Employability Skills: Factors Affecting Employer Hiring Decisions in the Clothing Retail Sector of Islamabad

Abstract

This study investigates the employability skills that employers value in recent graduates joining Islamabad's clothing retail industry. With rapid shifts in retail operations, especially the combination of online and physical stores, it is more important than ever to concentrate on the unique skills needed in this fast-paced setting. The study examines the relative importance of 11 employability skills, including conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional stability, openness, extraversion, intellectual and physical abilities, explicit and tacit knowledge, and hard and soft skills. Additionally, the study assesses how these preferences vary depending on demographic and contextual characteristics, retail type, designation, and managerial responsibilities. Store managers, HR managers, and other employers from clothing retail companies were surveyed for the study to get insights on the most important skills for fresh graduates. A thorough statistical analysis was carried out to examine the significance of employability abilities among the various responder groups, considering the Mean, regression analysis technique, ANOVA, and post hoc analysis. The findings show that employer choices are dominated by interpersonal and personality driven skills. "Soft skills," "conscientiousness," and "extraversion" were shown to be the most valued competencies, highlighting the significance of social engagement, communication, and dependability in a field that interacts with customers. The lowest rankings for "hard skills" and "physical abilities," on the other hand, imply a decreased need for technological know-how and manual proficiency in hiring criteria. Additionally, the study also finds that professional experience and skill choices vary significantly throughout retail categories (local, online, and hybrid). Soft skills consistently scored the highest across all retail categories, for instance, although preferences for extraversion and conscientiousness varied significantly based on the role and kind of store. While highlighting distinct tendencies unique to the clothing retail industry in Islamabad, these findings are consistent with earlier research that emphasizes the importance of interpersonal skills in customer-oriented businesses. The research's conclusions are important for educational institutions employers and job seekers. To better match employee skills with organizational requirements, retail businesses can utilize these insights to improve their hiring practices and training initiatives. In the meantime, educational institutions and training facilities can concentrate on giving graduates the emotional intelligence and soft skills necessary for success in this competitive and customer-oriented industry. While highlighting distinctive patterns unique to the clothing retail sector in Islamabad, this study helps to improve employability outcomes and operational efficiency in the retail sector by bridging the gap between industry requirements and graduate preparedness.