Background: Understanding the needs of employers is an important component of curriculum development in today's occupational therapy programs.
Purpose: This exploratory, descriptive study looked at what employers seek when they hire occupational therapists, and whether they seek anything different in new graduates.
Method: Surveys were mailed to sites where occupational therapists work in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Results: There was a 64% response rate and data from 128 surveys were analyzed. The results indicate that employers seek a variety of attributes in occupational therapists, the most frequently cited being experience, team skills, practice skills and abilities, communication, and interpersonal skills. Employers did not necessarily look for different attributes when hiring new graduates, however the employers' expectations were often less, or modified.
Practice implications: The results of this study can be used to guide curriculum development, to aid students making decisions regarding fieldwork, and to offer insight to new graduates or therapists seeking employment.