If two job candidates have equal qualifications, which person is more likely to get the job? According to a new survey of HR and recruiting professionals, 63 percent of recruiters say they’d give the job to the person who has better “oral communication skills.”
iCIMS, a talent acquisition software company, published the survey of 400 HR and recruiting professionals. Titled, “The Soft Skills Jobs Seekers Need Now,” the survey highlights the attributes that sets job seekers apart from equally qualified candidates. In addition to oral communication skills, recruiters say the following attributes will give you an edge.
-Active listening
-Preparedness
-Enthusiasm
-Body language
-Politeness
-Presentation skills
-Written communication skills
-Appropriate interview attire
“The U.S. labor market has been growing polarized between high-skill and low-skill jobs, but common to both ends of the spectrum is the need for soft skills,” says Josh Wright, chief economist at iCIMS. “Whether home health aides or white-collar data scientists, the human element is the key to many of today’s fastest growing jobs.”
Failing to showcase strong soft skills can damage your job prospects. According to the survey, 75 percent of recruiting professionals say they’ve cut short an interview because the candidate made the following job interview mistakes, all of which show a lack of empathy and emotional intelligence—the soft skills that make the difference.
-Showing up late
-Dressing inappropriately
-Avoiding eye contact
-Checking the phone during interviews
-Forgetting to thank the interviewer
-Forgetting the interviewer’s name
Recruiters say that both technical and soft skills are undeniably important in landing a job and growing a career. According to the survey, the most valued ‘soft skills’ include problem-solving, adaptability, and time-management. But the candidates who can clearly articulate how they solve problems or manage their time are often the ones who ‘tip the hiring scale’ in their favor.
According to Wright, “It’s clear that the increasing use of automation in all kinds of workplaces drives up the premium on technical skills for operating computers and working with robots, but we are just beginning to reckon with how and when automation makes soft skills more valuable, too…To an economist, soft skills are humans’ comparative advantage – they are a great way to differentiate yourself and take advantage of your unique value proposition.”
It’s important to keep in mind that job candidates seeking management or potential leadership positions will be scrutinized even more carefully for their communication skills. A full 94 percent of recruiting professionals believe an employee with stronger soft skills has a better chance of being promoted to a leadership position than an employee with more years of experience, but weaker soft skills.
While many companies invest in soft-skill training to coach future leaders, professional recruiters would rather screen for such attributes in the job interview process. As I’ve recommended in a previous article, prepare for a job interview as a CEO would prepare for a television interview and you’ll exhibit the communication skills that will set you apart.