July 31, 2020

Beyond the required qualifications, you may be looking for other ways to distinguish your top candidate picks. If you’re looking to fill an opening and trying to decide between two perfectly qualified applicants, it can often help to look at their soft skills. In other words, traits that aren’t necessarily taught in any college or training program, but are considered skills that are important on the job. Soft skills can make a candidate more successful and employable.  

The five most important soft skills in candidates 

What skills should you be looking for come interview time? It helps to hire applicants who possess the following: 

  1. Good communication. The ability to convey thoughts and ideas (through both written and verbal communication) is an advantage that builds teamwork and efficiency. A candidate with good communication skills is a win for your company. 
  2. Teamwork. Believe it or not, not all people work well as part of a team. Some would rather serve as independent contributors. But some of the best concepts and ideas are born when people work and brainstorm together, pooling their collective knowledge for a strong end result. Candidates who show high levels of teamwork are good hiring choices.  
  3. Time management. If you can trust that an employee will prioritize their own work, plan for how long something will take to accomplish, and block out time to get work done on deadline—that’s a model employee. Time management is a skill that will help your company meet its goals and meet the needs of customers.   
  4. Problem-solving. Situations are not always perfect, and the best workers are able to think on their feet to keep processes going. Good problemsolving skills allow workers to soar past hurdles and keep production on target.  
  5. Adaptability. The one thing you can always count on is change. As the world continues to evolve, workers must be able to learn and adapt, keeping their skills fresh and their minds open to new and different situations. Good candidates are those who are adaptable.  

Take the time to find the employees you need 

Rash hiring decisions can result in poor employment matches that lead to turnover. Instead, take the time to make hiring decisions that work best for your company and for the rest of your workforce.  

Check out Inter-Connect 

We specialize in the placement of light industrial and office/administrative workers, and we’ll work with you to find a staffing mix that fits. To learn more, contact us today!  

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