Category: Professional Development

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Add Value through Effective Interviewing

When you are interviewing, you want to assess Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Attitude. But what exactly do we mean by this?

skills

What are you looking for? How will you know when you have found it?

 So often we receive a shopping list with little detail. We are subsequently expected to find someone with everything. No wonder costly and time-consuming mistakes are made.

In part one of this blog, we will look at the first part of this question. Which is all about understanding needs, and what you are looking for.

skills

 

Let’s start with Skills and Knowledge.

 The important thing is that you can teach both skills and knowledge. This means you can concentrate on what is most valuable when recruiting. You need to focus on the skills and knowledge you will need for the future not for yesterday. Therefore, you need to think strategically. Do you have any important projects in the pipeline to involve this person in? Are you planning to implement some new systems or technology in the next year? Skills and knowledge in these areas are therefore extremely valuable. Skills and knowledge are also quantifiable, making them easier to understand exactly what you need.

 Experience

 ‘We are looking for 3-5 years’ experience’. If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard that, I would finally have that cottage by the sea! My response is always, ‘What experience exactly and why?’ Just as with skills and knowledge, you want experience that is relevant and that is going to add value. For example, 6 months experience in implementing that new system is far more valuable than 5 years in the same industry. You need to focus on what people have experienced rather than on the number of years.

skills

Last but most important – Attitude

 Someone with the wrong attitude has an enormous impact on the team and its productivity. Assessing attitude is the most important part of the interview. You cannot teach attitude, and mistakes are common but costly. Unlike skills, knowledge and experience, attitude isn’t quantifiable. Therefore, understanding what a good attitude looks like is key to success. What does a ‘good team player’ behave like and what exactly does ‘positive attitude’ mean?

This is where the majority of the interview needs to focus as the most effective way to assess attitude is through in-depth questioning.

skills

 

Final thoughts

 As you can see, a lot of work needs to be done in advance of the interview to fully understand what Knowledge, Skills, Experience and Attitude is required and exactly what acceptable looks and sounds like. You can gain this information by questioning your own assumptions, talking to colleagues and your team, and understanding the strategy and objectives of your organisation.

In Part two of this blog, we will look at how we will know when we have found what we are looking for.

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Why People With Soft Skills Enhance Company Performance

“Soft skills”, “People skills”, “Essential skills” however you want to badge them, these are skills that organisations are seeking from their people, in whatever field they work.

 

In a report by the World Economic Forum it was stated that many soft skills are seen as rising in importance and relevance in today’s business world. Unfortunately soft skills for some, are seen as inferior to the hard skills. Usually this is because they are less easy to measure or quantify. At school we are taught maths, science literacy. But how many of us were taught how to be resilient, empathic, or good at teamwork?

Organisations often expect people to just possess these skills and assume that everyone understands the importance of (as examples), being able to manage your time, to be able to connect with that stakeholder, to pacify that angry customer, or really fully understand what solution someone is after from you.

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are non-technical skills that a business needs to enable productivity, efficiency but also profitability. Some people naturally excel at these as a result of their personality or values. On the other hand, many others need assistance and training in these essential skills.

 

Examples of soft skills:

  • Communication
  • Resilience
  • Adaptability
  • Conflict management
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Teamwork
  • Problem solving
  • Leadership skills
  • Time management
  • Initiative
  • Critical thinking
  • Decisiveness

 

Why they matter

Soft skills really matter as they not only benefit the individual, but the team and ultimately the organisation. They are necessary at every level in the workplace, from apprentice to CEO; they are also transferrable across roles and organisations and are often timeless. On the other hand, skills learnt in technology for example. These are skills which we need to modify or even re-learn as products progress. We can either update or we may become obsolete. Soft skills help with working relationships, reduce conflict and misunderstandings. As a result, building soft skills will enable a resilient, creative, and adaptable workforce.

 

 

What is the impact?

Companies and organisations that have staff with good soft skills have a better and far healthier culture. They have proactive and confident employees who work well together with customers and other stakeholders. Employees are also far more adaptable in fast paced environments. They can problem solve.

For example, those who master technology in all its forms are absolutely necessary – but without being able to connect with people and understand them and how that technology can gain more customers, sell more products, grow a business, help others, or satisfy stakeholders it won’t matter!

 

Conclusion

In another report by McKinsey, they stated that as well as a demand for technological skills, there will also be a rise in social and emotional and higher cognitive skills by 2030. As we all know, there is a rise in automation, A.I., machine learning and robotics. These cannot replace soft skills. People want to deal with people that can connect with them, can empathise and communicate easily with them, and don’t treat them just like a resource or a statistic.