Soft Skill is the key to success in today’s modernized workforce around the world. These are skills, competencies, attitude, behavior, interpersonal skills and personal qualities to improve their effectiveness in their working environment, to be a healthy team member and achieve their goals personally and professionally.
A study was conducted regarding the relationships between soft skills and four workplace outcomes: getting a job, job performance, wages, and entrepreneurial success. It has been investigated and findings suggest that there is strong correlation between the following five skills and increase in workforce success. It is evident that these skills are important across globe. All these skills can be cultivated which will ultimately enhance workforce success.
1. Social skills
Social skills are a bunch of good skills necessary to get along well with others which includes respecting others and expressing appreciation, resolving conflict, and behaving according to social norms. Social skills predict all four types of workforce outcomes (employment, performance, income/wages, and entrepreneurial success), are sought by employers, and are seen as critically important by experts in the field. A study shows that it enhances not only professional life but personal relations as well. It has also shown positive impact on salary growth of an employee. Employers in Egypt, India, and Vietnam seek social skills when hiring new employees.
2. Communication skills
Communication skills include effective expression, transmission, understanding, and interpretation of knowledge and ideas. There is evidence that communication skills are related to three of the workforce outcomes studied for youth. They are the most frequently sought skill among employers. In Europe, it is identified as the number one skill required in the workforce and recommended its inclusion in academic curricula. For Indian employers, non-verbal skills such as recognizing non-verbal cues and body language are most important traits for assessment.
3. High order thinking
High-order thinking enables young employees to solve workplace problems independently using available resources, prior knowledge, and experience. High-order thinking is very much sought by employers and is critical for all four workforce outcomes in all regions of the world. For example, problem solving was identified as a top skill in employer surveys in few countries, while, Decision-making was highly ranked by employers in both India and Brazil.
4. Self-control
Self-control refers to a person’s ability to delay gratification, control impulses, and regulate behaviors. Employers look for self-discipline or employees who can manage their emotions. Self-control is highly supported by rigorous literature as related to all four workforce outcomes. It is also related to entrepreneurial success. A survey of young entrepreneurs nominated “patience” as a key skill for success as an entrepreneur.
5. Positive self-concept
Positive self-concept was found to be among the most important skills across all outcomes, and specifically for job performance and income outcomes among youth. Self-awareness, self-confidence, job search self-efficacy, and self-esteem are important for obtaining work in multiple countries.