Soft Skills by nature has always been important!

With a plethora of new methods, solutions and gadgets being unleashed onto the market from the Technology generation, I must have missed the product that could 'Read the mind of a Procrastinator - and then publish his thoughts'...I know the title is long but you get the idea.

Since attending a presentation on why new immigrants struggle to land a job in their 'profession'? I have been rattling around with several versions of this rambling...my draft folder can attest to this fact, so here goes...

Whether you are a Start-up or Established business, the people you engage and represent you is a direct reflection on your company/business/product. The make up of the people is key to your success, the make up [of each individual] contains both hard and soft skills...all to often the traditional focus has been on hard [technical] skills with a little on the soft skills. But when you get down to the nitty gritty, the soft side of the person was important, e.g. How many times did you ask behavioural focused questions?

In a recent article in ITWorldCanada website (http://tinyurl.com/kkd7s6) entitled 'Soft skills are sexy' recognition at last that the tech-market people need to embrace the soft side of people skills for their future careers.

During my screening and interviewing process, I keep in mind the chart above and use it to develop a 'picture' of the person, this better enables me to provide guidance and advise on the areas the person needs to develop or work on - this can be for a specific position/business or in general...my goal is to aim for Utopia (Green), and I'm still waiting to get there but have been close numerous times...just a little bit more effort required.

Using the chart, I recommend you carry out a compression of New applicants [Immigrants] v New employees v / Existing employees, and workout were each category fall...Does your present process reward High Technical Skills at the deference to Soft Skills?

Final note, the development [training] of Soft Skills is far less expensive and gives greater ROI than not hiring/team building based on Technical Skills alone.