Soft skills are among the most important skills required in workplaces due to their significant role in increasing productivity and creativity in organizations. They are defined as personal traits and social skills that characterize an individual's ability to interact effectively with others. In the workplace, soft skills are considered complementary to hard skills, which refer to an individual's knowledge and professional skills.
As a leadership specialist, I believe in the importance of research and its role in developing our understanding of many issues. Therefore, in this article, I will present to you what studies have stated on this matter.
To begin with, the term "soft skills" varies from country to country. For example, in Australia, some call them "core competencies," "soft skills," "general skills," or "employability skills." European authors call them "vital competencies," while in the United States, they are known by equivalent terms such as "employability skills" or "practical knowledge in the workplace."
In other contexts, researchers have addressed them as life skills, cross-cutting skills, and lifelong learning.
(Marin-Zapata et al, 2022)
But is competence the same as soft skills? Studies show they differ! Terms such as "skills," "experience," "intelligence," and "competence" are used interchangeably in research.
Soft skills are part of competency. Therefore, before defining soft skills, it is essential to understand the differences between the concepts of competency, professional competence, and capabilities. Competency refers to the general ability possessed by a professional, while a competent individual is one who is able to perform their tasks effectively. Professional competence, on the other hand, is a component of competency, while capabilities express a combination of these different competencies.
Some researchers consider professional competence to be an essential characteristic that contributes to achieving outstanding performance at work, and it can include factors such as motivation, personal qualities, skills, self-image, social role, and specialized knowledge.
Soft skills can be classified into two main types: personal soft skills and social soft skills. Personal soft skills refer to an individual's ability to manage themselves and include traits such as independence and self-actualization. Social skills, on the other hand, are skills that enhance effective interaction with others, such as communication, cultural competence, conflict resolution, and facilitation.
But what are soft skills at work?
Skills related to setting and achieving goals: time management, planning, critical thinking, creativity, leadership
Adaptive skills: stress tolerance, emotional management
Communication skills: presenting ideas, public speaking, critical thinking, storytelling, negotiation and dialogue skills
Social skills: persuasion, motivation, teamwork, conflict management.
(Romanenko et al, 2024).
In conclusion: Soft skills are constantly expanding and evolving in the job market depending on the variables, so it is always important to develop them. Therefore, I advise you to review the attached skills and measure the degree of your possession of them.
Dr. Salwa Al-Halafi
References
Marin-Zapata, S.I., Román-Calderón, J.P., Robledo-Ardila, C., & Jaramillo-Serna, M.A. (2022). Soft skills, do we know what we are talking about?. Review of Managerial Science, 16(4), 969-1000. Romanenko, Y.N., Stepanova, M. & Maksimenko, N. Soft skills: students and employers crave. Humanit Soc Sci Commun11, 931 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03250-8