Soft skills and how to develop them

What are employers looking for? The great staff shortage and the great reshuffle is happening now with companies increasingly facing staff shortages. Are you looking for a new job? or are you looking for a promotion?  What skills do employers want? The obvious technical skills are what you need to do the job, but soft skills are increasingly sought after.

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are a mindset. They encompass the intangible skills that you can possess, but are hard to prove until you are in a work environment. Soft skills are behaviours or work habits like collaboration, critical thinking, perseverance and communication. Often someone can excel with the technical skills they possess but if they lack soft skills like communication, time management or being able to respond to feedback then their career might not advance in the way they would expect.

Companies are now looking for people with soft skills when looking to hire new people, the most wanted soft skills in the U.S according to HR Magazine are critical thinking, communication and creativity.

Five articles: Soft skills in the workplace

Improve yours and you could be heading for a promotion.

1. 1. The Hard Facts About Soft Skills
      Kate Rockwood. HR Magazine, 10473149, Summer2021, Vol. 66, Issue 2
      Database: Small Business Reference Center accessed via eResource Discover Search (eDS)
      Looks at the benefit of soft skills for both employer and employee and whether they are teachable and a training opportunity
   2. Why you need soft skills in to excel in your tech career: With deliberate practice you can hone your soft skills and grow your influence in an organisation
      James Caplin. Computer Weekly. 31/5/2022, p23-25. 3p
      Database: Small Business Reference Center accessed via eResource Discover Search (eDS)
      IT skills are the hard skills of a technology career, but add in some soft skills and watch your career grow.
   3. Soft but Significant
      Jack Harlow. TD: Talent Development, 23740663, Feb2022, Vol. 76, Issue 2
      Database: MasterFILE Complete accessed via eResource Discover Search (eDS)
      As hard or technical skills are being automated, soft skills are what employees of the future will need.
   4. Culture attracts quality employees to you business
      Mary DeYoung & Jennifer Kok. Grand Rapids Business Journal. 11/15/2021, Vol. 39 Issue 23, p1-2. 2p
      Database: Small Business Reference Center accessed via eResource Discover Search (eDS)
      To retain staff small business owners a looking at a change of culture which involves more value of soft skills.
   5. Seeking Soft Skills: Empathy, communication and emotional intelligence are musthaves for effective leaders.
      Mark Crawford. Credit Union Magazine. Summer2021, Vol. 87, p32-36. 5p. (AN: 151052866)
      Database: MasterFILE Complete accessed via eResource Discover Search (eDS)
      Challenges facing management today partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic require new skills for effective leaders, empathy, communication and emotional intelligence.

More soft skills with Linkedin Learning

How can you improve your soft skills? Try these courses on Linkedin Learning for Libraries free with your library card.

• Be the manager people won't leave
• Developing your emotional Intelligence
• Communicating within teams
• Using questions to foster critical thinking and curiosity
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Building Resilience

Related info

• Careers guide - CVs, training, interviews and more.
• Personal development reading guide - Learn a craft, get physically fit, or learn more about yourself 
• Mahi for Me Employment Roadshow, at selected libraries, 6 to 21 September 2022