Recommended skill requirements of recent management information systems graduates for employment: A Modified Delphi study

The purpose of this Modified Delphi study was to achieve a consensus and forecast a prediction from expert IT hiring managers on what skills are required of MIS graduates for employment. In doing so, guidance could be provided to academic leaders who design curricula for MIS students on the required skills for employment. This study was conducted in order to examine the specific problem that MIS graduates may not have the needed skills for immediate employment in connection with college standards. A literature review revealed critics' claims that IT professionals, generally, have understood what required skills MIS graduates need for employment. This modified Delphi research bridges the gap of information in these studies by identifying skills IT hiring managers currently require of MIS graduates, rather than information received from IT professionals more generally. The IT labor force has decreased because fewer people from recent generations enroll in technology degree programs. Because of reduced enrollment, strong consideration should be given to causes manipulating enrollment and to how to preserve the 21st-century IT labor force. This Modified Delphi study focused on identifying and formulating a forecast of which skill sets IT managers currently require for employment of MIS graduates. IT hiring managers were invited to participate in this study in its attempt to achieve a consensus and develop a prediction that provides guidance to academic leaders designing curricula for MIS students on the required skills for employment. This study identified an appropriate profile of experts responsible for hiring IT professionals in 10 counties representing the greater Chicago, Illinois, area. Consensus was obtained on 10 soft skills and seven hard skills that IT hiring managers seek for employment of MIS graduates.