Employers are looking for employees with strong soft skills
There is a current rise in demand for employees who possess skills focused on building up a work environment, even more so than the physical experience and knowledge one may have. This is because technical expertise does not make up for a lack of social etiquette in the workplace. There are underlying expectations for employees to obtain these soft skills.
According to an article in Fox Business soft skills are seen as “non-technical skills that relate to how you work.” (Lamberg, 2024, para 2). This could be anything from interpersonal skills to problem-solving situations. Employers are emphasizing the importance of these skills due to the noticeable enhancements in the workplace when soft skills are used by many. It has been noted that when people are capable of open communication, active listening, and many similar tasks, this promotes a more positive and effective work environment.
Kelli Hall, the head of recruiting at Enova International, said, “Success in the workplace requires more than the technical ability to do the job. Soft skills are what makes the difference.” Here are some examples of soft skills and how to display them to your employer:
Strategic Thinking
Strategic thinking is one of the most looked-for soft skills by employers today. Strategic thinking is a process that allows employees to think of vital information, opportunities, or vulnerabilities in the work process. Strategic thinking is important to employers because there is always a competitive field, other companies who are thinking ahead and outside the box. Hiring employees who can think ahead in planning, potential risks, and problem-solving can maintain a company’s competitive status. There are many ways to improve your strategic thinking. For example, take time to reflect on your workday and recognize positives and negatives or what you could have done differently. Attempt to look past your personal bias when strategizing for the future. Make sure you are actively listening to others, especially subject matter experts, to better plan out risk factors or gain quality information. Finally, make sure to think of all the risks and consequences of each potential route.
Problem Solving
Another soft skill that employers are actively looking for is problem-solving skills. This is the ability to look at a situation, analyze what is happening at hand, and create a solution. Many times, problem solving also shows active team collaboration. The best type of problem solving is where everyone is involved to show diversity in ideas. This skill is highly sought after due to the notion that companies will always have problems they need to solve. If they are hiring employees with problem-solving expertise, this proactive skill will bring value to the team.
So, what steps should you take to improve your problem-solving skills? First, learn how to identify problems. This is taking a proactive approach to recognizing situations before they become too big. In our modern era, almost everything is analyzed and processed digitally. Remember that when thinking of solutions. Collaboration is another great tool for improving your problem solving. Sometimes others may have a different problem-solving process or solution. Ask others to give input on a scenario to ensure you are choosing the best option. Finally, make sure to adapt. There will always be situations you do not know how to handle or new ways to solve problems quickly. Make sure you are keeping an open mind to these aspects when you are problem solving.
Communication
The last soft skill is communication, both written and verbal. As many of us have heard, communication is key to success. There is nothing more important to a workforce than the ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal stances. However, effective communication is a two-way process of listening and responding. Effective listening, also known as active listening, is “encouraging others to listen to us and respond to what we say,” (Soft Skills for Effective Communication, p. 187). One way to improve your communication skills is to start by ensuring that your message is clear. One of the biggest problems in communication is the idea that everyone understands what you’re saying when in reality everyone thinks differently. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes when others are communicating with you. Sometimes people’s intentions may come across differently. Try to understand where people are coming from and ensure on your end that your tone and intentions are clear.
Now that we understand the importance of soft skills, how do we display them to our employers? First, ensure that the language in your resume highlights the soft skills you have. “Use words like facilitated, presented, negotiated, and implemented,” (Lamberg, 2024, para 16). Also, in interviews ensure you call out your soft skills by name so that you stick out to employers when comparing potential candidates. Take these skills and make them your own in the active workforce. Stand out from the crowd and prove to employers that you can utilize great soft skills to promote a positive and productive work environment.
Brianna Parker is a graduate student in the CSU College of Adult and Professional Studies studying Master of Science in project management. She is also a graduate assistant for the CSU Office of Marketing and Communication.
Sources:
- Kaplan, Z. (2022). What Are Problem-Solving Skills? Definition and Examples. Forage. https://www.theforage.com/blog/skills/problem-solving-skills
- Lamberg, E. (2024, February 17). Soft skills are in great demand in today’s workforce: Here’s why. Fox Business. https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/soft-skills-demand-todays-workforce-why
- SOFT SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. (n.d.). https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/kect108.pdf
- What is strategic thinking?. CMOE. (2023, January 17). https://cmoe.com/glossary/strategic-thinking/#:~:text=Strategic%20thinking%20is%20simply%20an,a%20team%2C%20or%20an%20individual.
