While specialised knowledge and hard skills are essential to create an efficient, qualified workforce, it’s soft skills that will determine how your people will handle problems, communicate with colleagues and client, and respond to different business situations. Soft skills are often the deciding factor if you’re struggling to differentiate between top candidates with the same hard skill sets. 

SHRM shared expertise from five security industry recruiters to decipher which soft skills are the most crucial for today’s market. Here’s what they said:

Communication

Communication is seen as the foundation of every other soft skill. Why? Because communication is the “umbrella” which covers other skills such as “speaking, active listening skills, presentation skills and more.” 

It provides the foundation for relationships between employees and their senior team members. Managers should be able to communicate effectively with their team members about tasks, improvements and when providing praise.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence (often abbreviated to EQ) is the ability to understand the reactions and perspectives of others, and handle this with empathy.

“Besides communication skills, emotional intelligence has become an important attribute for candidates in the current job market.”

Today, more organisations are looking for people with EQ skills. This includes the ability to work within a team, the ability to motivate and persuade, empathetic listening and building consciousness.

You can determine whether someone has high EQ abilities by the way they present themselves during interviews and the way they demonstrate their value. 

“They’re not just leaning on their laurels. They have actively done the research on the company, and so they can give examples of potential contributions that are directly relevant… They are making really good impressions.”

The ability to question assumptions

This skill is subtle, yet valuable. The ability to questions assumptions is often lacking in many managers as the technological upgrades of today’s world has made traditional ways of problem-solving more redundant.

‘”There is a key subtle difference in the ability to identify a challenge without assuming that it can be solved the same way it was a year or two ago.”

Someone who is skilled at questioning assumptions will consistently question how decisions are reached without straying from standards and regulatory requirements. 

Different soft skills working in harmony 

“Managers who can survive, and even thrive, in this environment usually combine communication skills with the ability to work under pressure, a knack for troubleshooting, and an insistence on maintaining integrity and a code of ethics so no corners are cut.”

While the combination of soft skills required for the role is often dependant on the circumstances surrounding the position, it is important that the candidate can demonstrate they have the ability to use these skills; even if the use of these skills in harmony would need to develop within the role over time. 

Organisations and their cultures are unique. Be mindful that it can be challenging for candidates to take their soft skills and apply it to a new organisational context immediately. Making a new hire comes down to solving an organisational challenge in one way or another. What matters is whether you can see the candidate being able to use their hard and soft skills to be able to solve these challenges.

Source

The hard truth about soft skills 

Mark Tarallo 

SHRM 

We’d love to hear your thoughts! What other soft skills do you think are crucial in today’s market? Leave a comment below and share the article on social to continue the conversation. 

Nikita Thorne is an Oxford-based digital marketer and writer. After completing a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Film & Theatre from the University of Reading followed by a six-month internship in marketing, Nikita has been travelling the world.

While temping as a Content Producer at Employment Office in Brisbane, she gained expertise in recruitment marketing, writing articles and coordinating webinars on multiple recruitment marketing subjects.

The post The best soft skills to recruit for appeared first on Recruitment Marketing.

The people in your not-for-profit organisation are the ones who will help you achieve your goals, which is why it’s so important to attract and retain the best.

As Elizabeth Chung explains, “These are the people who will increase your organisation’s funds, build relationships with donors, and keep your operations running smoothly. While you have to look for people with the right skills and experience, there are a few overarching traits that can help you identify the right fit for your team. Here are five key characteristics to look for when making a nonprofit new hire.”

Passion for your cause

Do they care about your cause? Your candidates don’t necessarily need extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector. In fact, their passion and desire to make a difference can well and truly make up for this lack.

“It fuels the time and energy they invest in their tasks and on your mission. In many cases, passion inspires excellence. One way to gauge someone’s interest in your cause is to ask them about their future aspirations. What are their career goals for the next five years? Are they interested in future endeavours in the same or related field?”

To ensure they are worth the investment, look for candidates with the desire to grow in your organisation. Their passion may shape your culture for the better.

Strong communication skills

Excellent communications are generally a must in most roles, but in particular for customer-facing positions. These people are responsible for building relationships and selling your mission, both in person and in writing, so having the verbal and written communication skills to match is a must.

“Excellent communication skills are important even for roles that don’t directly deal with constituents. To start, every staffer is a representative for your brand, so each person should be able to articulate your mission effectively whether they’re speaking to a donor or their next-door neighbour. And if they’ll be working with your accounting or web design departments, they should be able to present and explain their points clearly to the rest of the organisation.

“Ask interviewees an open-ended question to see how they interacted with customers or donors in the past. Something like, “Can you tell me about how you engaged with customers in your last role?” can give you an idea of how they deal with constituents or provide customer service. You might even role-play a scenario where you are a potential donor, and they must give you an off-the-cuff elevator pitch about your mission.”

Humility

In your not-for-profit organisation, your people may need to step into different roles when required. So seek candidates with a positive attitude, who are willing to be flexible, and have the humility to take on all tasks, large and small.

“These are the people that end up rising to the top because they are a) indispensable and b) have the largest range of skills, which is invaluable at a nonprofit that doesn’t have the funds to hire another person.

“When interviewing your candidate, mention the different tasks that would be expected from the position, including the less glamorous ones. Check their response to gauge whether they would be open and willing to lend a hand wherever necessary.”

Motivation and resourcefulness

Look for candidates who are self-motivated to get things done. People who take initiative, go the extra mile, and have the creativity and resourcefulness to identify and put into action strategic solutions will drive your organisation’s success. You may even find candidates with the skills to make things happen through their own networks!

“Ask the candidate to share about how they handled projects and assignments in their last position. You can also ask, ‘Can you tell me about a time when an assignment was difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?’”

Flexibility

Things undeniably change in not-for-profit, whether it be: changes to legislation, funding cuts, focus changes, or other unexpected events. Your people may need to redirect their focus, pick up the slack, take on new responsibilities, launch new initiatives, or support other team members.

“How would your candidate deal with readjusting expectations? Is this something that would dishearten them and throw them off? If so, working at a social impact organisation might not be a good fit. The ability to adapt your plans and projects to unexpected situations is key to moving your mission forward.

“Employees should also be able to keep up with the new ways donors want to engage with organisations. Effective nonprofit professionals are open to rolling with the times and innovating new strategies to reach supporters.”

In addition to these soft skills, a general sense of optimism is an added bonus.

“There will be times when donors won’t give, a campaign ends just shy of its goal, or your organisation has to shift its strategy unexpectedly. A staffer who can keep their chin up and a sense of humour during these times can do wonders for team morale.”

Your staff is the engine behind your social impact organisation. A dedicated, all-star team will help drive your mission and success to new heights. When making your next hire, look to these traits to ensure your candidate is the right fit for your team.

Source

5 traits to look for in a nonprofit new hire

Elizabeth Chung

Classy

The post Recruiting for a not for profit? Here are 5 soft skills to look for appeared first on Recruitment Marketing.

Hiring Managers often value certain skills, for example digital skill sets, above others. But how many are focusing on soft skills? According to a recent LinkedIn report, soft skills are in high demand.

Ray Bixler reporting for TLNT explains, “While many hiring managers focus on hard skills, those abilities that are teachable and easy to identify (Can she code? Can he operate a forklift?), fewer focus on soft skills. Soft skills are subjective and much harder to list on a resume or explain in a cover letter. In short, soft skills can be equated to “people skills” or “how someone acts,” and for an employee to be successful in most professions, they need to have a strong set of soft skills.”

AI and automation is changing the face of the workplace; however, these things can never replace important human traits such as empathy and effective communication.

So, how do you determine a candidate’s soft skills?

Start by establishing the attributes that will be most beneficial for the position you are trying to fill. Request reference checks from a range of sources, including one from both a past manager and past coworker.

“[Recent] research on this topic found that managers tend to focus on task-related behaviours like dependability and working independently, but in contrast, co-workers offered a lot more about soft skills – like listening, compassion and helpfulness. By requesting references from a wider array of sources, you’ll get a clearer picture of the candidate and what they were truly like at their last job.”

A second strategy is to ask the right questions in interviews. This can be tricky, as you want to elicit other skills that are not naturally on display during an interview. Use information obtained from reference checks to ask more relevant questions.

TLNT continues, “For example, if a former co-worker says that the person you are interviewing is terrific but tends to become stressed under pressure – press on that during the interview. Ask questions like: What kinds of stressful situations did you have to deal with at work? Can you explain to me a time you made a mistake at work and how you resolved the situation?”

Their response will help you determine what kind of person they are, the way they think, and how they might behave if they join your organisation.

Soft skills should not be a secondary consideration. Candidates with suitable personal attributes are essential in building strong teams and can become great assets to your organisation.

Source

How to Hire for Soft Skills

Ray Bixler

TLNT

The post Hard facts about soft skills appeared first on Recruitment Marketing.