The polished apple gets picked, and management seems always to have the most polish or, better put, soft skills. You can hire someone with specific hard skills for the job needing to be done, but it isn’t easy to find people engaged with enough soft skills to fit into the organization.

We pick our friends, for the most part, based on their soft skills. But, of course, if something is broken in our house, we like the neighbor with the right hard skills and hope they have enough soft skills (caring, empathy, and concern) not to be offended. So, of course, a lack of soft skills is a bigger problem, but it should be mentioned in the job posting.

Hard skills vs. soft skills

The key differences between hard and soft skills are how they are gained and used in everyday life and the workplace. Hard skills are often achieved through education or specific training. They include competencies like how to use a particular machine, software, or another tool.

Soft skills are often seen as personality traits you may have spent your whole life developing. They are called upon when you manage your time, communicate with others, or talk about a problematic situation for the first time.

Soft Skills are People Skills.

Ability to work in a team

Ability to make decisions and solve problems

Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize

Ability to communicate verbally with people

Ability to obtain & process information

Ability to get along with others

Adaptability

Assertiveness

Attitude

Awareness

Body Language

Caring

Completing tasks on time

Communication

Communication Verbal

Communication Non-Verbal

Communication Visual

Communication Written

Critical Thinking

Collaboration

Cooperation

Competitiveness

Conflict Resolution

Creative Thinking

Courtesy

Dispute Resolution

Decision Making

Dependability

Dealing with Difficult People

Emotional Intelligence

Empathy

Etiquette

Ethics

Focused

Organized

Giving Feedback

Honesty

Helpfulness

Interpersonal Skills

Kindness

Listening

Leadership Skill

Loyalty

Likeability

Manners

Public Speaking

Punctuality

Perseverance

Persistence

Problem-solving

Positive Attitude

People Skills

Politeness

Resilience

Self Awareness

Self Confidence

Self-Motivation

Teamwork

Tolerance

Time Management

Trustworthy

Work Ethic

(And More)

It is no coincidence that management and leaders have the most soft organizational skills today. But, as you ponder, think that this is why they tell you they value hard skills more in their job search skill requirements.