When you’re looking to hire someone, how important are hard skills vs. soft skills?

When you’re looking to hire someone, how important are hard skills vs. soft skills? — the knowledge needed to perform the job?

Hard skills shows us that employee is capable of doing the job and shows the employee’s competitiveness while soft skills show the employer your personal attributes that can add to the job knowledge with that said hard skills are the first step to evaluating a candidate, but we often find that it is not the priority in selecting a candidate for hire. However, every position is different, and we evaluate accordingly.

Why do employers look for soft/professional skills?

It’s all about culture. It’s so important for the employee to align with the company vision and mission as well as the people they will work with. We are not hiring a job description. When we are looking to add another employee to the team, we are looking at their attitude, how they approach professional communication with me, and what motivates them as that is a skill that lingers.

What has changed during the coronavirus pandemic? Are some skills more valuable than others during this time?

COVID-19 has forced every business to let employees work from home. Working from home has changed the dynamic of work for everyone. Employees have learned how to be more independent, be held accountable, and manage their time better. Employers have learned to have more flexibility in management style and work hours. Online tools have become essential. Employees that are more tech-savvy have found it easier to adapt. During this time, communication, adaptability, and attitude is definitely more valuable than others during this time.

Here are the soft skills that are important to an employer

• Independence (i.e., ability to take a project and run with it) – reduce management time and meetings
• Adaptability (how good are you at adapting to changing roles/needs/objectives?) – due to the current situation there has been a lot of changes and to be able to adapt and assist other areas of the company provides a less stressful atmosphere
• Coachability (willingness to learn/receive feedback) – there is always room for improvement and those who are wanting to learn and be taught helps employers determine the attitude of an employee.
• Confidence – having confidence shows employers that they know their work and are able to execute it in a professional manner
• Emotional intelligence (persuasiveness, conflict resolution, crisis management) – especially during this time this is valued since it creates a more professional environment rather than a personal environment and this save the employer lots of time in having to resolve issues
• Leadership (leading a small team or taking on a project) – taking initiative and leadership to get tasks done shows professionalism, teamwork and determination. With these qualities it enables employees to continue growing in their career
• Time management – to be able to juggle with numerous changes and deadline time management is very vital as it can also help reduce stress and accelerate accuracy.
• Ingenuity (creative problem solving; forward-thinking) – thinking outside the box is definitely what is needed in this modern ever-changing world and to be able to share ideas and recommendations makes it an environment that has teamwork and teamwork makes the dreamwork.
• Responsiveness – no one wants to feel ignored, so even if it is just “I will get back to you” means a lot especially in a professional business setting this is very important.
• Going the extra mile – this skill shows perseverance and determination to reach the top. Having that drive allows the employer to recognize the qualities that make the employee stand out and what the employee can offer the company.
• Big-picture thinking – this allows collaboration and teamwork once again. It allows employers to look at areas that are usually missed and forgotten but can be very vital in the long run hence definitely another skill that I consider important since it shows that the employee has great business skills.

Not every candidate is a rockstar who has all of these skills.

What happens then? E.g., would you then look for coachability, so they can learn these skills?  A candidate who has the right attitude and willingness to learn and go the extra mile to improve their career, can get a coach or attend seminars that can aid the employee.

How can an employee learn these skills and improve?

No one is perfect as the cliché goes and some traits are learned through experience. You need to want to learn and be taught. It starts by having the right attitude and knowing what your succession and professional goals are. Being in a very competitive world basically ask yourself are you willing to take that extra mile and learn all these skills to become better and more competitive?

Written by Mia Reedy, Director of HR Client Services