Which soft skills do employers seek?
Candidates who possess strong, soft skills are in high demand by employers. While technical skills are fundamental, soft skills determine how a person fits in with a company’s work culture.
Soft skills, or people skills, are interpersonal attributes and traits needed to succeed in the workplace. For example, flexibility, collaboration, and active listening are all considered soft skills. Including soft skills on your resume and your technical skills is essential to getting employers to recognize you as a top performer.
Top 8 soft skills employers look for
- Problem-solving and critical thinking
- Self-management
- communication
- Teamwork
- Work ethic
- Leadership
- Flexibility/adaptability
- Positive attitude
Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking
A whopping 79% of employers look for problem-solving skills in new grads. Challenges happen, and companies want employees equipped with the skills to overcome them.
Going hand in hand with problem-solving, 76% of hiring managers are also looking for critical thinking. Like problem-solving, this skill involves gathering and assessing information to make appropriate and effective decisions.
You don’t need job experience to acquire or prove you have these skills. Using anecdotes from your life are great ways to emphasize your skills to employers. Interviewers will use behavioural questions that often begin with “tell me about a time when” or “give me an example of” to test for these skills. If you’re unsure how to tackle these questions, look to the STAR method.
Self-management
With remote and hybrid work situations being so common these days, self-management is more important than ever. Employers want to know you can keep organized and manage yourself efficiently. Employees who can take the initiative and not rely on constant direction from supervisors are highly desirable to companies.
Communication
Whether you’re speaking to clients or colleagues, it’s important to employers that you know how to communicate effectively and efficiently.
73.2% of employers believe proper verbal communication skills are a must.
Expressing yourself verbally is one of the main ways to give an excellent first impression and set the tone for how others perceive you. Being well-prepared for your interview will help you provide a great first impression and show off those verbal communication skills.
72.7% of hiring managers seek written communication skills in new grads.
Your cover letter and resume are great ways to demonstrate this skill and make that first impression on potential employers.
Teamwork
The workplace is full of collaboration and teamwork. Your work reflects not just yourself but your coworkers and the company too. Your colleagues are of various personality types, so 81% of employers want to know you can work well with others. Knowing how to delegate, being open to direction and navigating differing opinions are all part of collaborating.
Work ethic
Regardless of what field you enter, a sense of professionalism and a strong work ethic is never undesired. In fact, according to 65.4% of employers, it’s a must. It should go without saying that showing up on time, producing quality work and always striving for better are all part of being a successful employee.
Leadership
About 68% of hiring managers look for potential hires with leadership skills. Employers believe employees with these skills and qualities tend to be loyal, stay in jobs longer, have fewer absences and have higher morale levels. Regardless of where you are in your career, leadership qualities are expected. You don’t have to be a VP to be a leader. Taking initiative, volunteering for projects and helping co-workers out when you can are all great ways to show your leadership qualities.
Flexibility/adaptability
Approximately 65.9% of employers look for flexibility and adaptability in new grads. Employees must be open to change and learn new skills to keep things moving when such changes occur. As we saw with Covid-19, many companies shifted quickly from in-office to remote work. Depending on your line of work, you should know how to adjust and re-prioritize on the fly.
Positive attitude
After the last few years of trying to prevent the spread of Covid-19, positivity is a bug you for sure want to catch. Employers always seek employees with a positive “can-do” spirit. Employees who can see the bright side of things are perceived to be self-motivated and boost morale.
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