Soft Skills to Look For to Help Strengthen Your Team

Soft Skills Matter

Laura Wilcox, director of management programs at Harvard Extension School, released a report titled “Emotional Intelligence is No Soft Skill,” which argues that emotional intelligence "accounts for nearly 90 percent of what moves people up the ladder.” She concludes that it's not resumes, certifications, or interviews that predict how successful an employee will be, but soft skills. 

What are Soft Skills?

A report by The Urban Alliance defines soft skills as "the uniquely human set of skills that allow for success in school, the workplace, and beyond. Soft skills facilitate various educational, professional, and personal interactions and environments. Depending on the source, soft skills may be referred to as social and emotional skills, employability skills, 21st-century skills, or interpersonal skills, but for the purposes of this paper, ‘soft skills’ refers to all the above." 

Soft Skills Hiring Managers Should Be Looking For

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage emotions in a way that adds benefit to a situation. The person who possesses this skill can enhance and improve an otherwise stressful and difficult situation. When we can control and understand our emotions, we understand ourselves better. We are more aware of our surroundings, our actions, and even our language. If a candidate possesses this skill, he or she is worth pursuing.

Critical Thinking

Managers and executives don’t have time to solve problems for their employees. They expect their workers to think for themselves and develop solutions on their own. Employees may occasionally need to discuss situations with managers, but they are more valuable when, overall, they can find solutions on their own. You may find a candidate with an amazing skill set, but if he or she requires constant babysitting, your time and productivity may be greatly disrupted.

Positivity

One person’s attitude can make all the difference in the workplace. When you, as a manager, have a positive attitude, particularly during difficult tasks and scenarios, employees will be more willing to work with you and help you solve a problem. Additionally, attitudes are infectious. When one individual is happy and positive, other individuals will likely be, as well. No one wants to work with someone who has a poor attitude.

Communication

Verbal and written communication skills are imperative to individuals’ success in the business world. Only those who possess these skills can accurately relay information, explain details, motivate and encourage, and even reprimand and lead. Unfortunately, many individuals lack these skills. Approximately This percentage could be drastically reduced by hiring leaders with strong communication skills who can not only communicate well themselves, but can lead by example to foster better communication across your entire organization. To find candidates with good communication skills, carefully examine resumes for proper grammar and writing, along with concise wording.

Collaboration

A new hire joins a team with a specific objective in mind. He or she will work closely with other employees to achieve specific goals — some more difficult than others. However, incorporating a strong team member involves more than just hiring someone who gets along well with others. You need an employee who responds to and follows up on inquiries, meets deadlines, contributes ideas, and is encouraging. Anyone can claim to be a team player, but actions truly show who is or is not part of the team.

About HiringThing 

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