Gone are the days when technical skills alone determined one’s chances of landing a job opportunity. As the Canadian economy moves more towards the service sector, soft skills, also known as interpersonal or communication skills, are becoming an important component in one’s job search efforts. How different are soft skills from technical skills? And how can a newcomer improve on their soft skills in Canada?
Soft skills relate to our ability to communicate our ideas, opinions, and feelings effectively. They also relate to our ability to connect better with other people. As opposed to hard skills, which are often tied to software, machines, or specific processes, soft skills may differ from one culture to another or even from a company to another. A recent survey with 256 Canadian companies conducted by Workopolis revealed that soft skills are the second most important skills that candidates lack. While many would guess that technical skills are the first important skills that candidates lack, the survey proved otherwise. Technical skills came in third place.
Let’s highlight some differences between soft and hard skills. Hard skills, for example, could be one’s ability to cook, code software, build websites, or build houses. These skills usually require formal education and on-the-job training to perform. Some also require obtaining licenses from regulating organizations. Individuals also tend to specialize in specific fields of activity when their jobs rely mostly on technical skills.
Soft skills, on the other hand, are the personal qualities that set one person apart from another with similar educational and professional backgrounds. These skills include communication skills, leadership, customer service, teamwork, and emotional intelligence to name a few. While soft skills are increasingly covered in school materials, interpersonal skills are mainly learned through practice. The more we interact with others, the more we become better at it, as long as we reflect and learn from our interactions.
Becoming better at interpersonal skills also requires individuals to be aware of how soft skills are expressed in a certain culture. Observation is a key technique that could help with this aspect of cultural adaptation. While this may sound overwhelming for newcomers, there are various resources online that address soft skills in a Canadian setting.
Prepare for Canada prepared a well-rounded guide to help immigrants understand soft skills. The author expresses how immigrants come to Canada based on their technical skills and they focus on those to get jobs after they land. However, they face challenges when interviewing or joining an organization. The author advised newcomers to prioritize improving their soft skills to experience better results with their job search. Consult the full guide to learn more about soft skills.
Forbes also published an article by expert coaches discussing the top 15 skills needed to succeed when entering the workforce. The Forbes experts claimed that empathy is the most important soft skill needed at any point of one’s career. Empathy helps us “read the room”, understand others’ opinions and behavior, and connect more effectively with others (Laurie Sudbrink, Unlimited Coaching Solutions, Inc.).
In conclusion, soft skills are becoming more important in the workforce as the economy moves toward the service sector and as companies adopt more customer-focused strategies. Newcomers should also improve their soft skills to improve their chances of landing and keeping jobs in Canada.
Registered clients can have access to our online resources about the Canadian Workplace Culture and can also request a consultation with employment consultants for further inquiries.