BOCA RATON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
As part of its commitment to the small business community, Office Depot,
Inc. (ODP), a leading global provider of office
supplies and services, today released findings from its latest Small
Business Index. The study revealed that the top skill SMBs look for when
evaluating new grads for open positions is the ability to learn quickly.
Being a fast learner is valued even more than social media skills.
When asked what they look for in a new grad, SMBs reported the ability
to learn quickly (84 percent) trumps other criteria such as willingness
to wear multiple hats (76 percent); willingness to work beyond 9 to 5
(66 percent); and social media expertise (43 percent).
“To stay competitive in today’s market, small businesses need to
constantly reinvent themselves and incorporate new and improved ways to
drive profitability,” said NFL legend and small business expert Fran
Tarkenton, who has partnered with Office Depot to create Small
Biz Club, a free, one-stop resource for business advice and tools
from the nation’s leading SMB experts. “By hiring new grads who can
learn very quickly, SMBs develop the bandwidth and bench strength to
stay nimble and take advantage of opportunities when they arise.”
The study also revealed the majority of small business owners (78
percent) recommend new grads take a position at a smaller business early
in their career versus a larger corporation where they might get lost in
the crowd. Among the cited benefits that SMBs provide:
- Ability to develop critical business skills more quickly (64 percent)
- Opportunity to work across multiple business functions (64 percent)
- More access to high-level executives (52 percent)
- Quicker path to promotions (29 percent)
“I learned incredibly valuable life lessons at a very early age from
starting and growing businesses, even while I was playing in the NFL,”
added Tarkenton. “Working in a small business environment helps build
confidence, business savvy and leadership abilities – all very
transferable skills.”
“At Office Depot, we know recent grads bring new ideas, energy and
enthusiasm to the workforce,” said Michael Allison, Executive Vice
President of Human Resources for Office Depot. “Through Small
Biz Club, we provide tools that help SMBs grow their businesses and,
as a result, increase their talent pool. Since one out of every four
Americans works for a small business today, this is more important to
our economy than ever.”
To learn more about the products and services available at Office Depot,
please visit your local Office Depot retail
store location or www.officedepot.com.
To become a fan of Office Depot on Facebook and receive exclusive
content, offers and more, please visit www.facebook.com/officedepot.
To follow Office Depot on Twitter, please visit http://twitter.com/officedepot.
About Office Depot
Office Depot provides office supplies and services through 1,628
worldwide retail
stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs, and global
e-commerce operations. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately
$10.7 billion, employs about 38,000 associates, and serves customers in
60 countries around the world.
Office Depot’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found at: http://news.officedepot.com.
About Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton is a serial entrepreneur based in Atlanta, Georgia,
having personally started and run more than 20 successful companies over
his lifetime. His efforts to provide knowledge and tools to small
business have been a full time undertaking since 1996. Mr. Tarkenton is
a passionate advocate for small business, operating through Tarkenton
Institute, Inc., to directly serve hundreds of thousands of small
business owners and entrepreneurs nationwide over the past 17 years. Mr.
Tarkenton’s multiple companies and websites are each focused on ways to
help entrepreneurs succeed in any industry and at any stage of
development. A complete list of subsidiaries and brands can be found at http://www.Tarkenton.com.
