Soft skills why they should be developed

Some call soft skills transversal. Where did the name come from? Well, so-called soft skills are basically closely related to the world of work. The opposite of these skills are those we consider hard skills.

Hard skills, in turn, are related to formally acquired knowledge. Knowledge that we can obtain as part of education in educational institutions. These skills can be proved by a diploma or other type of document.

In contrast, soft skills are the ones we use to put what we learn into practice. And it's not just about what we learn in our formal education, but also about the knowledge we gain through practice and experience. These skills are closely related to our attitudes, values ‹‹and everything that matters to our working life.

What soft skills count

More and more companies are starting to talk about soft skills. Many of the most prestigious companies now place great emphasis on this type of skill when selecting employees. There is a strong belief that what is really important to the work environment and productivity are soft skills, not intellectual skills.

The soft skills most sought after by HR departments are teamwork and communication skills. Both of these skills are essential in avoiding conflicts and dealing with problems. Working in a group where everyone thinks only about themselves significantly demotivates employees. It can also happen in groups where personal interests and misunderstandings arouse conflicts on the agenda.

The value system is also on a long list of soft skills. The most sought-after values ‹‹in the workspace are honesty, responsibility and commitment. Someone with great talent is worthless if he is unable to commit to the achievement of common goals. Companies consider it necessary to be able to count on employees and their commitment to the work they do.

Creativity is also important. In addition, the ability to solve problems and propose innovative ideas is invaluable in the world of work.

Case study

LinkedIn, a work-life-oriented social network, has conducted research on soft skills. Many companies collaborated on the study, and the aim was to understand the degree of importance that human resources departments give to soft skills versus hard skills. The results of this study, which interviewed 291 human resource managers, confirmed the hypotheses in the field of occupational psychology. The first thing they confirmed was that companies have many hard-skilled but few soft-skilled candidates.

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The soft skills that entrepreneurs value most are good communication, organization, teamwork, punctuality, critical thinking, sociability, creativity, adaptability and kindness.

However, those responsible for selecting employees had great problems finding people with higher education with these skills.

"They have either one skill or the other," said one interviewee. This is a reflection of the fact that formal education pays more attention to the intellect than to the personality.

Soft skills are clearly defined

The study also found that some areas attract more people with soft skills. In particular, these skills are more common in marketing, education, healthcare, sports, counseling, and tourism.

Meanwhile, these skills are difficult to find in other professions, mainly in the visual arts, music, photography, civil engineering and law enforcement. This is a very interesting conclusion.

In theory, fields such as art and law require excellent skills. However, these studies have shown that it is in these sectors that it is more difficult to find candidates with the knowledge and the most sought-after social skills.

Finally, we would like to add that this research has shown that many employees lack emotional intelligence. Moreover, other types of intelligence needed in the work environment are more important than purely mental intelligence. This is especially true of teamwork.

The good news is that by making the right effort, we can master the soft skills that are so important in the world of work. Soft skills can help us achieve our dream success.