Discover 15 soft skills to develop right now

With the advancement of transformations in the market and in work relationships, more and more companies are realizing that they need employees with skills that go far beyond technical skills. Soft skills are skills related to the individual's behavior , much more linked to personality and experiences than to professional training. Discover some soft skills to develop!

In this content, you will understand what soft skills are, as well as learn about 15 that candidates need to develop to stand out in the job market. Follow!

What are soft skills in 2023?

Soft skills are the skills linked to the employee's behavior. In other words, it is your ability to develop a positive relationship with work and your colleagues , positively influencing the environment. Emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationships are examples of soft skills.

During a selection process , many candidates will appear meeting the specified requirements: academic background, language fluency, specialization, technical courses, etc. All of these skills will bring you the ability to meet the requirements of the position. However, it is often soft skills that will make the real difference between one competitor and another.

Some people seem to have certain innate abilities, such as creativity or organization. However, with good self-knowledge, it is possible to improve these qualities that already manifest themselves spontaneously and even develop others, which will bring prominence to such a competitive business scenario.

It is possible to develop soft skills over time, to do so, you need to seek self-knowledge and understand your role in the organization. Below, we list 15 of these skills for you to learn about.

Hard skills VS soft skills

As we have already seen, soft skills are behavioral skills, while hard skills are technical and specific skills related to knowledge and skills in a given area. They are measurable and generally acquired through training, courses, formal education or practical experience. Examples of hard skills include programming skills, knowledge of foreign languages, graphic design skills, among others.

While hard skills are essential for performing specific and technical tasks, soft skills are important for success in the workplace, especially when it comes to collaborating effectively with teammates, dealing with customers and clients, and facing challenges in a constantly changing. Both skills are valuable and complementary, and it is important to balance and develop both for successful career and professional growth.

What are the 15 soft skills to develop?

Below, we list the 15 soft skills to develop, which candidates need to keep in mind and improve in order to stand out in the job market. These are characteristics that can be acquired over the years of work, as long as there is true perception.

1. Effective communication

This is the main skill that must be developed, and not just in the professional world. It is essential to be able to make yourself understood clearly and effectively, always considering your target audience.

But communicating is not just expressing, but also knowing how to listen carefully and contextualize what is transmitted. Keep in mind that measuring what is said and how much is said — or written — as well as a sign of intelligence can directly interfere with your productivity .

2. Writing

Many work relationships take place via emails, contracts or some type of instant messaging program. Knowing how to write correctly guarantees good communication and improves your image as a collaborator.

It is worth remembering that many people believe that emails do not have a “tone of voice”, but the choice of verbs and placement of the sentence bring different ways of expressing oneself, therefore, it is essential to be careful and choose the phrasal construction carefully.

3. Empathy

It will help lead and obtain greater dedication from her team partners. Putting yourself in someone else's shoes means treating everyone with respect and politeness, especially in more difficult situations.

This way, it is possible to create space to ask for and give feedback , fundamental tools for professional growth. It is through this conversation that you will be able to understand your strengths and improvements.

4. Collaboration

Working well in groups is essential to building a high-performance group. It is at this moment that we have several heads thinking together towards a common goal, which makes each person's skills complement each other.

Collaboration is fundamental to the organizational climate . A collaborative work environment is healthier for employees and helps to strengthen relationships between them.

5. Organization or planning

Fundamental to increasing efficiency and quality of work. Being an organized professional saves time , as information is found more quickly.

Furthermore, you reduce your susceptibility to errors related to inattention. In this way, the professional conveys an image of greater competence , being able to positively influence colleagues.

6. Flexibility

The market increasingly demands that professionals know how to reinvent themselves. New demands arise every day, both for future challenges and for positions already in force.

To be a standout talent, it is necessary to show this versatility both on your resume and in your business and emotional routine.

7. Resilience

Resilience is necessary, especially in times of crisis. Understanding how to overcome adversity and, often, start over, demonstrates maturity and strength. It is not an easy skill to develop, as it is necessary to have experienced difficult situations.

It is necessary to understand that making mistakes is part of the learning process and, therefore, persist until you are able to finish or advance in a certain process.

8. Working under pressure

Even in the best work environments, sometimes challenging and/or unexpected situations occur that require a lot of emotional balance so that performance and results are not affected.

The secret here is to manage stress without losing focus. Knowing when to breathe and not cling to problems, but rather to solutions and possibilities.

9. Ability to solve problems

Good observers and detail-oriented people can have an advantage in developing this skill, which is one of the most sought after on the market. However, in addition to the ability to analyze a picture, the dexterity to make a decision in the best possible way is also necessary.

10. Creative thinking

It is creativity that allows us to innovate and seek improvements and solutions in all areas of a business. This ability is developed with a lot of study and learning from experience.

11. Interpersonal relationships

In addition to the necessary and established relationships within the team itself, there are many areas within an organization that talk to each other. A good connection between employees from different areas (Human Resources and Finance, for example) helps to achieve better results.

12. Leadership

Exercising good people management involves knowing how to motivate and engage people on your team, identifying each person's best skills and knowing how to apply them towards the established goals. Being a good leader also means showing confidence and setting an example.

13. Overview

Having a real dimension of the whole shows that the professional is integrated with the company's dynamics, its objectives and its methodology. This is a very important tool when proposing changes or creating expectations, as it impacts the entire organizational structure.

14. Negotiation

Seek to achieve objectives that satisfy two or more parties involved. To achieve this, these parties must have the same final purpose, such as a sale, signing a contract or filling a job vacancy.

Even the flexibility of a schedule or deadline for submitting a report is decided through small internal negotiations. You need to know how to conduct them naturally and strategically.

15. Ethics

Developed throughout life, it is formed by individual and collective values. A very important difference, especially in the corporate environment, which can generate tense and competitive situations. In an ideal scenario, it is what provides support for other soft skills to develop.

These are the most sought after and necessary soft skills today. As important as developing them is knowing how to identify them, both when analyzing employees who are already members of a company, and when attracting future talent.

Not everyone develops all skills in the same way and intensity, and this is natural due to different types of experiences, points of view and learning. This is what guarantees the uniqueness of each one.