High Demand Skills
At the beginning of the year, LinkedIn revealed the most in-demand skills of 2018. The list included mostly technical skills – cloud and distributed computing, statistical analysis and data mining, middleware and integration software, and more. However, not all high demand skills include hard skills. In fact, 57% of business leaders in this LinkedIn survey say soft skills are more important than hard skills. Read below to discover the soft skills in highest demand and how to develop them in your employees.
Hard skills are most often technical in nature and can be taught. Soft skills, however, are cultivated over time and include interpersonal characteristics oftentimes very unique to the individual. While every person is naturally stronger in different soft skills, every area can be and should be developed to create a balanced and well-rounded soft skill set.
Leadership
Leadership topped the list as the most important soft skill. Indeed, poor leadership can cause an otherwise healthy organization to come crashing down. Leadership qualities are not only important and useful in management positions, but for every employee. Developing your employee’s understanding and tools needed to be an effective leader – no matter the employee’s title – will ensure they are an asset to your company for years to come.
How do you cultivate leadership skills in your employees? LinkedInhas a wealth of resources including videos, courses, and insight from business leaders. Encourage your employees to invest in learning more about the subject and provide training opportunities.
You can also incorporate several methods to nurture leadership skills in your employees from within the office. Advice from The Muserecommends taking on an ownership mentality.
“Creating an ownership mentality starts with trusting your employees and giving them the authority to make certain decisions.”
By allowing your employees to search for answers on their own and delegating more responsibilities to them, over time they will gain more independence. This will help them embody their role within the office, helping them gain confidence and develop leadership skills. Also, lead by example. Exhibit the leadership qualities you want in your employees in your actions.
Communication
It’s no wonder this skill is in high demand right under leadership skills. Communication, while so encompassing, is extremely valuable in the workplace. The biggest advantage of effective communication is increased productivity. When your employees understand how to communicate thoroughly and clearly, they save time and create more organized and thorough results. When channels of communication are open between levels of management and departments, projects are completed faster, and employees feel more valued.
Communication includes many skills like listening, friendliness, open mindedness, feedback, confidence, and non-verbal communication, according to Balance Careers. Developing communication skills in your employees should be an ongoing goal. Provide access to training courses either through your organization or by reimbursing the cost of courses. Give your employees the opportunity to practice effective communication through presentations and public speaking. Follow up with insight, letting your employee know what they did right and where to improve.
Collaboration
Read through any job post online and you will undoubtedly see, “team player” written somewhere in the description. And for good reason. Collaboration allows teams to complete projects with better results and in less time. It also contributes to overall employee workplace satisfaction. If every team member is providing their input, time, and skill on a project, that prevents a small number of employees from having to do all of the work. Also, when employees possess strong collaboration skills, they are excited to speak up with their ideas and problem-solving becomes that much more powerful.
To improve collaboration skills in your employees, deploy several simple tactics. First, communicate expectations. Make sure employees understand what is expected of them and their team members, and how every role contributes to the overall success. Leverage team member strengths and assign roles that let those strengths shine. Provide opportunities for employees to learn more about their strengths as well. Finally, create a space where employees feel free to offer ideas without fear. When your employees are safe to offer solutions and ideas, the collaborative spirit will flourish.
Your Recruiting Experts
What soft skills do you look for most in employees? What steps are you taking to develop these skills in your employees? When you need to find top talent for your workplace, trust the recruiting experts at Charles Foster. We will match candidates to your position and workplace using the leading tools and methods. Find the right one with Charles Foster!