• Posted: 01-31-2024
• By: Kevin Fitzpatrick

In today's competitive employment market, how you interact with others is just as important as what you know. Employers increasingly prioritize soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability in addition to technical talents. This blog post discusses the importance of soft skills and how you can use them to stand out in the job market.

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are character traits that help people work together and communicate on the job. They complement hard skills and are crucial for positive relationships, a cooperative work environment, and career success. Many employers seek applicants with both technical qualifications and excellent soft skills. These include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. 

Individuals with strong soft skills are better equipped to manage conflicts, solve problems, and build relationships with colleagues and clients. In addition, those who can comprehend and connect with their audiences' various personalities and behaviors are more likely to thrive professionally.

Why do soft skills matter?

Soft skills are essential for success in the workplace. They can help you communicate effectively, build relationships, adapt to change, and advance your career:

• Increased demand: Employers are increasingly looking for candidates with strong soft skills, as these skills are essential for success in the workplace. 
• Better communication: Effective communication is essential for success in any career. Soft skills such as listening, speaking, and writing clearly help you to communicate your ideas effectively by building relationships with colleagues and clients.
• Stronger relationships: Soft skills can help build trust and rapport with colleagues and clients, contributing to a more positive work environment and improved collaboration.
• Adaptability and resilience: In today's fast-paced world, it’s essential to have the ability to learn and adapt quickly. Soft skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making can help you to adapt to change and overcome challenges.

Soft skills for executives

Leaders who excel in soft skills create a positive and productive work environment. Effective communication, empathy, and collaboration are essential for building trust with a team and achieving success. To ensure alignment across the organization, successful leaders prioritize understanding, responsiveness, and execution. Also, an effective leader understands that laying out expectations without listening to or gaining input from their team leads to lower productivity and turnover. I like to say the Return on Investment (ROI) for listening is high, while the expense for not listening is even higher. 

Finding and assessing soft skills

At Cnesta Group, LLC, we use several assessments and real-time evaluations to identify and quantify our candidates' soft skills. Doing so ensures we recruit and place people who thrive in collaborative work environments.

Some of the assessments we use include:

• DiSC: DiSC is an acronym that stands for the four main personality profiles described in the DiSC model: (D)ominance, (i)nfluence, (S)teadiness, and (C)onscientiousness. DiSC® is a personal assessment tool used by more than one million people every year to help improve teamwork, communication, and productivity in the workplace.
• DiSC with EQ: This assessment combines personalized insights through DiSC with an active emotional intelligence (EQ) development component.
• Kolbe Index: This assessment is sometimes known as the Instincts Test. It measures your striving instincts, the way you instinctively do things. These are critical to self-awareness, balance, and engagement.
• Real-time Evaluations: We may observe how candidates interact with each other during a group interview or how they manage a complex real-world scenario. 

My advice for job seekers

• Actively listen: Pay close attention to what people say – verbally and nonverbally. Ask clarifying questions to demonstrate your interest in the conversation.
• Communicate concisely: Get your message across clearly and effectively. Use plain and succinct language, and avoid jargon or technical phrases your audience may not understand.
• Provide examples: Use everyday situations and examples to highlight your skills and knowledge. Doing so can let your audience see how your talents and abilities might be implemented in a real-world scenario.
• Answer questions confidently: Demonstrate your knowledge and people skills by answering questions confidently and thoughtfully. Be prepared to answer questions about your experience, skills, and qualifications. 

In conclusion, sharpening your soft skills can allow you to succeed in your career and contribute to a more positive and productive workplace. Remember – soft skills are an investment in your future – start honing them today!