Introduction

Over the past few years, hard skills have ceased to be the sole focus of attention. Whether in a company or even during recruitment, workers or jobseekers need to possess soft skills if they want to remain competitive. At first glance, you might be tempted to wonder why soft skills are occupying such a prominent place in the world of employment, what makes them so interesting, especially as we know that in the traditional corporate approach, expertise has always or almost always been the main criterion for choosing candidates. But before we try to answer these questions, let’s first find out what soft skills really are.

What are soft skills?

There is no single definition of soft skills. The Oxford dictionary refers to them as “personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people”.

Soft skills represent a category of competencies, situated between know-how and interpersonal skills, which can be used in several areas of activity. 

They may be : 

• generic (communicating, counting, writing, learning, etc.)
• behavioural or interpersonal (teamwork, conflict management, autonomy, empathy, public speaking, etc.)
• cognitive (speaking a foreign language, problem-solving, negotiating/persuading, writing skills, creativity, etc.)
• organisational (coordination, administration, decision-making, time management, etc.)

The need to develop soft skills

According to a Monster study conducted in 2021, 44% of companies surveyed consider soft skills to be decisive in recruitment. Companies are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of soft skills, both in terms of productivity gains and value creation. Having teams trained in stress management, with a spirit of cooperation and emotional intelligence creates long-term value for the company, with more efficient and loyal employees, and more satisfied customers.

Conclusion

Although they are not universally known, soft skills, combined with hard skills, are essential levers that people can use to adapt and progress professionally. Although behavioural skills may be innate or acquired rapidly from childhood for some people, others can also develop them throughout their lives and through different experiences. By developing them, they can become essential assets for a successful professional career.