The Soft Skills All Employers Seek

The Soft Skills All Employers SeekThe Soft Skills All Employers SeekHave you ever wondered what recruiters are secretly hiring for? Youve seen the mile-long job description asking for everything imaginable. Which skills and attributes are really going to land you the job?Thomas L. Friedmans piece for The New York Times, How to Get a Job at Google, references an interview between Adam Bryant of the Times and Laszlo Bock, the senior vice president of people operations for Google. Bock spills the beans on what Google looks for when hiring new employees, and it isnt just coding and good grades1.Agile learning. Bock says one of the most important skills to hire for isthe ability to make sense out of random pieces of data on the fly, which Google tests for through behavioral interviewing. It can be difficult to show this on yourrsum, but certainly not impossible. Tell a STAR story Thinkabout a time you were forced to make a decision based on lots of data or changing information. Now, break your story into four parts Situation, Task, Actions and Results. You can wow recruiters by using a specific story during your conversation and by including an abbreviated version in your LinkedIn profile.2.Emergent leadership.When faced with a problem as part of a team, how do you react? Have you ever been on a team where no one offers solutions to the problem or steps up to try and fix it? According toBock, Google looks for leaders who come forward with solutions when things go wrong. Holding a powerful position or traditional leadership roles arent enough. Emergent leadership is when ateam member comes forward to interveneduring a crisis and easily steps back into his or her team role again. A great way to prove your leadership qualities is to get recommendations on LinkedIn from peers and supervisors that speak to your ability to step forward.3.Intellectual humility.Do you take ownership of your work and ideas, yet know when to back down to better ideas? Intellectual humility me ans you dont let your ego get in the way. Bock describes intellectual humility as the ability to fight for ideas adamantly, but when new information is introduced, having the ability to embrace the new direction that evolves. Humility is also the ability to do whatever it takes to get a job done. There is nothing too far below you in fact, taking out the trash can be great exercise.4. Beinginquisitive and loving tolearntrump expertise.Bock noted that employees who possess the desire to learn and an inquisitive nature sometimes come to the same conclusions that an expert would. Even more fascinating is that the nonexpert can come up with a completely new idea or solution because they dont have the expertise or historical perspective. This can lead to innovative solutions and new directions. Depending on the industry you intend to work in, innovation may not be the most valued element of the corporate culture. Learn and appreciate which industries are adamant about expertise, and know when to showcase your love of learning.Truth Be ToldWill putting team player, innovative and strong leadership on yourrsumget you the interview?Probablynot. Rsums are reviewed for technical skills, andit isnt until the interview process that soft skills can be assessedadequately. So why is it that hiring managers screenrsums for technical skillswhen employers value soft skills most? Is there a breakdown in communication? Is it because technology cant screen for the soft skills? Or is it because too few employers can quantify, measure or label the performance associated with these soft skills? Lets hope thats where the next great advancement in recruiting happens.