In today’s steadily advancing world, it might seem as though cutting-edge technology, diverse certifications, and quantifiable accomplishments are key to securing new roles. However, the importance of soft skills should never be underestimated. In fact, according to a recent study by LinkedIn, 92% of talent professionals state that soft skills are equally or more important than hard skills, and less than 50% of employers are satisfied with their entry-level employees’ soft skills.
Soft skills, also sometimes referred to as “people skills,” refer to a person’s ability to communicate, collaborate, and problem-solve effectively with others. While hard skills are necessary for meeting job requirements and performing desired tasks, soft skills are necessary to work as part of a team and interact positively with both other employees and superiors. For this reason, employers often look for evidence of soft skills early in the hiring process to better understand how a prospective candidate might fit into a larger team or workplace culture.
For example, in a work setting that is fast-paced, employers might pay special attention to an interviewee’s ability to process questions and communicate articulate responses quickly and effectively. Alternatively, an employer seeking to create a more unified or innovative workplace might place higher emphasis on how positive, upbeat, and engaging an interviewee comes across during initial interviews.
From an employer’s standpoint, a job seeker’s soft skills reveal a lot about their ability to handle the interpersonal demands of any given workplace, as well as how a prospective employee would handle any conflicts or criticisms that could come their way. While soft skills do come more naturally to some people as opposed to others, these are teachable skills that can be learned over time with proper guidance and structure.
To best cultivate an interconnected, communicative, and cohesive staff, recruiters and employers often utilize numerous methods during interviews to assess candidates’ soft skills, including role-playing scenarios or behavioral assessments. They may also place more emphasis on following up on professional references to gauge how well a candidate has fit in, and contributed to, project teams in the past. Prioritizing these skills alongside a candidate’s technical and educational experience can go a long way in building, and fostering, high-performing teams.
Whether you’re a seasoned expert in your field or a fresh graduate stepping into the professional world for the first time, it’s important to assess your own soft skills and identify potential areas where you can elevate your communication, teamworking, and conflict resolution skills during your job search to make sure you’re aligned with the demands of today’s dynamic and competitive business landscape.