Professional and media reports warn that up to 90% of graduates are not work-ready due to a lack of soft skills. To address this concern, we examine the gap between the interpersonal and communication skills employers require and those that graduates possess. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with practitioners from accounting firms of varying sizes, across three sectors (for-profit, not-for-profit, and government) and three Australian states (Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia). The aims of this study were threefold: (i) to identify the requisite interpersonal and communication skills of accounting graduates, (ii) assess the current status of these skills among graduates, and (iii) explore how accounting educators can contribute to their development. Findings indicate that employers expect accounting graduates to demonstrate collaboration, effective expression, relationship building, goal achievement, and leadership. Essential but underdeveloped skills are also identified, and guidelines are provided for accounting educators. These include integrating targeted curriculum content, expanding networking and work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities, embedding attribute development, and using personality testing to help graduates better understand themselves and others. This paper is a critical first step in facilitating the acquisition of such interpersonal skills for graduate accountants, as expected by employers, that go beyond traditional teamwork capabilities.