SOFT SKILLS: THE HARD TRUTH ABOUT HIRING THE RIGHT TALENT

IS HIRING BASED ON SOFT SKILLS THE ANSWER?

Soft skills are the currency of the workplace. We’ve been talking about this for years now, how we must hire on more than just years of experience or educational achievements. But as the best talent continues to be a scarce commodity and the air of economic uncertainty is only thickening, I think it’s time to start taking this approach seriously.

If you have been following the evolution of the business landscape, particularly in tech, you know that technology is transforming into a more human-driven one. We need humans to guide technology and we will also be relying on them to make us smarter, more creative and creative with the technologies. It’s no longer enough to hire on technical skills – skills like creativity, teamwork and social intelligence will be the calling cards of success in today’s business climate.

When you put a bigger emphasis on workplace skills in the search for talent, it expands your pool immensely. Hard skills can be taught, developed, and perfected, but an innate ability to problem solve, or a tenacity for innovation – these are the skills that will bolster teams and drive success. Ten years of experience counts for nothing if the person hired creates toxic work environments that may increase attrition or has zero desire to upskill and learn. 

HERE'S WHAT SOFT SKILLS TO WATCH FOR IN A NEW HIRE

The soft skills you should be looking for in a candidate are the ones that help them be more effective at their job. Soft skills makes one a better leader, employee, and human being. They are the key to success at the every workplace.

The top three most in-demand soft skills are problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity. These are all essential in every workplace!

In today's workplace, these skills are more important than ever. And they are not just about making your team work together better—they also help people find solutions to problems and make decisions that will benefit the company as a whole.

Soft skills are also essential for leadership development. If you're looking to hire a manager who can help your team be more productive and innovative, you want someone who can inspire confidence in their employees and empower them to think outside of the box.

FINAL THOUGHTS

In a world where people are increasingly seeking to learn skills in order to find employment, we need to rethink how we look for talent. We need to expand our thinking about what qualifies as a good hire and what doesn’t.

We can’t afford to let the same old ways of looking at talent stand in the way of innovation and growth.