MightyRecruiterFinding the best employees with killer resumes is always at the top of the list for any business. Why hire the mediocre candidates when you can scoop up the cream of the crop? Unfortunately, the best recruits may not always be as clear-cut as employers initially envision. Some of the most experienced HR managers have learned the hard way that soft skills matter just as much as the hard skills they often see touted on resumes. These skills are essential for any business to run smoothly and maximize production. But what exactly are they and how do they help your business? Soft skills are personality types and attributes that make it easier for workers to interact with each other. Consider the following six essential soft skills to recruit for in new hires next time you are looking for new team members.
Simplicity
Top among the skills to recruit for in new hires is simplicity. Prospective workers should be able to show that they can keep things simple while never ignoring their complexities. In products, for example, consumers are clamoring for more simplified products and services to match. When products and services are simplified, they are more accessible for consumers and that can make a world of difference to your bottom line. Candidates with this ability and desire to do this for your company will help streamline your processes, designs and even customer interactions.
Flexibility
When you look at a new potential recruit, one of the first things you need to assess is his or her ability to be flexible. This skill should not only relegated to dealing with family issues or late nights at the office, because it can have much more serious consequences for your business, many of them good. This is especially true and necessary if your company has one or more elements of unpredictability. Consider these questions: How will the worker respond to unexpected situations or outcomes? Will they fall back into the box of conventional thinking, or will they be innovative and challenge what has already been done? Ideal workers will not be afraid to experiment a little when it comes to achieving their goals, improvise solutions to problems that arise along the way, and respond in a moment’s notice to changing demands and circumstances.
Resilience
Resilience is one of the most important skills to recruit for in new hires. When an employee keeps on going even after it seems they are down and out for the count, you want that employee on your team. Adversity is going to come from all directions at the most unexpected times, and you want to hire candidates who have proven that they are able and willing to not simply give up and move on to the next thing, but take that adversity and turn it to their advantage.
Empathy
Empathy is key among the skills to recruit for in new hires. No class of customers should ever be overlooked or marginalized. This has become increasingly difficult with the recent shrinkage of the middle class. With lower income consumers increasing in number every single day, you need candidates who are willing to see their place in your business structure. What products or services do they need and want, and how can you give them those things at a price that is both beneficial to you and enticing to them? Instead of trying to get your previously existing products to fit with the middle class, enterprising minds will come up with new things to fit the needs of the customer instead.
Frugality
As the saying goes, money makes the world go round, and keeping more of that money in you coffers is really what business is about. Look for candidates who are willing to make every dollar stretch while still being innovative and dealing with the reduced resources that businesses are currently facing. Consumers are becoming increasingly frugal, especially when it comes to eco-friendly products, and companies need to master that same trait in order to give them what they want.
Passion
Passion should never be overlooked when considering the skills to recruit for in new hires. The best candidates are going to be passionate about what they do. Why? That passion gives them a reason to continue trying to be the best and produce the best results for their companies. Passion also gives people the ability to follow their hearts as well as their minds. Most importantly, customers can tell when companies are truly passionate about their products, and are more likely to engage in business relationships with them. If you can recruit for and find employees with these great soft skill skills, your company may see some incredibly positive growth. To find more articles and tools about making all-star hires and bettering your business, look to Mighty Recruiter.