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Writer's pictureRichard Kunst

Aptitude, Attitude, Employers are also craving employee Soft Skills

Indeed the saying goes "Hire for Attitude and train for Aptitude", but that takes into context that the employee has the basic understanding and capability to perform the job they have applied for. For example if i am looking to hire a fork-lift operator i i expect them to be able and capable to operate a lift truck although i will most likely have to provide additional training on how to use the Warehouse Management System.(WMS)


However, it appears that employers are quantifying "Attitude" by defining specific Soft Skills they are looking for. So perhaps, it may make sense to include them and how you applied them within your resume.



What are soft skills?

Think of soft skills as your personal skills — things you do that make you a great employee outside of the technical skills that are needed for the job. They may come naturally to you, or perhaps you've added some classes to your list to augment these abilities.


Soft Skills should be highlighted through your resume which may seem basic to some, can be difficult for employers to find, so they're impressed by applicants who can demonstrate a strong set from the get-go.


While there is an abundance of key soft skills that are worth noting, here are the top soft skills employers are currently looking for;


Creative problem solving and innovation

“Wow, I don't know what to do here.” Instead, they want to know that you can think logically and creatively to develop solutions to the problems or obstacles that come up in your role.


Communication skills

Communicating your ideas, views, and opinions concisely and straightforwardly isn’t an easy skill to master. But being able to share ideas quickly is more important than ever before. Business moves fast in the world of technology. You have to be able to communicate powerfully and with speed.


Project Management

Either in the role of Project Lead, Support or Subject Matter Expert, Companies are becomig more reliant on people and teams to deliver project expectations in a timely manner with the intended or desired results.


Collaboration

Collaborating with your co-workers isn't as easy as it seems. For those who believe that they know how to do the job and don't have faith in others to do their parts, they can create tension in the office and hurt the overall efficiency.


Adaptability

Change is a major part of the modern-day workplace, even without the difficulties of 2020. The lightning-fast advancement of technology has us doing things differently all the time. Throw in the new challenges of the past year and it's astounding how much jobs have changed, and continue to change, as we roll through 2022.


Time management

Companies have to trust that employees manage their time well in remote work. Demonstrating strong time management skills in a hands-off environment shows potential employers that you can meet deadlines.


Taking initiative

Stand out by taking the initiative. Meeting expectations is excellent, but you can impress employers and progress your career much faster by taking the initiative and going above and beyond.


In addition to seek for these skills during the hiring process, These Soft Skills most likely already exist within your team. Bring there Soft Skills to the Surface.


First a confession that i am a lazy Leader who truly believes in communicating goals and desires and then getting out of way to let the team meet expectations.


Typically my first Management implementation is the deployment of Daily Management using Report-Out Boards not a Key Performance Indicator Board, but why?


I have found that people are typically smart, i mean really smart and typically know and want to do a good job, no i mean a GREAT job11 So my role is to provide them with a venue to blossom and thrive.


Why do i love and believe in this methodology so much? for the following reasons ...


Team Alignment | in a short 5 minute meeting expectations are communicated while needed resources are requested by the team to insure success.


Innovation | Teams always come up with better ideas than a single individual so during our meetings we quickly discuss challenges and ponder team ideas and most likely just try them.


Project Management | I know what the company needs strategically but to get it into reality is accomplished through a series of small sound bites, Through our Daily Report-Outs i can insure that we as a team are making incremental improvements and advancements.


Collaboration, Time Management | short meetings as a Team where goals are verbalized quickly translates into accountability which also means collaboration as a Team to meet or exceed the goals.


Problem Solving | in spite of many formal methodologies for solving problems that most common initial instinct is to rely on Job Skill and experience to solve that problem. When a problem is exposed within a Team Setting you are using a much wider net to capture potential solutions.


Acknowledge Success | This i still feel is the most important attribute whether Soft or Hard, The team works hard to meet expectations and you need to pause each day to gloat on meeting expectations while also reflecting on the previous 24 hours and What Went Well (WWW), What Didn't Work Well (WDWW), and of course finally What could we Do Different (WDD).


Fortunately there is one tool and methodology that enables any Organization to optimize people Soft Skills in conjunction with Aptitude. and that is Daily Report-Outs.




Contact us to assist you with a successful deployments and provide you with a complete physical Solution.






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