Human Resources

Six Soft Skills Every Employer Wants

12 June 2016

Being clever might get you the interview, but these six

soft skills will get you the job!

 

In 2015, a Talent Shortage Survey showed that nearly one in five employers around the world cannot fill job roles because they can’t find people with the correct soft skills. Specifically, companies say candidates were lacking in a few areas. These areas included problem solving, critical observation, teamwork and adaptability.

Although we see these “soft skills” listed towards the end of every single job description, they really are important in the overall scheme of things. Employment experts agree that being a qualified techie will more than likely get you an interview and maybe even the job, but having these six soft skills will help you keep it.

Due to lack of soft skills, these are the Top 10 Hardest Jobs to fill (as of 2015):

  1. Skilled Trade Workers
  2. Drivers
  3. Teachers
  4. Sales Representatives
  5. Administrative Professionals
  6. Management/Executives
  7. Nurses
  8. Technicians
  9. Accounting and Finance Staff
  10. Engineers
web developer
Even Web Developers need soft skills!

Here are six soft skills we believe you should acquire or already have:

  1. Communication Skills

Communication skills you say? We all have these skills, we talk to people all the time don’t we? No, this doesn’t mean just talking to people or being a great writer, it means you have to be good at expressing yourself. Whether that means giving an attention-grabbing presentation, writing a strong memo or trying to sell something convincingly to a customer, it all comes under the expansive umbrella of communication skills.

  1. Teamwork and Collaboration

Recruitment scouts and employers desire employees who work and play well with others. They are looking for people who can effectively work with and contribute to a team. Overall this means being a good leader and sometimes even a good follower. You would also be expected to effectively track team members’ progress and make sure deadlines are hit.

This is how an employer would evaluate whether you are a good candidate and hiring you will help achieve the company’s common goal.

  1. Adaptability

This skill is really important for real seasoned professionals to demonstrate, in order to stand a chance of getting the job. One of the main reasons some companies tend not to hire older employees, is the fear that they are already set in their ways. If you are older and going for an interview, it is important to tell the employer on your resume, CV, and in the course of your interview why this is not the case and provide evidence as to why you can easily adapt.

  1. Problem Solving

From personal experience we all know interviews start to become painful when the employer starts asking the ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions. For instance, “Think of a specific example where you solved a tough business problem or participated in the solution?” You need to be able to explain what you did, how you involved everyone, how you approached the task and overall what the outcome was and how you measured the success achieved.

  1. Critical Observation

Unfortunately it just isn’t quite enough to just collect and manipulate data. You really must be able to also interpret and analyze it. What is all this data telling you? Has it raised any questions? Are there multiple ways to interpret all this data? You are being asked these questions as the person interviewing you is wondering whether you are the one that does all of the above, or simply hands them a spreadsheet and moves on. The more detailed the data and its interpretation, the better an employee you are, according to your managers and boss.

  1. Conflict Resolution

In order to ever become a manager, you need to be a good negotiator and persuader and be able to resolve conflicts effectively. Without being respected, knowledgeable, a professional and a good communicator, there is not much chance you will ever get that promotion.

 

So, take these six soft skills on board and develop before your next interview, otherwise you might as well just walk into the interview and when they say, “Where do you see yourself in five years from now…?” Your answer might sound something like, “In the exact same job, with the exact same pay, just lots more responsibility.”

 

We hope these tips help with your next job interview!

Good luck!

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