What are soft skills?

​At a minimum, employees need role-specific knowledge and abilities to perform their job duties. 
 
But, those who usually stand out as high performers need some additional qualities, such as the ability to communicate clearly, the ability to work well with others and the ability to manage their time effectively. These abilities are examples of soft skills.
 
 
While it’s difficult to come up with a universal soft skills definition, you can think of them as skills that are not tied to one specific job; they’re general characteristics that help employees thrive in the workplace, no matter their seniority level, role or industry. 
 
They’re often called transferable skills or interpersonal skills.
 
Here are 15 soft skills examples that are essential traits among employees:
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving
• Time management
• Critical thinking
• Decision-making
• Organizational
• Stress management
• Adaptability
• Conflict management
• Leadership
• Creativity
• Resourcefulness
• Persuasion
 
Why are soft skills important?
 
In job ads, it’s common to include requirements such as “communication skills” or “a problem-solving attitude”. That’s because soft skills help you:
• Identify employees who are not just able to do the job, but they’re also able to do it well.
 Example: An employee with good time management skills knows how to prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
 
• Choose between qualified candidates who meet the typical requirements for the job.
Example: When two candidates have a similar academic and professional background, you’re more likely to hire the one who’s more collaborative and flexible.
  
• Hire for potential; not just knowledge.
 Example: For a junior position, it makes sense to look for candidates with a “willingness to learn” and an “adaptive personality”, as opposed to hiring an expert.
 
• Make well-rounded hiring decisions.
Example: When hiring a salesperson, you want to find a candidate who’s familiar with the industry and has experience in sales, but is also resilient, knows how to negotiate and has excellent verbal communication abilities.
  
• Evaluate candidates’ culture fit.
Example: If you value accountability and you want to have employees who can take initiative, it’s important to look for candidates who are not afraid to take ownership of their job, who are decisive and have a problem-solving aptitude.
 
What are professional skills?
Professional skills are abilities that can help you succeed in your job. A professional skill describes a habit, personality trait or ability that positively affects your performance in the workplace.
 
Having such skills can benefit people in nearly all job positions, industries and work environments.
Professional skills are also called soft skills, meaning skills easily transferred from one job to another. Soft skills describe how we relate to our environment and the people around us. 
By contrast, hard skills refer to more technical or specialized knowledge related to a specific job or industry.
 
 
1. Leadership
Whether you work in a supervisory position, leadership skills can be a valuable asset in your career. Leadership abilities mean you can motivate, instruct and offer guidance to others. People with leadership skills are confident in their abilities to help others work, collaborate, problem-solve or succeed at their responsibilities.
Skills related to leadership include:
• Confidence
• People management
• Accountability
• Prioritization
• Motivational skills
• Coaching
• Project management
• Analytical skills
• Creativity
• Mentorship
• Inspirational abilities
• Goal setting
• Stress management
• Politeness
 
 
2. Teamwork
People who work well on teams have interpersonal skills that help them effectively collaborate. Many employees work in groups with their coworkers or supervisors to fulfill at least some of their job responsibilities. Professionals with teamwork skills understand how to accomplish their tasks while remaining aware of others' assignments and needs.
Skills needed to excel at teamwork include:
• Cooperation
• Reliability
• Willingness to help others
• Friendliness
• Ability to persuade or convince others
• Respectfulness
• Tolerance
• Working towards a common goal
• Collaboration
 
 
3. Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence refers to how we express our feelings, relate to others and interpret others' behaviors. Professionals with emotional intelligence can perceive how others feel through their actions, speech or behaviors. If you have emotional intelligence, you also can identify, evaluate and assess your feelings. Emotional intelligence helps professionals in many social settings, whether with clients, coworkers or managers.
 
Here are some skills to develop if you want to hone your emotional intelligence:
• Self-awareness
• Empathy
• Initiative
• Conscientiousness, or the desire and ability to treat others well
• Self-regulation
• Trustworthiness
• Sympathy
 
4. Organization
Organizational abilities help you accomplish projects and duties. Professionals with organization skills understand how to prioritize tasks, create plans and implement solutions. A person's time management often relates closely to their organizational abilities as many employers need projects completed efficiently by their deadlines.
Skills needed to excel in organization include:
• Stress management
• Creation of plans
• Delegation
• Attention to details
• Punctuality
• Executive functioning, such as prioritizing duties
• Time management
• Distribution of resources
• Dependability
 
 
5. Flexibility
Supervisors often appreciate employees who can adapt to a variety of situations and challenges. Professionals who are flexible can understand various perspectives, find alternative solutions to problems and alter their work responsibilities or processes as needed.
To become more flexible, consider strengthening these skills:
• Remaining calm in stressful situations
• Adaptability
• Open-mindedness
• Approaching challenges with a positive mindset
• Proactiveness
• Critical thinking
• Patience
• Willingness to consider additional information or change your opinion
• Perceptiveness
Related: How To Be Flexible at Work (With Tips and Examples)
 
6. Communication
Most professionals use a variety of communication methods such as in-person conversations, meetings, emails, instant messaging systems and telephone calls. People skilled at communication understand how to efficiently deliver information, exchange ideas and pay attention to the other person's message. Communication skills most often involve either written or verbal words, but may also involve interpreting body language. Professionals with communication abilities also can adeptly manage challenging social situations, such as negotiating or finding compromises.
Skills related to communication include:
• Conflict resolution
• Etiquette
• Advocacy
• Networking
• Business writing
• Customer service
• Facilitation
• Kindness
• Explaining the thought process behind decisions or actions
• Respect
• Clarity
• Active listening
• Negotiation
• Concision, or using words efficiently
 
Related: 7 Tips for Improving Communication Skills
 
7. Self-motivation
Self-motivated professionals take the initiative. If you're self-motivated, you typically need minimal supervision to start or complete your duties. Many supervisors appreciate employees who accomplish tasks and work hard regardless of their supervision level.
To work on your self-motivation, consider developing these skills:
• Self-starter
• Independence
• Desire to achieve
• Resilience
• Commitment to goals
• Optimism
• Initiative
• Ambition