lavon Gray
“Companies seek out managers and leaders who have high levels of empathy and emotional control and are adept at building trust, motivated and able to inspire employee loyalty.” How to increase emotional intelligence on your team By Michele Markey
Forbes 20 | HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
“When management consultants TalentQ, a unit of the Hay Group, asked hundreds of hiring managers last year what skills they were having trouble finding in job candidates, 80 percent said they couldn’t find enough potential hires with strong ‘soft’ skills, like speaking and writing clearly, listening well, collaborating with other people, and even just showing up on time.” The real-world skills new college grads need most By Anne Fisher
Fortune
“A survey by ResumeBuilder.com found that 65% of business leaders are providing or planning to offer office etiquette training to help employees adjust to in-person work. Topics covered in such training include dress codes, workplace conversations, professional emails, and appropriate lunch breaks.” Some companies are mandating office etiquette training as workers return to office By Marq Burnett
The Business Journals
HPU GRADUATES ARE IN DEMAND Employers are hiring HPU graduates and placing HPU students in valuable internship programs. Here is a small sample of companies that are attracted to HPU talent. ABC News Accounting Principals AccruePartners Accuhealth Group ADP Advanced Systems Concepts AdventHealth Aerotek Aetna Aflac Amazon American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) American Contemporary Ballet American Express American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine American Traditions Insurance Company AmeriCorps Ameriprise Financial Inc. AmeriSave Mortgage Co. Amgen Amica Mutual Insurance Aon Apex Health And Human Performance Optimization Apex Systems Apple Architech Sports and Physical Therapy Ashley Furniture Industries Ashley Marion Home Assicurazioni Generali - US Branch AT&T Atrium Health Austria Haus Hotel and The Lodge at Vail Avaya AXA Advisors Ayco, a Goldman Sachs Company Baltimore Ravens Bank of America Bank Of The Ozarks Inc. Bankers life Baptist Children’s Home of NC Bausch + Lomb BBC Bbsi Portland Metro & North Coast Belk Berkshire Bank Berkshire Hathaway Bernhardt Furniture Bernhardt Hospitality BioPharm Communications Birch Hill Investment Advisors, LLC Blackbaud Bloomberg LP Blue Apron Blue Wave Orthodontics BMI Nephrology Systems, Inc. BNY Managment Booz Allen Hamilton Boston Bruins Boston Children’s Hospital Boston City Properties Boston Red Sox Boy Scouts of America Boys & Girls Club of Greater High Point Brady Risk Management Brighthouse Financial British Consulate General Buddy Davis Yachts Bumble Caffey Distributing Carahsoft Technology Corporation
Carbon Inc. Cardinal Health Carlyn and Company Interiors + Design Carolina Panthers Carolina Rehab and Surgical Associates Carolina Thunderbirds Cayenta CBRE CBS Corporation CDW Center For Creative Leadership Center For Wildlife Century Furniture Charlotte Hornets Chistopher Guy Christian Louboutin Chubb Insurance CIGNA Cirque du Soleil Cisco Citizens Bank Citrine Citrix Coca Cola Bottling Co, Consolidated Cogent Analytics Collins Aerospace Comcast Comedy Central Concentra Health Constant Contact Covet Public Relations Creative Exchange Agency Credit Suisse Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Dell Technologies Deloitte Digital Media Solutions Group Dimension Data Discovery Network DNA Communications Duke Energy Easton Digital Edward Jones Elevate Communications Epic Games Ernst & Young ESPN Ethan Allen Global, Inc. Euro Limited Facebook Fendi Fidelity Investments First Citizens Bank Fortuna Enterprises Fox Networks Group Freddie Mac FRG Technology Gallagher Gartner, Inc. GCI Health GE Aviation GE Healthcare GEICO Gilbarco Veeder-Root Girder-Slab Technologies GlaxoSmithKline Golden Apple Foundation Goldman Sachs GolfNow, a division of the Golf Channel Google Hallmark Cards Hanesbrands Inc.
Harland Clarke HBO Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo, LLP High Point Museum High Point Rockers Holland America Cruise Line Holt Group Inc HomeAdvisor HondaJet Hubspot Hugo Boss Huguenot Fuels, Inc. HW Global Education Investment Group, LLC Hyperion IBM Inmar Intelligence Insight Global Internal Revenue Service IQ Brands Irobot Jackson Spalding Jacksonville Jaguars JetIt John Hopkins Hospital Johnson & Johnson Johnson Controls JPMorgan Chase & Co Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Kate Spade New York Key Risk Kontoor Brands KPMG L’Oreal LabCorp LAX Sports Network La-Z-Boy Learfield IMG College Lennox International Lenovo Lexington Home Brands Libby Langdon Liberty Mutual Insurance Liberty One Lincoln Financial Group LNJ Capital Lockheed Martin Lofa Technologies, LLC Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Los Angeles Philharmonic Lowes Home Improvement LPL Financial Lymphoma Research Foundation Madison Square Garden Madwire Media Major League Baseball Make-A-Wish America Marriott Martha’s Vineyard Interior Design Martin Marietta Maryland Stadium Authority Marzano Capital Group Mass Mutual MATI Energy Maverick Brands, LLC Mayo Clinic Medicus Healthcare Solutions MemoryBlue Merrill Lynch Minnesota Twins Mondelez international Monument Capital Management
Monument Sotheby’s International Realty Morgan Stanley Mullen Lowe Mutual of Omaha NASCAR Nashville Predators National Basketball Association National Park Service NBC News – TODAY Show NBC Sports NBC Universal (New York) NetJets New England Center for Children New Jersey Devils New York Economic Development Corporation New York Life Insurance Company New York Mets New York Yankees Nobel Learning Communities Northern Arizona Healthcare Northrop Grumman Northwestern Mutual Norwalk Yacht Club NovaCare Novant Health Ogilvy Old Dominion Freight Oly Studio Optum Oracle NetSuite Orion Worldwide Orlando Magic Orsman Design Inc. Orthopedic Trauma Specialists Oscar de la Renta Patriot Wealth Management Paycom People Magazine PepsiCo Pevco Systems PIMCO Pittsburgh Magazine PNC Bank Porsche Cars of North America Pottery Barn Power Home Solar Premier Talent Partners PricewaterhouseCoopers Progressive Business Media PUMA PWC Qorvo Inc. Qualcomm Qualtrics Quoizel R.W. Warner Rand Construction Corporation Randstad USA Raycom Media Raylen Vineyards, Inc. Raymond James Raytheon Missile Systems Reader’s Digest Reality Ministries Red Hat Red Ventures Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Richard Childress Racing Richmond Kickers Robertson Neal & Company, LLP Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Rustic Marlin Designs
Salesforce Saltex Group Samaritan’s Purse San Antonio Scorpions FC Saxon Financial Schneider Electric Scribe America Shaw Industries Shinola Shutterfly Sigma Plastics Signature Bank Smart Choice® Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Social Security Administration Sokal Media Group Spaceground System Solutions Spectrum News Strawbridge Studios Synapse PT Syngenta Talener Target Corporate TE Connectivity Teach for America TEK System Teleflex Medical Ten Bridge Communications The Dr. Oz Show The Fresh Market The Golf Channel The Hartford Insurance Group The Kraft Group The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society The Siegfried Group The Walt Disney Company Theodore Alexander Trace International Travelers Insurance Tru Optik Truist (formerly BB&T) UBS United States Air Force United States Army United States Marine Corps United States Navy United States Secret Service Vail Resorts Venture RE Veterans Development Corporation VFJeanswear Viacom Vineyard Vines VMWare Volkswagen Group of America Volvo Walt Disney Studios Washington Nationals Washington Football Team Wayfair Wealth Advisors Group Web.com WebMO Wells Fargo Wright Medical Xerox XPO Logistics Yelp YMCA YouTube
The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 21
EMPLOYER IMPRESSIONS Employers are singing the praises of HPU. Here are a few recent notes they’ve written about the impact of HPU students and graduates on their organizations.
EMPLOYER IMPRESSIONS
Employers are singing the praises of HPU. Here are a few recent notes they’ve written about the impact of HPU students and graduates on their organizations.
“HPU graduates are coachable and willing to grow, which is why they’ve been phenomenal in our leadership program.” “HPU students are self-motivated and always come to us seeking internship opportunities. They’ve all consistently delivered strong results. They take initiative and bring positive curiosity and intellect.” — Sam Soloman University Program Manager for the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina
“HPU students are well prepared. They are open to new challenges and have a maturity about them that helps them cope with real-life business situations.” — Jeff Eilers Regional Vice President and Director of Sales Trainee Program for Mutual of Omaha in Corona, California
— Ryan Torchia Regional Vice President at Gartner in Fort Myers, Florida
“We have been lucky to have multiple interns from High Point University on our Regional Marketing Services team here at IMG College. The students have been motivated, smart, interested and team players. They come into the internship eager to learn and work hard. We challenge our interns here with real-world work that gives them a taste of what it would be like to work in our department full time. HPU students have taken on that challenge and developed the skills necessary to be an asset to our team. We have been very pleased with our interns from High Point and look forward to hiring more in the future.” — Brandon Hillis Director of Regional Marketing Services for IMG in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
One University Parkway, High Point, NC 27268, USA
22 | HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
HOW TO LAND THAT JOB An HPU+ series highlighting HPU’s intense focus on life skills, helpful career tips and campus resources that will prepare you to enter the workforce with the characteristics employers want.
HPU+ You can watch the full “How to Land That Job” series on HPU’s streaming service, HPU+. www.hpuplus.com
The entire HPU family celebrates the fact that 99% of HPU graduates launch their careers or continue their education within 180 days of graduation. But, do you know all the resources HPU provides to get students there? Get an inside look at how HPU has outperformed the national outcomes placement rate by an average of 12% over the last six years.
A sneak peek of the “How to Land That Job” series can be found at: www.highpoint.edu/careerinternships/quick-tips
The NATIONAL LIFE SKILLS DEFICIT and HPU’s BOLD RESPONSE | 23
HPU’S C-SUITE EXECUTIVE POLL 2018 DEMOGRAPHICS Number of Survey Respondents
506
Gender Male Female Another gender
64% 35% *less than 1%
Age 18 – 24 25 – 34 35 – 44 45 – 54 55 – 64 65 and older
4% 19% 24% 24% 21% 8%
Education Level 1 – 11th grade *less than 1% High school graduate 5% Some college 10% College graduate 37% Graduate school 48%
Race African-American or Black White or Caucasian Native American Asian Multiple races or other Don’t know
6% 83% 2% 6% 2% 1%
Company Size (number of employees) 5,000 – 9,999 10,000 – 24,999 25,000 or more
37% 24% 39%
HPU’S C-SUITE EXECUTIVE POLL 2022 DEMOGRAPHICS Number of Survey Respondents
503
Gender Male Female Another gender
70% 30% 0%
Age 18 – 24 25 – 34 35 – 44 45 – 54 55 – 64 65 and older
1% 18% 60% 12% 5% 4%
Education Level 1 – 11th grade *less than 1% High school graduate 2% Some college 9% College graduate 49% Graduate school 40% Don’t know *less than 1%
Race African-American or Black 7% White or Caucasian 90% Native American *less than 1% Asian 3% Multiple races or other 1% Don’t know *less than 1%
Company Size (number of employees) 2,500 - 4,999 5,000 - 9,999 10,000 - 24,999 25,000 or more
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48% 23% 12% 15%
DI SCOV ER HI GH P O I N T U N I V E R S I T Y If you’d like to learn more about HPU’s commitment to equipping students with Life Skills and about our values-based approach to education, you can request any of these informative publications:
The Parents’ Guide to
VALUES-BASED LEARNING
“High Point University is a values-based institution. HPU is an extension of your home.” The Parents’ Guide to
- HPU President Nido Qubein
E periential Learning Achieve your career goals with the premier life skills experiences you’ll only find at HPU.
VALUES-BASED LEARNING
STUDIOS
I
CARING PEOPLE
Visit www.highpoint.edu/learnmore to request your complimentary copies.
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PRESIDENT NIDO R. QUBEIN Dr. Nido R. Qubein came to the United States as a teenager with limited knowledge of English and only $50 in his pocket. His inspiring life story is one filled with both adversity and abundance. It is through the lens of his life’s journey that one appreciates his current role as an educator, philanthropist and passionate advocate for the development of future leaders. Dr. Qubein has served as the seventh president of High Point University since 2005, leading the university through an extraordinary transformation that includes quadrupling enrollment, increasing the number of facilities from 28 to 288, and the construction of 260 new buildings on campus. Under his leadership, 13 academic schools have been added: the School of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences; the Phillips School of Business; the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication; the Stout School of Education; the David R. Hayworth School of Arts and Design; the Wanek School of Natural Sciences; the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy; the Congdon School of Health Sciences; the Webb School of Engineering, the Workman School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health, the School of Nursing, the Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law and the School of Optometry. HPU is ranked No. 1 by U.S. News and World Report for Best Regional Colleges in the South, No. 1 for Most Innovative Regional Colleges in the South and recognized for National Top 50 First-Year Experiences as well as Best Undergraduate Teaching in the South. Prior to accepting his role as president of High Point University, Dr. Qubein served as chairman of a consulting firm with international clients in business and professional services. He is the recipient of many national awards, including the Cavett (known as the Oscar of professional speaking), the Horatio Alger Award for Distinguished Americans, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Americanism Award, and Sales and Marketing International’s Ambassador of Free Enterprise. Toastmasters International named him the Top Business and Commerce Speaker and awarded him the Golden Gavel Medal. His business experience led him to help grow a bank in 1986, and today he serves on the board of Truist, the nation’s sixth largest financial institution with assets of $500 billion. Dr. Qubein is also executive chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company—with 224 stores in 43 states—and serves on the boards of La-Z-Boy Inc. (one of the world’s largest and most recognized furniture retailers) and nThrive, a health care services company. Dr. Qubein has written a dozen books and recorded scores of audio and video instructional programs translated into many languages. Sign up to receive free weekly video lessons from HPU President Nido Qubein and daily inspirational quotes at: www.highpoint.edu/motivation. Nido R. Qubein has authored dozens of books including: • Achieving Peak Performance
• Seven Choices for Success and Significance
• The Time is Now, the Person is You
• Uncommon Sense: Ten Principles to Transform Your Work and Life
• How to be a Great Communicator • How to be a Great Sales Professional • Stairway to Success • How to Get Anything You Want • Attitudes: The Remarkable Power of Optimism
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• Daily Motivation: 365 Messages to Inspire You at Work and in Life • Change Your Words, Change Your World
LEADERSHIP AND LIFE SKILLS SERIES
HPU President Nido Qubein and Condoleezza Rice
You’re invited to enjoy High Point University’s Leadership and Life Skills Series, hosted by HPU President Nido R. Qubein. Thought leaders and innovators from around the world visit High Point University to share their stories of success, their moments of failure and to encourage us to move the world forward in positive ways. Each conversation is produced by and aired on North Carolina Public Television and is available online at www.highpoint.edu/interviews.
Enjoy HPU’s Leadership and Life Skills Series online at www.highpoint.edu/interviews
Apple Computer
MARC RANDOLPH Netflix Co-Founder HPU’s Entrepreneur in Residence
STEVE WOZNIAK Apple Co-Founder HPU’s Innovator in Residence
JOE MICHAELS Former Director of NBC’s “TODAY” HPU’s Broadcaster in Residence
DEE ANN TURNER Former Chick-fil-A Vice President for Talent HPU’s Talent Acquisition Expert in Residence
RUSSELL WEINER Domino’s CEO HPU’s Corporate Executive in Residence
CYNT MARSHALL Dallas Mavericks CEO HPU’s Sports Executive in Residence
BOB RYAN Renowned Sports Columnist for The Boston Globe HPU’s Sports Reporter in Residence
BYRON PITTS Co-Anchor of ABC’s “Nightline” HPU’s Journalist in Residence
SUE DOWNES CEO and Co-Founder of MyEyeDr. HPU’s Health Care Expert in Residence
DR. JOHN C. MAXWELL Bestselling Author and Internationally Renowned Leadership Expert HPU’s Executive Coach in Residence JINAN GLASGOW GEORGE Founder and Managing Director of NEO IP HPU’s Intellectual Property Expert in Residence
ELLEN ZANE CEO Emeritus of Tufts Medical Center HPU’s Health Care Executive in Residence
CHARLIE FREEMAN Orlando Magic President of Business Operations HPU's Sports Business Executive in Residence
DEAN CAIN Famed Actor, Producer and Television Presenter HPU’s Actor in Residence
WILLIAM “BILL” E. KENNARD Chairman of AT&T’s Board of Directors and Former U.S. Ambassador HPU’s Global Leader in Residence
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At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.®