The main objective for students attending college is to obtain a degree and secure employment. It is essential, therefore, to prioritize the inclusion of grammatical principles in the college curriculum, as poor grammar can hinder job prospects after graduation. However, it is important to consider whether employers truly value applicants’ level of grammatical ability. To determine this, one must examine different professional fields and their perspectives on grammatical skills.
Our research on the impact of poor grammar in the workplace relied on various methods, including reading articles, analyzing employer blogs, and conducting interviews. The articles gave us a broad understanding of how productivity is affected by poor grammar. Furthermore, we learned from employer blogs that poor grammar reflects negatively on the intelligence of job applicants. Lastly, through interviews with employers, we were able to delve deeper into their perspectives and gather specific insights on the issue of poor grammar in the workplace.
Based on our research, it became evident that incorrect grammar is frowned upon in the workplace. According to Matt Gregg, a senior account executive at Hall & Partners, Inc., proper grammar is crucial for effective professional communication. He emphasized that writing correctly not only demonstrates your concern for your message, but also for how the recipient understands it. “It can be very frustrating when someone is not putting in their best effort,” he added.
Gregg agrees with the negative judgment placed on individuals with poor grammar, which is echoed by John McWhorter and Kyle Wiens. McWhorter states that bad grammar is associated with low intelligence, sloppiness, and lack of refinement. Wiens writes that those who are meticulous about grammar are meticulous about everything else they do. These responses suggest that employers have unfavorable opinions of applicants or employees with poor grammar, viewing it as a sign of laziness and unintelligence. However, the impact of poor grammar in the workplace and its variation across professions have been explored. It has been found that poor grammar generally leads to confusion in work settings, as highlighted by copywriter Kristi Munno’s experiences.
According to a blog post (How Poor Grammar Impacts the Workplace 2012), poor grammar in the workplace causes confusion, unprofessionalism, and hinders productivity. In an interview, Gregg agreed with this statement and stated that poor grammar creates more work as people struggle to understand the intended message. Regardless of profession, grammar’s significance remains consistent since communication is essential in all work environments. Improper grammar leads to confusion and unprofessional behavior. A survey conducted by SHRM and AARP (Business Management 2012) revealed that approximately 45% of 430 employers have decided to enhance employee-training programs to improve grammar and other skills. Our analysis of reliable sources and input from working professionals confirms that poor grammar is a significant problem in the workplace but can be avoided. Our findings suggest that applicants with poor grammar may be perceived as unintelligent, careless, and lazy.
Your ability to demonstrate yourself as a hard-worker is restricted to your written communication, such as cover letters, resumes, or emails. Grammatical mistakes in your writing can hinder you from even being considered for an interview since employers have no other way of assessing you. The main objective of attending college is to acquire a degree and secure a permanent job. If inadequate grammar prevents applicants from obtaining interviews or job offers, then the essence of pursuing higher education is compromised.
In addition, inadequate grammar not only causes confusion but also reduces productivity in any professional setting. Employers become frustrated, and valuable time is wasted for all parties involved in the communication. Should a company need to organize a workshop to enhance employee grammar, even more time (and potentially money) would be squandered. If applicants/employees have been taught grammar as part of their college education, they stand a greater chance of being hired post-graduation and becoming more effective workers in the workplace.
Proper grammar not only has a positive impact on the individual applicant, but it also reflects positively on the University they graduated from. Our credible sources unanimously agree that poor grammar is undesirable for job applicants and even for those already in the workplace. Numerous articles include statements from company executives who emphasize their refusal to hire individuals with bad grammar, citing potential hindrances to their companies.
Although it may be challenging to find counter arguments for the importance of grammar to employers in the business world, we believe that it might vary for other professions. Certain occupations, like garbage men, construction workers, janitors, servers, maids, or toll workers, do not require good grammar in their day-to-day duties as they do not engage in extensive conversations. However, we suggest that you continue using the McGraw Hill Connect Composition for your future classes as it effectively emphasizes teaching, testing, and correcting grammar.
Many employers emphasize the importance of presenting and teaching in order to make students realize its significance. While having students form groups and present each chapter to the class is a good idea, we feel that it may not provide enough motivation for everyone to do the reading. To enhance the class experience, we suggest incorporating I-clicker points. Students would receive points or extra credit for answering grammar or writing questions correctly during the presentations.
This would compel students to have a desire to both complete the readings and give more focus to presentations as their grade is dependent on it.
Rationale Memo: To: Melissa Larabee From: Colleen Budd and Cassidy Lepper Date: February 19, 2013 Subject: Rationale Memo
In order to investigate the question: “How do employers in different professions perceive grammatical proficiency and how does it vary across professions?” we have decided to conduct both primary and secondary research in order to obtain the most accurate results.
We aimed to study various responses from employers in order to form a conclusion regarding their overall sentiments towards poor grammar in the workplace. Our rationale for composing this recommendation is as follows:
1 – We identified employers as our primary source of information for our research, as they are responsible for hiring applicants, interacting with numerous employees, and have experience in the workplace.
2 – To initiate our research, we chose to review articles that have already investigated the issue of improper grammar and its impact on the workplace.
After conducting research, we gained an understanding of employers’ sentiments, the impact on work efficiency, and the significance of the issue. Our findings revealed numerous blog posts addressing the issue of inadequate grammar in professional settings, mostly authored by current employers. These blog posts exhibited a more expressive tone compared to the articles explored. Additionally, to gain further insight into employers’ views on poor grammar, we carried out a phone interview with a highly experienced employer at a marketing research firm situated in downtown Chicago.
During our conversation with him, we had the chance to ask additional questions related to the blog posts and articles. In order to convey this information effectively, we incorporated quotes from each of our sources that bring our analysis alive. These quotes offer a glimpse into employers’ perspectives and illustrate how poor grammar affects both individuals and their universities negatively. We are confident that our suggestion to give priority to grammar in the BTW 250 course will prove beneficial to you. If you need more details about our research, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you!
