Blog 10 min of reading
The terms "Soft Skills" and "Hard Skills" often go hand in hand. Hard Skills are abilities related to one's technical capacity, easily measurable and developable through training and courses. Soft skills, however, refer to behavioral abilities, related to how each person deals with others. Examples include communication between colleagues, managing one's emotions, and self-motivation. The more positively a professional deals with these environmental and psychological situations, the greater their soft skills.
For a long time, the main and most important professional competence were Hard Skills, i.e., technical knowledge. But this scenario has changed, and currently, soft skills appear with much more relevance and prominence.
Despite the importance of soft skills, they are difficult to measure and develop, as they are subjective competencies, closely related to personality and other emotional factors built throughout life.
Resilience is related to how an individual, when faced with high-pressure situations or adversity, can turn things around. Generally, it's the ability to deal with problems assertively.
Communication is very important within companies and in different roles. Depending on how it is done, many problems can be solved. At the same time, if the message is not understood, there can be problems in understanding tasks and, consequently, in processes and deliveries.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and deal with one's own emotions and those of others.
It's the soft skills that indicate to the recruiter how a professional deals with daily challenges. The ten most sought-after personal and behavioral skills by organizations are:
In addition to soft skills, which are also evaluated by recruiters, there are the so-called hard skills. In this category fall the technical abilities of the candidate, such as the ability to operate a machine, the level of knowledge and efficiency in software, or specific knowledge in a certain area.
The most important difference between soft skills and hard skills lies in learning. Technical skills can be acquired at university, from past work experiences, and through courses or training. Soft skills, on the other hand, are part of the professional's personality, personal characteristics that they probably carry throughout their entire life.
That's not to say that soft skills can't be developed, it's just a longer process, and not always achievable.
Hiring people with well-developed soft skills can bring great strategic advantages to your company. A team that combines well-developed soft skills easily establishes good communication and a good work dynamic.
Another situation where these are necessary is in day-to-day problem-solving. Proactive professionals seek solutions on their own, bringing only issues beyond their reach to managers.
When the team doesn't depend so much on higher-up decisions, processes are more dynamic and results appear more quickly and efficiently.
A professional with an extremely positive attitude, for example, can transform the team's way of thinking over time. However, the opposite also happens: a negative person, who only complains, can end up contaminating the work environment. This is the importance of recruiting employees with the right competencies.
It may seem like a big challenge, but with the right techniques, it's possible to help employees develop their skills.
Make employees aware of the importance of soft skills and how they can help them achieve more success, both at work and in personal life;
Invest in their development, through training aimed at educating work teams. It's a good way to reinforce the organization's interest in the success of its employees and to strengthen the company's organizational culture.
Identify each team member's weaknesses, it's important not to overload the professional and train one soft skill at a time, to make the process efficient;
Show trust as your employees develop, give them more responsibilities. Show that you believe in their potential, and they will feel more encouraged to express their ideas and be more proactive;
It's essential to invest in tools that assist in the development of employees' soft skills. Below we present three tools that can contribute to the personal and professional development of each employee.
This distance learning tool allows employees to better manage their learning time and have access to the best content, from the best companies and institutions in the world, without needing to travel.
Moreover, the tool allows the use of videos, where participants can observe behaviors more attentively, being able to watch as many times as they want.
With the individual and professional development program, it's possible to agree with the employee on the development of skills. The goal, means, and targets are defined in advance, and the professional has to complete the stages and tasks while being monitored and evaluated by their superior.
Creating lectures and inviting successful professionals with enriching life experiences to share their stories and teachings. An excellent opportunity to awaken employees to the need to develop their social skills.
Workshops promote interaction and mutual teaching, and the shared activities in these events represent great opportunities for the development of soft skills, as teamwork is an important part of the process.
By investing time and money in their employees' social skills, companies also positively influence the external world, as it contributes to people becoming better human beings.