2023-07-21 09:20:53
The labor market is changing radically. The new work paradigm includes a certain degree of flexibility and an increase in digital communication, which creates new challenges in building the strong company culture necessary to keep and retain the best employees.
Now, labor shortages in many industries are prompting hiring managers to consider employees who demonstrate soft skills like communication and curiosity about opportunities in leadership roles. According to ZipRecruiter 2022 Job Market Outlooksoft skills affected the hiring decisions of 93% of employers.
Soft Skills Employees Need
Communication
Now that the funniest moments in the office are a relic of the past, leaders have realized just how much easier it is to be together in an office to communicate. In May 2022, 6.1 million job ads they listed “communication skills” as a requirement, and the 45% of LinkedIn Premium job postings they mentioned that they were of significant importance. In today’s more dispersed workplace, creating a culture and engaging employees has become more difficult than ever, and people trained to maintain fluid, open and honest communication are in high demand.
Open and transparent communication between leadership and between teams promotes greater sharing of team knowledge. People learn to trust that they have all the necessary tools, resources, and support to act with greater confidence and less fear, uncertainty, or doubt. When leaders model healthy communication, team members feel more comfortable reaching out to them for help and feedback. Employees with good communication skills are more engaged and feel empowered to make faster and more effective decisions.
Problem resolution
In its next phase, the modern work environment has arrived with the need to identify and address problems faster to stay competitive, both in the products or services offered and within the organization. At the same time, the increase in digital interactions has made problems much less visible. The more people on a team proactively look for problems through the unique perspective of their role in the company, the better the chances that the company will find more solutions.
According to McKinsey, companies began to prioritize soft skills in 2020, including leadership, critical thinking and decision making, all necessary to solve emerging problems in the face of increased uncertainty. Someone with problem solving skills sees problems as opportunities to improve. When leaders clearly communicate values and align their team, problem-solving team members act with more autonomy and speed, using these organizational values and goals as a guide. Employees who are problem solvers are committed employees who are more likely to stay on a team.
Creativity
The shift to digital has made it easier for more competitors to enter a market, and the rise of AI has made constant innovation a critical component of staying competitive. In 2020, the World Economic Forum predicted that “Creativity, originality and initiative would be among the five most in-demand skills by 2025”. A survey of executives Deloitte 2023 found that brand respondents who were fully committed to encouraging creativity to flourish were more likely to lead high-growth companies.
Creative people stay curious and ask questions of others to learn from their ideas and experiences and develop their own. They respond to uncertainty with curiosity and a desire to learn and understand the new situation so they can continue to find ways to improve. There are a million ways to do any job better, and creative people explore as many of those ways as possible. Before starting a project, they brainstorm potential problems and come up with ways to handle them before they happen.
Adaptability
Employees and consumers have higher expectations for employers and their companies, and staying open and adaptable to those changing demands has become critical. People with creativity and communication skills are also more likely to be adaptable. Willing to remain open to periodic feedback and examine their areas for improvement, adaptable people can react to new dynamics. They look for what they need to continue producing their best efforts, and they speak up to request the tools or training needed to get there.
In a Harris Poll survey, 75% of companies they said soft skills were more valuable than ever and adaptability was in the top three. Adaptive leaders build relationships with each team member to gain insight into their strengths, shift responsibilities as needed, and make more use of their team’s full range of talents. They model adaptability by engaging team members with questions about how leadership can improve their ability to do their jobs and better serve customers. Then, they take action by creating solutions and implementing changes.
Empathy
Empathetic people facilitate communication, social gatherings, and relationship building for long-term business benefits. They listen to team members and learn about their lives and their families. When everyone knows each other more deeply, they feel more confident sharing ideas, which results in more teamwork and more innovation. By understanding the feelings of their team members, empaths can be more receptive to their communication styles and bring out the best in each other.
For people with communication and problem-solving skills, creativity, adaptability, and empathy, the changing job landscape can be an advantage. Reinforcing soft skills through training can help build your resume and secure a job with more responsibility, apprenticeship opportunities, and higher pay, laying the foundation for a more successful career.
More information
#demanded #soft #skills #Cepymenews