During the interviewing process, it is easy to reference your resume and tell of your experiences that get your hard skills across. But what many job seekers struggle with putting forward during the later stages of the process are their soft skills, which in a crowded candidate pool could become the deciding factor. Knowing the value of these skills, this blog will lay out four of the most important ones to have and why they are so important to prospective employers.
Problem Solving
According to a recent iCIMS Hiring Report, the top soft skill that recruiting professionals value in a job candidate is the ability to solve problems. Employers are looking for employees that can navigate through unexpected difficulties. They want people that face challenges instead of turning around and letting someone else handle it. By describing the times when you put this skill to use, you’ll also be able to tie in other valuable and related skills such as focus, perseverance and creativity.
Adaptability
The 2nd most desired soft skill from recruiting professionals is adaptability. Similar to problem solving, employers are seeking individuals that can do more than just follow a set of instructions for a single task. They are looking someone that can be flexible as new projects or situations come up. You’ll want to make it clear that you’re willing to take on different assignments and eager to learn.
Accountability
Time management rounds out the top three of the most important soft skills to have. However, time management is just a portion of a larger idea, accountability. When employers are hiring, they are looking for employees that get to work on time, work hard during their shift, show honesty and integrity and meet (or exceed) their goals. During the interview, you’ll want to tell of your experiences and have your references available to back it up.
Communication
Although communication didn’t make it into the top three of the iCIMS report, it will always be one of the most important soft skills. Most positions will involve some form of communication with others in order to do the job successfully. If you can show that you can work in a team, get along with your co-workers and be open to receiving feedback, you’ll be much more likely to not only get a job but retain it as well.
