Technical competence and professional expertise are great qualities to have as an employee, however, I have discovered that it takes much more than being technically proficient to thrive in an organization. While hard skills are specific to a job function and relate to what you do, soft skills are much more about how you do it.
Soft skills are evident in your personality traits, the experience and “after taste” which people have when relating with you, how you go about doing things, your ability to read people, situations and circumstances, as well as how “aware” you are of yourself, amongst others.
While hard skills can typically be learned through education and specialized training, soft skills are acquired and often shaped over time and this defines how we work, how we relate with others, and how people “perceive us”.
Soft skills such as creativity, problem-solving, communication, empathy, teamwork, critical thinking, adaptability, and much more are valuable skills, personality traits, and behaviors which employers are on the lookout for.
You can always hire and train an individual to perform technical procedures and tasks “in certain instances”, however, it is harder to train an individual to stay motivated, have the right attitude, be creative, have the knack of being able to innovate and “think on their feet” as well as to be aware of the energy they exude in the workplace amongst others.
The average employee already spends more time at work than at home, so employers and even co-workers need to know if an individual they intend to bring on board is someone they can enjoy working with as well as love being around for 8 hours or more daily.
While technical experience and expertise are certainly needed for most roles, your success, and longevity at an organization rest solely and heavily on your soft skills.