When you’re hiring for a position, you’ll probably be looking for two kinds of skills: hard skills and soft skills.
If you work in information technology hiring, most applicants already have hard skills. They’re the technical capabilities related to your position requirements, such as coding.
Soft skills describe abilities to relate and work with others. These skills include leadership, creativity, flexibility, organization, and conflict resolution. These abilities translate across a variety of industries and are typically innate – rather than trained or taught.
Soft skills are sometimes brushed over in the hiring process. Candidates who have them can make invaluable additions to your workforce. Here are some of the main ways that prioritizing soft skills when you’re staffing your company can pay off.
Soft Skills Matter More Than You Think
It’s easy to underestimate the role of interpersonal skills in your workplace. While it’s common to think of “people skills” as a trait of customer-facing careers, they move your internal organization forward as well.
Except for certain highly technical and labor-intensive work, most jobs center on some variation of human interaction. Even tech-heavy careers in fields like web development, network administration, and cybersecurity require teamwork and communication.
In addition, if an otherwise promising candidate is missing important hard skills, you can usually close the gap with training – especially if the candidate shows flexibility, eagerness and an aptitude for learning.
Whether or not you’re hiring for a customer-facing position, it’s always worth looking for a candidate who is kind, cooperative, and a good communicator.
They’ll Make Your Team Happier
Hiring a candidate with strong interpersonal skills also has benefits for their coworkers.
Studies show that job satisfaction goes up 50% for employees who build a strong relationship with another person in their workforce. Facilitating bonds within your workplace isn’t just about everyone getting along—it’s great for retention, too.
By bringing in candidates with qualities like empathy and friendliness, you stave off burnout and invest in your company’s long-term well-being.
Adaptability is a Superpower
A sound employment acquisition strategy is about more than finding the right candidate for right now. It’s about finding the candidate who can switch gears, solve new problems, and adapt to changes as they occur.
There’s no such thing as a perfect job candidate. However, hiring a candidate who is flexible and able to learn at a quick pace may result in them growing into the perfect employee.
If you’re looking for a way to make hiring easier, consider ABBTECH. Our recruiters are highly trained in evaluating both technical and interpersonal skills so that you get the best-fit candidate for your unique environment. Get in touch to find out how ABBTECH can help you add skilled tech professionals to your workforce.