Studies in the Employment Sector

        Social scientists have learned that better than ninety percent of all
employment terminations from white-collar jobs are caused by deficits
in interpersonal skills, and not by technical shortcomings. In tact, among
white collar people who lose their jobs only about one in twelve is
terminated for reasons of technical incompetence. The other eleven are
"let go" because they are not good team players, because they are less
than adequately competent at partaking in the small talk that prevails
during coffee breaks, lunch hours, and in the rest rooms. And a very
large number of them are "let go" because their supervisors and/or work
colleagues feel less than comfortable about having a work mate who
withdraws too much or who is not adequately relaxed and naturally
sociable.
      Another little-known fact is that about 70 percent of the best job and
career opportunities are obtained "under the table" through informal social
networks. Quite in spite of "Affirmative Action" and "Equal Opportunity
Employment", only about 30 percent of the better job opportunities are
obtained through such traditional sources as newspaper job ads, per-
sonnel offices, employment agencies, etc. Moreover, recent studies have
shown that compared to jobs obtained the regular ways, jobs obtained
through informal social networks (1) pay significantly better, (2) provide
far better growth opportunities, (3) are about three times more likely to
provide high levels of career satisfaction, and (4) are about five times
more likely to be retained by the incumbent for ten or more years.
      Research evidence also shows that among people of approximately
the same education and technical training, employers are most likely to
be disarmed by the warm, relaxed, naturally sociable job applicant. The
incumbent of any position who has an easy-going, natural command of
strong interpersonal skills and finesse is the one who is (1) likely to be
promoted the fastest, and (2) who is least likely to be laid off when
things get tough..
      In addition, several studies have shown that deficits in actual job
performance are a good deal more likely to be overlooked and forgiven
in socially effective people. In essence, the person with strong social
skills and social self-confidence (non-shyness) is accorded many more
chances to prove himself than is the shy, retiring person who commonly
avoids informal social intercourse. Indeed, the latter type person often
makes work mates feel uncomfortable. And a technical error that would
easily be overlooked or forgiven in the friendly, highly sociable employee
is often viewed as cause for termination in the shy and retiring employee.
      In order for a person to belong to informal social networks he must
be a relaxed, easy-to-get-to-know, sociable person. Further, he must be
a person of at least average interpersonal skills relative to his chrono-
logical age and education/economic status group. The experience of dat-
ing has long been known to be instrumental in promoting these social
skills and personal qualities. Moreover, very rare indeed is the young
man who is popular with women but unpopular among members of his
own gender. Indeed, the all-male peer group has long been known to
be extremely important in terms of introducing its members to suitable
female partners and in terms of promoting informal dating and courtship
activities.
     Finally, ours is a coeducational world. To an increasing extent women
are successfully permeating all sectors of the work force, and this trend
can be expected to continue unabated A male who has not learned to
feel at home with women can surely anticipate encountering a never-
ending array of anxiety-provoking situations whenever he is involved
either within the world of employment or in the process of obtaining
same.