The 5 Soft Skills Employers Demand Most
Our CEO writes a monthly Coach's Corner column for Human Resources Executive Magazine. This month, he was also interviewed for the site for a feature by Matt Zalaznick, senior writer for University Business Magazine. Here is an excerpt:
As the world of work becomes more complex and competitive, employees increasingly need to be “self-directed, empowered, critical thinkers who push forward through the fog of uncertainty and ambiguity,” notes Ben Brooks, co-founder of coaching platform PILOT and an HRE columnist. “A STEM graduate degree from a top school may get someone a job, but keeping it, succeeding and advancing one’s career is far more a function of their ability to operate, lead and align.”
“What good are technical skills if we lack influence, emotional intelligence, effective communication and the ability to navigate conflict?” Brooks adds. “Seldom is the idea or the content the problem; it’s mostly the interpersonal dynamics.”
However, the phrase “soft skills” could use some rebranding, Brooks says. More accurately, they are the “things that separate intention from results” or “the difference that makes the difference when driving performance.”
Photo by Nastuh Abootalebi on Unsplash