For many positions, character and soft skills may be more valuable in a candidate than job-specific skills…
“Hire character, train skill.” – Peter Schultz, former Porsche CEO
“Find people who are competent and really bright, but more importantly, people who care exactly about the same things you care about.” – Steve Jobs, former Apple CEO
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” – Thomas Jefferson, Third American President
Long before the term “soft skills” started trending, brilliant leaders valued character and integrity. Whereas hard skills enable a new hire to hit the ground running, soft skills like collaborative ability, time management, coachability, and tenacity empower an employee to become a leader. The more internal research you do on your employees’ long-term success, the more likely you are to see why it’s becoming increasingly urgent to identify character and soft skills in job candidates.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers’ Job Outlook 2016 survey of 201 US employers revealed that soft skills are now the primary attribute employers look for in candidates. According to respondents, employers want natural leaders who can work as part of a team, solve problems, and communicate effectively.
NACE Top 6 Soft Skills
- Leadership (80%)
- Teamwork (79%)
- Tie: Communication skills (written) (70%)
- Tie: Problem-solving skills (70%)
- Communication skills (verbal) (69%)
- Strong work ethic (69%)
CareerBuilder recently commissioned a similar survey of 2,138 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes. “When companies are assessing job candidates, they’re looking for the best of both worlds: someone who is not only proficient in a particular function, but also has the right personality,” said Rosemary Haefner, VP of Human Resourcess at CareerBuilder.
CareerBuilder Top 4 Soft Skills
- Tie: Strong work ethic (73%) Dependability (73%)
- Positive attitude (72%)
- Self-motivation (66%)
- Team orientation (60%)
At Imprimis, we have always valued character, integrity, and the specific soft skills that predict success for each specific role in our industries. Let us help you find today’s best hires and tomorrow’s leaders.