You’ve just finished conducting an interview. It went really well, and this candidate showed much potential. You decided you really liked this individual and feel they would be a great match with your company. The only problem is that you feel the same way about the candidate you interviewed yesterday.

You think really hard about the two candidates. Similar education levels, experience, and technical skills. Then it hits you. The candidate from yesterday had really great communication skills. They also proved to be a problem-solver. You remember some of the work samples they submitted and how creative they were, not to mention their keen sense of detail. You think just a little harder, but it seems as if you’ve made your decision.

This is the importance of soft skills.

Though both candidates were suitable contenders and brought equal education and experience to the table, what gave one candidate leverage and ultimately got them the position, were skills – soft skills.

What are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are personal attributes that enable someone to interact harmoniously and effectively with other people. In short, soft skills are people or life skills. These skills go far beyond the workplace. It is how you connect and interact with other people, whether that be at work, at the gym, at the nail salon, or anywhere for that matter. Hard skills are about what you know, but soft skills are about who you are.

Soft vs. Hard Skills?

Speaking of hard skills, let’s talk about the difference. Hard, or technical skills, are knowledge/occupation-based. These skills are measurable and are obtained through training and formal education. Depending on the field or occupation, you may need a plethora of hard skills to be successful.

Soft skills are how well you’re able to interact with others. Soft skills hardly change with the occupation because no matter what you do in life, you will have some sort of human interaction. Like hard skills, soft skills too can be developed and improved upon.

Check out some examples below!