Breathe deeply. Relax. “Poor Grammer”? This week’s headline was intentional.
That’s a relief, right?
We were sent an article that appeared in the Harvard Business Review. It was shared by an Improving Communications friend (and recipient of Defender of the Language award), Michael Rudegeair.
Kyle Wiens, author of “I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why” shows us (again) that grammar mistakes make people look like “they deserve to be passed over for a job — even if they are otherwise qualified for the position.” Therefore, his prospective employees must take a grammar test. Yes, a grammar test!
Here are some of his key points:
- Good grammar is credibility, especially on the internet … Your words … are a projection of you in your physical absence.
- People judge you if you can’t tell the difference between their, there, and they’re.
- People who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing — like stocking shelves or labeling parts.
- … When it comes to … business, details are everything. I hire people who care about those details.
- Companies … pay attention to sloppy mistakes on résumés. After all, sloppy is as sloppy does.
- All applicants say they’re detail-oriented; I just make my employees prove it.
Click here to read Mr. Wiens full article.
Photo is courtesy of Opensourceway’s Flickr Photostream, under Creative Commons Licensing.
Rich Atkins is the Managing Director of Improving Communications, a New York-based corporate training firm that, in addition to Speaker Services, offers Business Writing, Public Speaking & Presentation Skills, Sales and Negotiation, Customer Service, Leadership, Staff Development, and Human Resources training. He is also the Director of Improving Communications UK and Improving Communications IE.