When it comes to what skills workers must have for
employment, employers almost always focus on the training, abilities, and
knowledge of candidates about certain skills, which are known as hard skills. More often than not, the soft skills of candidates are taken for
granted. What many of us are not aware of is that soft skills play a major role
in how workers perform their jobs.
If you are looking to work in Canada, for instance, which is a modern workplace, you need to
demonstrate outstanding soft skills to stand out. This is because companies in
this country place a lot of importance on such skills of their employees
considering how diverse the workforce in the country is.
Below are among the most sought-after soft skills in a
modern workplace:
Work Ethic
Work ethic is a skill that is hard to measure and quantify.
Nevertheless, employers can still easily see those employees who have them and
those who don’t. Although a person’s drive to work hard is basically an innate
trait, work ethic can be instilled upon an individual through motivation and
training.
Communication Skills
In a diverse workplace like Canada, communication skills are
definitely among the most important skills employees must have. Immigrant
workers, particularly, must be able to communicate both in written and spoken
language. That is why companies are usually willing to help their employees
improve their communication and language skills by providing them with language
training.
Teamwork
As an employee, you must display your ability to work well
and harmoniously with other people in a team or group. This is a challenge for
some people who are not comfortable working within teams. It is, therefore,
crucial for employers to initiate team building activities or exercises so that
their workers develop a sense of teamwork. Supervisors should also be careful
in forming groups and must take into account the various personalities of the
people he or she intends to bring in one team.
Problem Solving Skills and Decision Making
If you happen to be a new Canadian worker or immigrant, it is natural for you to go through a period
of adjustment. Since everything will be new to you, it is understandable that
you will encounter some issues relating to your work. However, you should exert
a lot of effort in proving to your employer that you are ready for the
challenges ahead and that you are stable and mature enough to be able to make
crucial decisions and solve problems in the workplace. Take note that the
ability to find solutions to problems and make crucial decisions are leadership
traits that companies are looking for when it’s time to find someone to
promote.
