Are You Soft Skill Savvy?

Are You Soft Skill Savvy?

Hard skills are qualifications and professional experiences a candidate needs to perform a particular job. They are tangible skills that can be learned and measured. Examples would be computer programming, statistical analysis, and UX Design. Soft skills, on the other hand, are less quantifiable. They are things like leadership traits, conflict resolution, and strategic thinking. Soft skills are attributes that turn a suitable candidate into an ideal one. Therefore, their importance shouldn’t be underestimated. A recent LinkedIn survey of 2,000 business leaders found that 57% of those polled considered soft skills to be more valuable than hard skills. Here is a look at the three most sought-after soft skills for 2019, according to LinkedIn.

Creativity

The word creativity conjures up the expression: think outside of the box. But creativity is much more than a tired, old cliché. After all, imagination is the most important tool for solving problems and giving birth to new innovations. It’s what enables us to break through the status quo and find something spectacular. As children our imagination runs wild, but as we settle into the routine and rigors of being adults it begins to recede. The good news is we can spark our creativity again by brainstorming, taking risks, piquing our curiosity more often, and allowing ourselves more time to daydream. Albert Einstein extolled the potential of creativity when he said, “Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.”

Persuasion

The ability to successfully influence others is a crucial skill needed in countless work situations. You might need to encourage a coworker to trust in a direction you want to take or need to negotiate a raise in your salary. Some rely on power or force to persuade, but using stories is the most effective way to convince others to act or agree with your point of view. The reason stories work is that changing someone’s mind requires emotion, and a good story—with a dramatic arc—engages us and triggers our emotions. We live in a world where data is abundant, but it’s how we use it that matters. Those who can turn facts into compelling, convincing narratives will be highly desirable to any company. Proof of this is found in studies that show candidates with adequate experience and excellent communication skills are most often favored over ones with superior work experience and poor verbal skills.

Collaboration

Collaboration is an employee’s ability to work with others in a joint effort to achieve common goals. Successful collaboration requires the ability to communicate clearly, actively listening to what’s being said as well as conveyed nonverbally, and consensus building. A sense of humor and being open to compromise are essential traits in order to coexist with others. Stubbornness creates resentments and builds walls that will ultimately tear apart any team. Flexibility and tolerance are also required to accommodate the many different perspectives, values, and work habits that exist within a unit. The epitome of a team player is one who recognizes above all else that the sum of a group is greater than its parts.

Assessing the soft skills of a candidate can be difficult. However, working with a reputable recruiter can ensure that your hires have the necessary hard and soft skills required for the positions they fill. A recruiter’s sole mission is to find and vet top-notch talent and present your company with the best of the best. IMPACT’s experienced recruitment consultants have been working with premier payments companies in the industry for more than a decade to connect them with top talent for high-level positions. Our recruiting team is comprised of former payments industry professionals, so we have an in-depth understanding of how to target and evaluate candidates for your hiring needs. Learn more about IMPACT – contact us today.

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