KEY MESSAGES

EMPLOYER SATISFACTION IS TIED TO STRONG

INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS.
THESE ARE OUR GRADUATES' STRONGEST
QUALITIES.
EMPLOYERS IN THE MOST PROFITABLE SECTORS —
OIL/GAS AND CONSULTING — ARE THE MOST
SATISFIED WITH KIMEP GRADUATES.
THERE IS A STRONG NEED FOR IMPROVED
CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
SKILLS. EMPLOYERS ALSO REPORT A STRONG
FOCUS ON RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE.
 PERFORMANCE
KIMEP GRADUATES WERE ASSESSED ACROSS A
SERIES OF SKILLS ON A SCALE OF 1-5.
THESE SKILLS FALL UNDER FOUR CATEGORIES:
PROFESSIONAL, COMMUNICATION ,
INTERPERSONAL AND BUSINESS/ ENTERPRISE
SKILLS.
KIMEP GRADUATES PERFORM WELL, SCORING
ABOVE 4.0 IN ALL CATEGORIES.
THEY ALSO EXCELL AT INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
(4.24), THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL FOR
EMPLOYERS (4.62).
 PERFORMANCE Satisfaction Importance

4.8

4.6

4.4

4.2

3.8

3.6

3.4
Interpersonal skills Professional preparation Communication skills Business/ Enterprise Skills
PERFORMANCE
KIMEP GRADUATES WERE WEAKEST IN
COMMUNICATION SKILLS (4.12) AND
BUSINESS/ ENTERPRISE SKILLS (4.04).

THE LATTER IS ALSO THE SOURCE OF THE

LARGEST GAP BETWEEN EMPLOYERS'
WANTS AND ACTUAL PERFORMANCE.
0.45
EXPECTATION GAPS
0.4

0.35

0.3

0.25

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
Business/ Enterprise Skills Interpersonal skills Professional preparation Communication skills
SKILLS SUMMARY
OVERALL, THE THREE HIGHEST RATED SKILLS OF
KIMEP GRADUATES ARE: COMPUTER SKILLS
(4.45), ENGLISH LANGUAGE (4.37) AND THE
ABILITY TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY (4.29).
THE THREE LOWEST RATED SKILLS ARE:
RESEARCH SKILLS (3.92), THE ABILITY TO
ORGANIZE AND DELEGATE TASKS (3.88) AND
CRITICAL THINKING (3.84).
THE THREE LARGEST EXPECTATION GAPS ARE:
SOLVING PROBLEMS (0.77), THE ABILITY TO
ORGANIZE AND DELEGATE TAKS (0.56), AND
PRODUCTIVITY (0.56).
 SKILLS SUMMARY
Satisfaction Importance

4.8

4.6

4.4

4.2

3.8

3.6

3.4
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 PROFESSIONAL
PREPARATION
IN THIS CATEGORY OF SKILLS, KIMEP GRADUATES
ARE STRONGEST IN THEIR COMPUTER SKILLS (4.45)
AND ABILITY TO LEARN (4.29).
THEY ARE WEAKEST IN THEIR TIME MANAGEMENT
(4.05) AND RESEARCH SKILLS (3.92), THE LATTER IS
THE LEAST IMPORTANT TO EMPLOYERS (3.61).
EMPLOYERS EXPECTATIONS ARE EXCEEDED BY
GRADUATES' RESEARCH AND COMPUTER SKILLS.
 PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION
Satisfaction Importance

4.8

4.6

4.4

4.2

3.8

3.6

3.4
Computer skills Ability/willingness Quality of work Overall academic Ability to apply Productivity Time management Research skills
to learn preparation knowledge
COMMUNICATION
IN THIS CATEGORY OF SKILLS, KIMEP
GRADUATES ARE STRONGEST IN THEIR READING
(3.93) AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS (4.25).
BOTH EXCEED EMPLOYER'S EXPECTATIONS.
THEY ARE WEAKEST IN THEIR LISTENING AND
PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE
LOWER THAN THE IMPORTANCE THAT
EMPLOYERS PLACE IN THESE SKILLS.
 COMMUNICATION Satisfaction Importance

4.8

4.6

4.4

4.2

3.8

3.6

3.4
English language Reading Written communication Public speaking and Listening
presentation
INTERPERSONAL
IN THIS CATEGORY OF SKILLS, KIMEP
GRADUATES ARE STRONGEST IN THEIR ABILITY
TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY (4.29) AND WEAKEST
IN THEIR ABILITY TO WORK IN TEAMS(4.15). THIS
IS STILL ONE OF THE HIGHEST SCORES FOR ALL
SKILLS.
WHILE SCORES IN THIS CATEGORY ARE
GENERALLY HIGH (ABOVE 4.2 IN ALL BUT
TEAMWORK), KIMEP GRADUATES DO NOT MATCH
THE IMPORTANCE THAT EMPLOYERS PLACE ON
THESE SKILLS IN ANY CATEGORY.
 INTERPERSONAL Satisfaction Importance

4.8

4.6

4.4

4.2

3.8

3.6

3.4
Ability to work independently Professional attitude Conducting work activities in an ethical manner Ability to work in teams
BUSINESS/ENTERPRISE
SCORES ARE GENERALLY WEAKER IN THIS
CATEGORY THAN IN OTHERS. NO SCORES
EXCEED 4.2 AND THREE FALL BELOW 4.0
(SOLIVING PROBLEMS (3.95), ABILITY TO
ORGANIZE AND DELEGATE TASKS (3.88), AND
CRITICAL THINKING (3.84)).
KIMEP GRADUATES RECEIVED THE HIGHEST
SCORES FOR CREATIVITY (4.15), WHICH IS THE
LEAST IMPORTANT SKILL FOR EMPLOYERS (4.19).
ALL OF THE SKILLS ARE SCORED LOWER THAN
THE IMPORTANCE REPORTED BY EMPLOYERS.
 BUSINESS/ENTERPRISE Satisfaction Importance

4.8

4.6

4.4

4.2

3.8

3.6

3.4
Creativity Ability to adjust Defining Working under Ability to Willingness to Initiative Solving Ability to Critical
to new job problems pressure prioritize tasks accept new problems organize and thinking
demands responsibilities delegate tasks
 BY SECTOR
OIL AND GAS COMPANIES GAVE KIMEP
GRADUATES THE HIGHEST SCORES.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES GAVE
KIMEP GRADUATES THE LOWEST SCORES.
HOWEVER, TRENDS IN RATINGS CORRESPOND
WITH THE SIZE OF THE SAMPLES, WHICH MIGHT
LOWER THE CREDIBILITY OF SOME OF THE
SCORES.
 5
BY SECTOR 16

Average Number of Companies in Sample

4.8 14

4.6 12

4.4 10

4.2 8

4 6

3.8 4

3.6 2

3.4 0
Oil/Gas Consulting Transportation Manufacturing Conglomerate NGO Banking Consumer Goods Telecom
KIMEP GRADS EMPLOYED
COMPANIES THAT EMPLOYED THE HIGHEST
NUMBERS OF KIMEP GRADUATES REPORTED
THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF SATISFACTION.
OTHER THAN THE CATEGORY 2-4 EMPLOYEES,
THERE IS NO CORRELATION BETWEEN THE SIZE
OF THE SAMPLE AND THE LEVELS OF
SATISFACTION.
 KIMEP GRADS EMPLOYED
Satisfaction Sample Size

5 24

4.8 21

4.6 18

4.4 15

4.2 12

4 9

3.8 6

3.6 3

3.4 0
100 or more 20-99 10-19 5-9 2-4 Only 1
 BY COMPANY
COMPANIES GIVING KIMEP GRADUATES THE
HIGHEST RATINGS INCLUDE CASPIAN BANK,
TETHYS AND SHELL.
SOME OF THE LOWEST INDIVIDUAL RATINGS
COME FROM SULPAK, ABN AMRO AND UNDP.
 BY COMPANY (TOP 15)
Company Sector Number of Employees Average Scores

JSC "Bank Caspian" Banking 20-99 5

LLP "Insurance broker "Aon Kazakhstan" Consulting 2-4 5
Tethys Oil/gas 2-4 5
Kazatomprom Manufacturing 2-4 4.97
Shell Kazakhstan Development B.V. Oil/gas 5-9 4.91
LLP "TS Engineering Group" Business 2-4 4.84
Congolmerate
Alliance for Open Society International Branch NGO 2-4 4.84
LLP "Finsovet" Consulting 2-4 4.82
Urker Cosmetics Manufacturing 2-4 4.75
JSC "KCell" Telecommunication 5-9 4.69
JSC "National Innovation Fund" Consulting 5-9 4.58
PriceWaterhouseCoopers Consulting 100 or more 4.58
SOS Kazakhstan LLC Oil/gas 5-9 4.54
LLP "Astana Group" Business 10-19 4.5
Congolmerate
Proctor & Gamble Retail 20-99 4.48
 BY COMPANY (MID 14)
Company Sector Number of Employees Average Scores
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Transportation 2-4 4.43

Home Credit Kazakhstan Banking 5-9 4.38

JSC "BankCenterCredit" Banking 20-99 4.37

LLP Ernst&Young Consulting 100 or more 4.36

Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia NGO 5-9 4.18

JSC "Temirbank" Banking 2-4 4.08

JSC "Center for Marketing and Analytical Consulting 2-4 4.05

Research"

Deloitte Consulting 20-99 4.02

Citibank Banking 10-19 4

JSC "Kazinvest bank" Banking 5-9 4

JSC "Kazkommerts bank" Banking 100 or more 4

LLP "Dinal" Heineken Group Manufacturing 2-4 4

USKO International JSC Business 10-19 4

Congolmerate
 BY COMPANY (LAST 14)
Company Sector Number of Employees Average Scores
Panasonic CIS Retail 2-4 3.99
JSC "Financial industrial group "Atameken Business one only 3.94
holding" Congolmerate
Bank Property Development Business 5-9 3.87
Congolmerate
International Institute of Modern Politics (MISP) NGO 2-4 3.87
JSC "Logycom" Retail 5-9 3.81
UNDP NGO 2-4 3.75
LLP "Altyn Biday 2000" Manufacturing one only 3.59
Eximbank Kazakhstan Banking 2-4 3.49
JSC "BCC INVEST" Banking 5-9 3.49
Ducat Telecom Company Telecommunication 2-4 3.48
SB “HSBC Bank Kazakhstan” JSC Banking 5-9 3.4
Delegation of the European Commission in NGO 2-4 3.35
Kazakhstan
ABN AMRO Bank Banking 20-99 3.31
LLP "Sulpak" Retail 2-4 3.28
LLP Park Residence Consulting Business one only 3.12
Congolmerate
LLP "KaR-Tel" Telecommunication 5-9 2.96
 HIRING CRITERIA
SURVEYED COMPANIES GAVE AN ASSESSMENT
OF THEIR HIRING CRITERIA, RANKING FACTORS
FROM 3 (VERY IMPORTANT) TO 1 (NOT
IMPORTANT).
PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE (2.64) AND
COMMUNICATION/ ATTITUDE (2.63) WERE
CONSIDERED THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITIES
IN AN APPLICANT, WHILE INTERNSHIP
EXPERIENCE (1.9) AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FROM PROFESSORS (1.57) THE LEAST.
 3
HIRING CRITERIA
2.5

1.5

0.5

0
Previous work Communicatio Reputation of Current Previous Applicant’s Grades Test scores Internship Recommendat
experience n/attitude the University employer employer major field of experience ion from a
recommendati recommendati study professor
ons ons
EMPLOYER COMMENTS
MORE THAN HALF OF SURVEYED COMPANIES
PROVIDED COMMENTS IN THE SURVEY.
THE LARGEST NUMBER OF COMMENTS FOCUSED
ON THE NEED FOR MORE WORK EXPERIENCE.
EMPLOYERS ALSO REGULARLY IDENTIFIED A
NEED FOR SECTOR SPECIFIC SKILLS
(KNOWLEDGE OF IT, SPECIFIC BANKING AND
FINANCE ISSUES), BETTER LANGUAGE SKILLS
AND GENERAL PROFESSIONAL SKILLS (CRITICAL
THINKING, PROBLEM SOLVING, LEADERSHIP,
ETC.)
 EMPLOYER COMMENTS
12

10

0
More work Sector-specific skills Better language General professional Healthier Ability to work in Knowledge of local
experience skills skills expectations about teams legislation
employment and
promotion
JOB PROSPECTS
94% WOULD HIRE ANOTHER KIMEP
GRADUATE IN THE FUTURE
68% WOULD PARTICIPATE IN INTERNSHIP
PROGRAMS
34% WOULD IMMEDIATELY HIRE KIMEP
STUDENTS AFTER COMPLETING THEIR
INTERNSHIP
RECOMMENDATIONS
THE LOW SCORES IN CRITICAL THINKING AND
PROBLEM SOLVING ARE WORRISOME.
PEDAGOGY SHOULD SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON
THESE SKILLS.
CLASSES SHOULD ALSO GIVE STUDENTS MORE
OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP TEAMWORK AND
COMMUNICATION SKILLS, AS THEY ARE VERY
IMPORTANT TO EMPLOYERS.
THE LOW IMPORTANCE OF INTERNSHIPS,
COMBINED WITH THE NEED FOR MORE WORK
EXPERIENCE, SHOW A NEED FOR ASSESSING THE
OUTCOMES OF OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS.
REMARKS ON THE SURVEY
BY SECTOR SCORES TRENDED TO THE SIZE OF
THE SAMPLE. IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO INCREASE
THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES SURVEYED IN THE
FUTURE.
AS OF RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO WAY TO
BENCHMARK AND COMPARE THE PERFORMANCE
OF KIMEP GRADUATES TO THOSE FROM OTHER
UNIVERSITIES.
MORE OVERLAP BETWEEN HIRING CRITERIA AND
SKILL ASSESSMENT WOULD ALSO BE USEFUL.