My interest in gauging hard against soft stems from my Master’s dissertation where I considered India’s strength in terms of its hard and soft power. In the process I learnt the importance of the two attributes and also the need to combine the two. Today, on the verge of settling into a corporate career, I am once again comparing the hard vs. the soft. This time it’s about gauging one’s hard skills vs. soft skills.
Working with the HR Team in my current organization, I have come across many graduate recruits. The company goes to various institutes to pick the best talent. However, I often wonder, is picking the most talented students enough? No Sir! My biggest problem when faced with fresh recruits is communicating with them. My strongest point when conversing with people is my gift of gabbing. However, I have noticed, I am the only one talking. There is a sort of a communication/ language barrier between them and me. Although the language barrier is not a huge issue, it doesn’t make matters easy. Such a situation might sometimes seem intimidating to them.
There is an increasing need to understand the significance of an element known as ‘People Skills’, or more popularly known as ‘Soft Skills’. Soft skills can be defined as interpersonal skills, behavioural and abstract in nature, but essential for performing a job. These skills tend to influence how we interact with each other. It won’t be wrong in saying soft skills can enable a person to become a better employee, thus opening doors to opportunities. In simple terms, soft skills refer to a person’s ability to relate to others, to get him/ her organized, to communicate in written, spoken or other forms etc. The question often going through my mind is, ‘If soft skills are so important, why isn’t as much consideration given to it?’ Why are organisations only just realising its no longer enough to be an expert in a field of specialisation? These are some of the questions that need immediate ATTENTION (with a big bold exclamation mark). Competition is becoming increasingly fierce and it’s one’s soft skills that make them stand out.
Instead of dismissing these skills as being mere tools to hide technical incompetence, there is a need to highlight the importance of building on one’s soft skills. Yes, possessing good soft skills can help cover a gap in the technical area, however, that is not all. Developing your soft skills can bring about many positive changes.
We often don’t realise how many of our actions bring out our inherent personality. How we talk, walk, react in certain situation(s) etc. all shape our personality. Therefore, it becomes even more crucial for us to build on our soft skills, which will eventually help shape our personality. The following case underlines the importance of possessing soft skills:
Case:
A top scoring student interviews with an organization to join as a Graduate Engineer. The student’s knowledge of the technical domain is extremely competitive, which helps him impress the interviewing panel and he is immediately sent for the next level of interview- an interview with HR. The HR’s role in this process is to assess the candidate’s communication skills, level of confidence in handling questions, inter-personal relations, overall attitude etc. The candidate, already high on having cleared the gruelling technical rounds, enters the interview room. After exchanging pleasantries, begins the real test. The HR representative asks the candidate various questions related to his education background, family background, interests, hobbies etc. The candidate starts answering best to his ability. However, this is where the problem arises. All through his formal education, the candidate has been taught to concentrate on enhancing his technical knowledge, thus helping him sail through. However, what these candidates are not taught is how to tackle basic questions about self. Although the answers are simple, the candidate fails to put them across, thus forming unappealing impression on the interviewer. The result is evident.
Two important questions emerge out of this:
1. Can an organization afford to overlook one’s poor performance in terms of soft skills and still recruit the candidate, solely on the basis of the technical knowledge demonstrated?
2. Can the candidate afford to bank on his knowledge to get a job of his choice?
The answer in most cases is a simple, NO! Hard skills can get you an interview, but soft skills will allow you to get and keep the job!
An organization often has customers to face. When in front of the customer, a person, apart from possessing good knowledge about the product or service being offered, has to be able to communicate with lucidity. This is extremely critical to be able to get one’s point across. An organization displaying strong soft skills has a better chance of developing a loyal clientele. It has been observed, the effect of understanding the importance of soft skills, results in the staff showing higher level of co-operation and becoming more productive. An employee friendly company culture is developed, which in turn contributes to staff development. Going forward, people are better equipped to hone leadership skills. Apart from its product or service, an organization is recognized by its brand of employees, thus increasing the importance of possessing good people’s skills. Many organizations around the world recognize that, in order to gain a competitive advantage, they need to make sure their people know how to handle themselves at work and how to relate with their customers and peers.
Parting thought: Consider people at the top in any organization and ask yourself, “What got them to the top?” If one were to define their personal brand, it will become evident that the people at the top of the hierarchy are those who excel in their soft skills.
Remember: Good display of soft skills is half the battle won!
