Soft Skills: everything you need to know
In today's fast-changing world, professional knowledge alone - hard skills - are no longer enough. Employers are increasingly prioritising soft skills, which are the interpersonal and social competences of the employee.
What is a soft skill?
Social and interpersonal skills that we use in our daily lives, such as communication, relationship building and problem solving, but also adaptability, creativity or mobility. These skills can be acquired and developed, but are more difficult to assess in a job interview compared to professional knowledge (hard skills).
Why are soft skills important?
Effective communication and quality cooperation are the basis of a working environment. If you can't connect well with your colleagues or communicate effectively, it's difficult to maximise your knowledge in the workplace, even if you're technically well equipped. Some research suggests that the secret to success in the workplace often depends 80% on soft skills, as they determine how we adapt to change, cope with stressful situations and respond to the unexpected. (research: https://highstyleimage.com/85-of-personal-business-success-result-of-soft-skills/)
Soft skills in the workplace
For both employees and managers, having strong interpersonal skills is key to working effectively as part of a team and building stronger, higher quality relationships between colleagues. These all contribute to the success of a company.
- Communication: Not only written and verbal communication is important, but also active listening, passing on information, handling feedback and understanding instructions. These all contribute to good teamwork..
- Flexibility: Workers who are able to adapt quickly, are willing to learn new skills and are open to new ways of doing things are highly valuable in the workplace. Such flexibility not only makes it easier to cope in the workplace, but is also an advantage in many life situations. Adaptability helps us to see change as an opportunity, not a threat.
- Creativity: Unexpected situations often require different ways of thinking and new ways of dealing with them. Individuals who approach problems creatively and innovatively can more easily let go of outdated, less effective methods. A new perspective gives us the opportunity to find solutions to a given situation that are more practical and could make a revolutionary difference.
- Emotional intelligence: This is a key skill because it helps you to manage relationships between people properly, communicate effectively and resolve conflict situations. Self-awareness, empathy and conscious management of emotions allow you to respond better to situations at work. These soft skills strengthen relationships between colleagues and make collaboration more effective.
- Collaboration: Its use allows team members to work together effectively to achieve common goals. Well-functioning teams are able to solve problems together and come up with innovative ideas, which increases creativity and problem-solving skills. Collaborative skills help to manage conflict, share decision-making and improve the workplace climate, thus contributing to the success of the company.
Do I have all the skills needed for a high-level position? How can you know that?
In an interview with Glassdor, Nicole Wood, CEO of Ama La Vida, points out that in order to recognise our soft skills, it is important to identify our interpersonal strengths and how to develop them. By developing soft skills, we can advance in our careers and become more productive leaders. Skills to develop include empathy, communication, problem-solving, stress management, adaptability, collaboration. (https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/develop-soft-skills/ )
In identifying your soft skills, you can ask your family and friends to comment on what they see as your strengths and what they think you need to be improving. You can also seek the help of professionals, such as a psychologist or an experienced HR professional. In addition, self-reflection is also essential in developing your skills. It's worth considering how you handle unexpected situations, how well you cope with stress and conflicts, as these factors reveal a lot about your emotional intelligence.
Developing soft skills, but how?
Some methods that can be used in everyday life:
- Developing active listening: Concentrate and try to understand what your partner is saying without interrupting. This method also helps to build closer relationships and develop empathy.
- Participate in teamwork: Actively collaborate with others in teamwork, as this develops adaptability, empathy and interpersonal skills. We can learn to work harmoniously with different personalities, cooperating to achieve a common goal.
- Developing communication skills: Clear and understandable communication is an essential skill in everyday life, especially at work, where clear instructions need to be given and interpreted. At home we can practise this in writing as well as in spoken communication.
- Developing problem-solving skills: It is worth considering problems from different perspectives, breaking them down into smaller parts and find solutions that way. This will help us to solve problems more effectively in the future.
- Developing empathy: Listen to your partner, listen to what they tell you. We often just talk past each other, so it is essential to focus on understanding the other person. Offer your help to others, showing that they can count on you. Your body language also says a lot about you. If you want to appear to be a more empathetic listener, mimic your partner's body language to a small extent, with an open posture that radiates trust.
In summary:
Soft skills are increasingly important in the work environment, as they are the human skills that enable harmonious collaboration, effective problem solving and leadership. Unlike hard skills, these skills cannot be acquired in a single course, but can be developed continuously with lots of practice and self-improvement. If you want a successful career in the long term, it is essential to be aware of and develop these skills.
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Sources:
https://blog.cvonline.hu/2018/karriertanacsok/soft-skills-vagyis-a-puha-keszsegek-mit-kell-tudni-rola/17400
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/soft-skills.asp
https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/develop-soft-skills/
https://uniside.hu/soft-skill-karrier-allas-keszsegek/
https://onfejlesztoakademia.hu/az-empatia-fejlesztese-5-lepesben/
https://resources.workable.com/hr-terms/what-are-soft-skills
https://resources.workable.com/hr-terms/what-are-soft-skills
https://www.thebalancemoney.com/what-are-soft-skills-2060852