Soft Skills: What Are They And Why Should We Develop Them?

Some people call soft skills, also called comprehension skills or soft skills, transversal skills. What are they related to? Well, these kinds of skills are basically geared towards the work world. The opposite of these skills are the skills we consider ‘hard skills’.

Hard skills are related to formally acquired knowledge, which can be measured and defined. These skills are tangible and can be certified with a title or diploma.

Soft skills are the skills we use to put into practice what we have learned. And we’re not just talking about what we learn during our formal education, but also what we learn through practice and experience. These skills are closely related to our attitudes, values ​​and everything that comes into play when we work.

Soft skills are all the rage

More and more companies are talking about the importance of soft skills. Many of the most prestigious companies today give a tremendous amount of attention to these soft skills when selecting their employees.

There is a belief that ultimately it is the soft skills that are really important for the work environment and productivity, and not the ‘hard’ intellectual skills.

The most sought-after soft skills of HR departments are the ability to work in a team and communication skills. Both capacities are essential to adequately avoid and deal with conflicts.

Being in a group where everyone only thinks about themselves demotivates employees enormously. This can also happen in groups where personal interests and miscommunication cause conflict every day.

Values ​​are also included in the long list of soft skills. The most sought after values ​​in a workspace are honesty, responsibility and commitment. A person of many talents is worthless if he cannot commit himself to common goals.

Companies find it essential to be able to count on and employ people who are committed to the work they do. Creativity is also important in this regard. The skills to solve problems and propose innovative ideas are priceless in the work world.

A case study

LinkedIn, the social network focused on work-related issues, has conducted research on the topic with several companies. The study sought to gain insight into the extent to which HR departments attach importance to soft skills compared to hard skills.

The results of this study, which interviewed 291 HR directors, confirmed hypotheses from occupational psychology. The first thing they concluded was that for companies, candidates with hard skills are easy to find, but people with soft skills are not.

The soft skills entrepreneurs valued most were good communication, organization, teamwork, punctuality, critical thinking, sociability, creativity, adaptability and friendliness.

However, those responsible for the selection of employees had a lot of trouble finding people with higher education with those skills. “They have either one or the other,” said one of the interviewers. This is a reflection of the fact that formal education places more importance on intellect than on personality.

Soft skills are decisive

The study also found that some fields have more people with soft skills than others. In particular, these characteristics were more common in the fields of marketing, education, health, sports, consulting and tourism.

Meanwhile, these skills were hard to find in other professions, primarily in the visual arts, music, photography, civil engineering, and law enforcement. This is very interesting. In theory, fields like art and law enforcement require great human skills.

However, those responsible for human resources argued that it was precisely in these areas that it was more difficult to find candidates who had knowledge as well as social skills and work values.

Finally, the study found that many employees lack emotional intelligence. It also turned out that other types of intelligence that play a role in the work environment are more important than measurable intelligence. This is especially true when it comes to teamwork.

What is positive about this story is that we can learn to master these soft skills that are so important in the work world. Soft skills can help employees succeed.