"Soft Skills" - Are they really necessary?

Investopedia defines soft skills as, “The character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person’s relationships with other people.  In the workplace, soft skills are considered a complement to hard skills…”

Soft skills are increasingly becoming the hard skills of today’s workforce.  It’s just not enough to be highly trained in technical skills, without developing the softer, interpersonal and relationship-building skills that help people to communicate and collaborate effectively.  These people skills are more critical than ever as organizations struggle to find meaningful ways to remain competitive and be productive.  

With the job market remaining tight, interpersonal skills make the difference in receiving that call back interview or forfeiting it to the next applicant.  These soft skills also often times make the difference in a customer coming back, or moving on to find another provider.  Technical skills are relatively easy to come by these days.  We need that little extra something that help us differentiate ourselves from the rest of the group.  An ability to communicate well, having a leadership quality, or sometimes just simply being likable can all complement and even make up for lacking technical skills. 

Whether you are a job seeker or a business owner, if you have been concentrating solely on your technical abilities, I would encourage you to step back and take a moment to evaluate your interpersonal skills.  Brushing up on your ability to communicate clearly in writing, speak professionally and simply get along with those around you might be just what is needed to land that big job, retain those top notch staff or keep those great customers satisfied.

/posted by Kenny Keener, CPA