15th July 2024
I’ve been matching up great candidates with great opportunities for longer than I care to think about. But I’m still surprised by the blindness that employees and employers alike have towards soft skills.
This is natural in an industry full of tangible skills matching for jobs – whether this is a specific coding language, or a technology stack, or experience in a particular methodology.
Recruiting for technology jobs was never a word matching exercise: the expansion of technology roles into all areas of businesses has increased rather than decreased the need for a nuanced approach.
Without the ability to motivate and communicate with their team, a project manager is limited, whether they are highly trained or not. Without interpersonal skills, the ability to collaborate and build on the ideas of others, the most experienced team member will struggle.
It’s up to businesses to actively nurture these soft skills in employees, and to prioritise character in making hires. Because a collaborative and encouraging working environment is the best way to keep employees, and to attract applicants. Because projects built on trust and respectful communication are best placed to succeed.
It’s up to employees and candidates to understand the value of their character and ability to work with others, and to develop these aspects of their application with as much consideration and time as their more tangible skills. Because that’s the way to set themselves apart from others. Because workplaces full of thoughtful people with different perspectives and personalities flourish.
It’s up to recruiters to think about the intangible, to really know their candidates beyond the technical qualifications and experience, to really understand what the job requires.
The recruiter’s job isn’t just to find the most competent technologist, it’s to find the right fit, to find the right person for job.
Advancing technology has changed so much about how we do business and is tempting to think that it is solely the technology that has changed and developed. But businesses that use technology to solve business problems need technology leaders who combine expertise with excellent communication skills. When you have hard problems to solve you cannot afford to ignore soft skills.
Businesses do business with people. Technology is vital and so are the people who create and control it. And they are more than numbers.
That’s where we come in. Follow us on LinkedIn – or email contact@vocativeconsulting.co.uk to connect with Justin or Alastair.
15th July 2024
16th May 2024
