Mind the Gap!
When it comes to choosing what training to undertake this year, I’ll bet your first thought was to consider upping your technical skills and you probably gave no thought to soft skills? Technical skills are at the core of most people’s roles, and it’s understandable to think that these are what employers are looking for. I won’t argue with that because it’s true – that is what they’re looking for, and it is important to keep up. What’s interesting though is what employers consider to be even more important than technical skills. Topping the list of skills in demand for employers today are Soft Skills (source: Adecco). It’s not enough that you have the technical and practical skills to do the job. You need to have creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and strong communication skills.
Why Are Soft Skills Important?
So why are soft skills so important, and so sought after? Soft skills are the oil between the gears of not only the corporate machine, but the wheels of business in general. Imagine for a moment a company with employees completely devoid of communication skills, with no creativity, and no thinking skills? Imagine the salespeople who can’t deliver an effective presentation. Imagine the managers who are unable to deliver a motivating speech. Imagine the employees who just don’t communicate well up, down, or sideways, and apply any common sense. It’s not a pretty picture!
