Roger
Gilpin of Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH) in Northern Ireland, a talent mobility firm
focused on delivering career Transition and Outplacement, Leadership
Development, Employee Engagement and Change Management solutions for
organisations, stresses the importance of soft skills in employment.
The job seeker market has had a change in focus over the years, where once emphasis was placed
on hard skills, such as a candidate’s technical ability and qualifications. Today,
a candidate’s soft skills such as communication and teamwork are just as
important.
Many of my
outplacement clients find this difficult to understand having been thrust back
onto the job market following redundancy or as they seek a career change.
Soft skills are
increasingly replacing the hard skills such as technical ability in today’s
workplace in terms of value to the employer. A recent report by Development
Economics highlighted these skills are worth more than £88 billion to the UK
economy. However, too many job applicants are still honing their focus on technical
ability, and forgetting the importance of soft skills listed above.
Finding
yourself back on the recruitment scene can be daunting; however outplacement
professionals can help with easing the process.
In order to secure
and keep a job, you typically need a proven track record of technical skills. Whilst
these hard skills must be communicated, they will be possessed by every other
candidate going for the same position as you. However, a strong emphasis on
your soft skills can set you apart from other applicants.
Part of the
problem is that too many of us assume that soft skills are universal, they aren't, which is why it is so important to shout about your experience of the
following:
1.
Communication. This is one of the most important soft
skills to have. Whilst your technical skills will
get you through the door and into an interview, if you cannot communicate these
effectively then they don’t hold as much merit.
2.
Teamwork. Collaborating with team members is
becoming an increasingly important part of every day jobs. Whilst you may be
extremely technical, if you can’t work alongside colleagues and motivate each other,
those technical skills will mean nothing in a group setting. Even in roles
where team work isn't necessarily required, having the basic ability to sell
and convince others of your ideas is essential.
3.
Management skills. Not necessarily the management of
others, but the ability to demonstrate effective management of your own time,
workload and projects is crucial. Organising yourself is vital in any job, and
highlights how you deal with pressure.
For more information on how you can
avail of our outplacement services or how you can take stock of your current
professional status, please contact us on: 0845 456 2269.
