SOFT SKILLS

IN THE
WORKPLACE
 WHAT ARE SOFT SKILLS???
¡ Soft skills is a synonym for "people skills." The term describes those
personal attributes that indicate a high level of emotional intelligence.
¡ Unlike hard skills, which describe a person's technical skill set and ability
to perform specific tasks, soft skills are broadly applicable across job
titles and industries.
¡ It's often said that hard skills will get you an interview but you need soft
skills to get -- and keep -- the job.
LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends report showed that 92% of
hiring managers say that soft skills are as important- or more
important- than hard skills. In addition, 89% of managers say their
“bad hires” typically lack soft skills.
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5 REASONS WHY SOFT SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT IN THE WORKPLACE

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 THE MOST IMPORTANT SOFT SKILLS
v Communication skills
v Flexibility and Adaptability
v Making Decisions
v Interpersonal Skills
v Self Motivation and Work Ethic
v Leadership Skills
v Teamworking Skills
v Creativity and Problem Solving
v Time Management and the ability to work under pressure
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 COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Communication skills have always been at the top of the list of
“essential” skills.
There are 5 ways to communicate at work:
~ Verbal communication refers to your ability to speak clearly
and concisely.
~ Nonverbal communication includes the capacity to project
positive body language and facial expressions.
~ Aural communication is the ability to listen to and actually
hear what others are saying.
~ Written communication refers to your skillfulness in
composing text messages, reports, and other types of documents.
~ Visual communication involves your ability to relay
information using pictures and other visual aids.
5
 FLEXIBILITY AND
ADAPTABILITY
In the 21st century,
companies need to change at
the speed of light to remain
competitive. So they want
workers who can also shift
gears or change direction as
needed.
Also, while the economy may
be recovering, many
companies are not fully
staffed, so they want
employees who can wear more
than one hat and serve in
more than one role.
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MAKING DECISIONS There are 7 steps to the decision-
making process:
Valued by employers Step 1: Identify the decision, realize
for many reasons, that you need to make a decision.
being able to make
decisions is key to Step 2: Gather relevant information.
getting on in life. Step 3: Identify the alternatives.
Sometimes the actual
Step 4: Weigh the evidence.
decision doesn’t even
matter; what matters is Step 5: Choose among alternatives.
that you have made
Step 6: Take action.
one and moved on.
Step 7: Review your decision & its
consequences.

“If you chose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” ~ RUSH 7
 INTERPERSONAL
SKILLS
This is a broad category of
“people skills” and includes
the ability to build and
maintain relationships,
develop rapport, and use
diplomacy.
It also includes the ability to
give and receive
constructive criticism, be
tolerant and respectful
regarding the opinions of
others, and empathize with
them.
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 SELF-MOTIVATION AND WORK
ETHIC
People who are self-motivated get on by themselves.
They don’t need close supervision and they are
good to work with because they are generally
positive about life and can be counted upon to keep
going.
While you may have a manager, companies don’t
like to spend time micromanaging employees. They
expect you to be responsible and do the job that
you’re getting paid to do, which includes being
punctual when you arrive at work, meeting
deadlines, and making sure that your work is error
free. Going the extra mile shows that you’re
committed to performing your work with excellence.
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LEADERSHIP- Leadership is a soft skill you can show even if you’re not directly managing others.
Leadership can be thought of as a collection of various other soft skills, such as a general positive attitude and
outlook, the ability to communicate effectively, and an aptitude for both self-motivating and motivating others.
Employers want those who can cultivate relationships up, down, and across the organizational chain.
5 Skills of Effective Leaders
Communication- Leaders should establish a steady flow of
communication between themselves and their peers or team members.

Motivation- Leaders need to inspire workers to go the extra mile for

their organizations and encourage productivity and passion.

Embrace New Ideas-Everyone brings a unique perspective to the

table, and that is something to take advantage of, not discourage.

Responsibility- Leaders accept mistakes and failures, and then devise

clear solutions for improvement.

Positivity- By displaying enthusiasm and confidence, a good leader will

see the impact that they can have in their working environment.
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 TEAMWORK
Most employees are part of
a team, department, or
division, and even those
who are not on an official
team need to collaborate
with other employees.
Teamwork motivates unity
in the workplace, offers
differing perspectives, and
provides improved
efficiency and productivity.

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 CREATIVITY AND PROBLEM SOLVING

There are many people who believe that creative

thinkers are born, not made, and there are
certainly some people who find these skills much
easier.
Many people shirk from problems because they
don’t understand that companies hire employees
to solve problems. Glitches, bumps in the road,
and stumbling blocks are a part of the job.
The ability to use your knowledge to find answers
to pressing problems and formulate workable
solutions will demonstrate that you can handle
and excel in your job. Think Brainstorming!

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 TIME MANAGEMENT AND THE ABILITY TO WORK UNDER
PRESSURE
Effective time management requires staff to
analyze their workload, assign priorities, and
maintain focus on productive endeavors.
The ability to work under pressure involves dealing
with constraints which are often outside of your
control.
Changes and unexpected events, problems or
challenges can - and do - often occur, regardless of
how well-planned or organized you are. The ability
to respond effectively to pressure and stress is
therefore extremely important in any line of work.
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 “There’s not one specific thing or skill people have to have to work for us. But I can
tell you why we fire people: soft skills. We hire for hard skills. We fire for soft skills.
The ability to interact and communicate with others or behave ethically and take
responsibility for things tends to be where people break down.”

RICK STEPHENS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF HR, THE BOEING CORPORATION

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiy2LONr050
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FFLFcB9xfQ
https://www.pacer.org/transition/video/series.asp?se=39

THANK YOU!