The term Soft Skills is increasingly popping up in hiring circles as well
as fast becoming the go-to decider for choosing one candidate over another.
What are Soft skills? How do they differ from the job-relevant capabilities, or
namely hard skills that have
traditionally reinforced the strength of a candidate for a given position?
Soft skills refer to those skills that demonstrate how you approach your work,
particularly your ability to self-manage, handle emotions and people under
pressure. No matter how elevated the hard skill expertise you have developed,
your long-term career and leadership success can really hinge on your ability
to master these important so-called soft skills.
Here
are 5 essential soft skills that can help take your career to new levels:
1.
Work
Ethic / Positive Attitude
It’s important to
exude a positive attitude toward maintaining high standards in the workplace.
Show that you take pride in your work, get to work and meetings on time, and
manage your time efficiently. Show that you are resilient and can easily adapt
to change, and that you can be counted on to get the job done as well as
provide constructive support as part of a team. When you demonstrate that you
care about the quality of every aspect of your work you distinguish your value
to the company.
2.
Communication
Communication
skills are on the top priority list for any company. The ability to write and speak articulately in
business situations is essential in developing and maintaining strong interpersonal
relationships. Strong communication is also the key to standing out to
management and facilitating your personal growth and success.
3.
Confidence
When you align a
positive mindset and work ethic with confidence you’ll soon see the benefits.
Exuding confidence increases your visibility within the workplace and convinces
management that you can run successful projects, teams and meetings as well as
make good decisions for the company. It’s also the winning ticket to the
promotion, new role and salary increase that you’ve set your sights on.
4.
Problem
Solving
Creative and
innovative problem solving is highly valued in the workplace. Big or small, if
you can analyze, assess and provide successful solutions to business challenges,
you immediately boost your personal worth within the company.
5.
Conflict
Resolution
Managing conflict
resolution in a positive way is a critical skill if you plan to move up in your career. This requires the ability
to influence, persuade, negotiate and resolve interpersonal conflicts both in
the best interest of the company and the relationships of the people involved.
Important for Job Candidates
If you don’t feel strong in any of these
skills, make it your focus to learn. The time and investment in doing what it
takes to improve in these areas will pay off greatly. Soft skills will not only
help increase your work performance and build solid relationships, they can
help take you all the way to the top of your career goals.
Important for Hiring Managers
The most important thing for hiring
managers is to establish upfront what is the
one most important thing that makes you believe that the employee is:
·
Invested
In Their Job
·
Eager
To Work
·
Committed
To Get Things Done
Using
this approach can help uncover which soft skills are priorities not only for
any given position but also to ensure productive working relationships within
the workplace culture.
