6 skills employers want most
You have incredible success fantasies that perhaps include cars, homes, vacations, expensive clothes. And you’ve got the right attitude, too. You’re ambitious, committed, motivated, driven and a plugger. In short, you’ve got what it takes. So what. They don’t count for much if you don’t have the skills employers deem essential for success.
Employers used to say, “Give me people who can read, write and do simple math and I’ll train them for the jobs I have available.” Not anymore. As work becomes more complicated, they discovered they needed workers who could conceptualize, organize and verbalize thoughts, work in teams and integrate new technology and sophisticated production processes. Easier said than done. To master all of the above, you need these six skills, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistic (BLS):
1. Three Rs. Incredible as it seems, the most common reason for rejecting potential job candidates is inadequate reading, writing or math skills. Unfortunately, educational standards throughout the United States aren’t uniform.
A BLS study found that 60% of Americans between the ages of 21 and 25 lack the basic reading and writing skills needed in the modern workplace.
Companies aren’t looking for scholars, but they do expect job applicants to write simple, error-free sentences. Don’t be upset if you’re weak in these basic academic skills. You’re not alone. It doesn’t mean you have to go back to school either. Recognizing the problem is the tough part. The rest is easy.
2. Communication skills. Reading and writing are core communication skills, yet we spend most of our time listening and speaking. According to the Association for Talent Development (ATD), most people spend 8.4% of communication time writing, 13.3% reading, 23% speaking and 55% listening.
3. Adaptability (problem solving and creativity). Companies can no longer amble along offering a single product or service. They must either improve current products or offer new and better ones. The pressure to stay competitive and grasp for market dominance has put a premium on problem solving and creativity.
4. Personal management (self-esteem, motivation, career development). Productivity is directly related to selfesteem. Studies reveal that workers with good selfimages take pride in their work. They set and meet goals and work hard to better themselves.
5. Organization skills (leadership). Organizations are a complicated labyrinth of explicit and implicit power structures. In the explicit structure, leadership is bestowed by title and authority; in the implicit structure, it is subtly woven and cultivated by the respect of peers. Knowing how to function within an organizational maze has never been more important.
6. Interpersonal skills (negotiation, teamwork). The ATD reports that interpersonal and negotiation skills are the foundation for successful teamwork. A better term for interpersonal skills is “people skills.” Rather than hiring people with skills to get the job done, they’re hiring people who can motivate others. They can mesh their talents with others to achieve greater result. That’s teamwork. No wonder managers have stressed teaching teamwork skills in order to build self-directed groups.