7 soft skills to help you get hired in 2023

According to a survey, 91% of recruitment professionals agreed that soft skills are particularly important to the future of recruitment and HR. The same study also found that 89% of recruiters have passed on a hire due to a lack of soft skills. While hard skills demonstrate your experience and technical competence, soft skills show your ability to work in a team and advance in your career.

Soft skills enable you to establish connections with colleagues and find solutions so you can contribute towards company goals and successes. Highlighting these skills on your CV and displaying them at an interview will help you stand out from the competition.

We’ve put together a list of 7 soft skills that will help you get hired in 2023, as well as some questions you might get asked about the skills in an interview.

1.     Communication Skills

Communication is one of the most important soft skills as it can help increase efficiency and create stronger teams. Good communication skills allow you and others to understand information more accurately. Poor communication skills can lead to misunderstandings and frustration. When developing your communication skills, you should consider the following:

• Active listening and empathy toward others
• Using appropriate modes of communication (verbal, written, nonverbal, etc.)
• Confidence when speaking to colleagues, especially during a presentation
• Delivery of information (tone, friendliness, volume, etc.) depending on your audience
• Giving and receiving feedback
• Clarity and responsiveness

Interview question on communication skills:

Can you give me an example of when you had to deal with a conflict at work?

2.     Self-Motivation

Self-motivation refers to your inner drive to succeed and grow; it is what pushes you to finish a task when you want to give up. This is related to initiative, which is about being proactive rather than reactive, seizing opportunities as they present themselves, and not giving up when faced with obstacles.

Employers look for candidates who are self-motivated as ultimately it makes their life easier in the long run. A self-motivated person is most likely to look for and identify opportunities that can help a company succeed.

Interview question on self-motivation:

Have you ever come up with a new idea for your team or organisation and how did you implement it?

3.     Adaptability

In the workplace, it is crucial to be able to handle change and adapt well to it. Situations and circumstances can change incredibly quickly, and employers will want to hire people who are able to keep calm and successfully adapt to any given opportunity. In this modern world, adaptability could also include being ready to learn new skills and new digital tools that will help with company processes. If you are unable to move with a developing company, you can risk being left behind. Therefore, it is important to remain open-minded.

Interview question on adaptability:

Describe a time you took on new tasks (e.g., due to job enrichment or promotion.) How did you adapt?

4.     Emotional Intelligence

Employers are increasingly seeking candidates with "emotional intelligence," or "EQ." This is the capacity to comprehend and control our own and others' emotions. Candidates with a strong EQ can be valuable when it comes to certain situations, including:

• Managing work pressures
• Understanding colleagues and their working styles
• Receiving and taking on constructive feedback
• Understanding decision making and any outcomes that might follow
• Considering colleague’s feelings

EQ plays an important role not only in your well-being but also in your success in the workplace. In order to develop your EQ, you need to become more self-aware, practice self-regulation, become more empathetic, and become motivated. EQ is often a great skill for those wanting to become leaders in their field.

Interview question on emotional intelligence:

Tell me about a mistake you made at work. How did you handle the situation?

5.     Organisational Skills

When employees are disorganised and incapable of planning and managing their own time and resources, as well as others’ resources, managers will need to step in and micromanage, which takes up their time meaning they are unable to concentrate on their own responsibilities. A lack of organisation skills can become a huge burden on your other colleagues.

Some simple solutions to developing those skills include giving consumers or clients realistic time frames, completing projects as promised, and making sure work is completed as effectively with the participation of all necessary parties.

Interview question on organisational skills:

What steps do you take to ensure that you meet deadlines?

6.     Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking skills are what allow you to evaluate a problem and think of the most logical and methodical approach that is best for that particular circumstance. Often you can draw on your knowledge or previous experiences to identify solutions of a practical or technical nature.

Employers look for candidates with critical thinking skills as it will reduce the need for complex communications taking up managers’ time when you are faced with difficult tasks. For example, if you are working in a customer environment, employers will want someone who is able to resolve complaints, particularly in situations where there is no protocol.

Interview question on critical thinking skills:

Tell me about a time when you needed to make a decision quickly.

7.     Collaboration

Collaboration improves how well you function as a team and as a result of this, it can help you solve problems, complete tasks efficiently, improve communication between one another, and create a better working environment. Some examples of working collaboratively include working confidently within a group and effectively contributing your own ideas, the ability to accept responsibility, being assertive rather than aggressive, accepting and learning from constructive criticism, and providing others with positive, constructive feedback.

It is important to try to gain an understanding of different team working styles and appreciate the value that this can bring. This will help you to be more accepting and understanding of others, which in turn can lead to successful teams contributing to the success of the organisation.

Interview question on collaboration:

How do you feel about working in a team environment?

These are just a few of the soft skills you can focus on to help you become more attractive to employers in 2023. Once you’ve identified what soft skills you may need to work on, you can begin developing these via free online learning programs and real-life opportunities that will take you outside of your comfort zone.

Once you feel more confident in your soft skills, make sure you update your CV accordingly. Be ready to discuss these skills in job interviews, providing examples of the results achieved.

Find out about some of the most common general interview questions and tips to help you prepare.