In this blog, we have taken a look at the importance of soft skills for admin and business professionals, and how they could help you to stand out from the pack.
When it comes down to choosing between two candidates, a lot of hiring managers look at the soft skills of each. After all, only one can be hired. If two candidates have the same qualifications and experience, soft skills are often what sets one apart from the other. According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report, 92% of hiring professionals consider soft skills to be as important as hard skills. Plus, 82% claim a lack of soft skills is often what leads to a new hire not working out.
What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are often referred to as ‘people skills’ and ‘social skills’, and they are becoming increasingly important in the workplace. The ability to communicate well is a soft skill, as is having a good work ethic and being able to work as part of a team. Time management, critical thinking, leadership, networking, empathy, decision making and problem solving are all soft skills. These are skills that can help you to get ahead in the workplace, but they aren’t linked to specific qualifications or experience. Though they can be worked on and improved, soft skills are those that tend to come naturally to someone.
According to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report, 59% of hiring manager are finding it difficult to secure candidates with the right soft skills. So, if you do have impressive soft skills, you are going to be in high demand.
The Soft Skills Admin and Business Professionals Need
Being able to think critically and creatively is key, regardless of the industry that you are working in. It’s how businesses come up with fresh ideas, new services and innovative products. Simply, you need to be able to think outside of the box. According to the World Economic Forum, critical thinking and creative thinking are two of the most important soft skills that candidates need to have. A lot of businesses are lacking communication and teamwork, which is why candidates with these soft skills are often also prioritised.
Research found in the Harvard Business Review explained that 91% of leaders said that compassion was an important part of leadership, and 80% would like to improve their own compassion skills. As a candidate in admin and business, showing compassion could be what’s needed to highlight you as a professional worth considering.
Though these soft skills are the ones focused on by a lot of hiring managers and businesses, it really is a case of ‘the more the merrier’ when you are applying for a job. As a business professional, you are bound to be up against a lot of talented individuals, but soft skills are what many organisations are currently looking for.
It is crucial that you highlight the right soft skills in your CV. At Cherry, we have worked with thousands of Admin and Business Professionals, so we know what skills you should highlight – just check out our 4.9 star rating on Google. Upload your CV to get started.
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