School leavers starting out in the job market should brush up on their 'soft skills' such as communication abilities and work ethic, as these are more important to employees than academic skills, the latest research suggests.

According to a survey of 1,400 British employers carried out by KPMG and the Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD), the top rated qualities sought in new prospective employees are communication skills and the basic desire to do a good job.

These came ahead of basic literacy and numeracy, although these were both still regarded as important by up to a quarter of employees.

"It has become almost an annual ritual to focus on the literacy and numeracy of school leavers – but our research shows employers want more focus on communication, interpersonal skills and developing a work ethic," commented CIPD's Rebecca Clake of the findings.

The results will come as good news for school leavers prepared to continue working hard at their first job after leaving school.

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