Soft Skills Are What’s Missing From Otherwise Ideal Employees

Soft skills, such as reliability, punctuality, and honesty, are huge in a work environment. But, sadly, many otherwise perfect potential professionals are missing the basic fundamentals. As employers, we can no longer simply assume that our new hires will dress to impress or watch the clock. If you find yourself time and again impressed with the resume but less so with the person who wrote it, you’re not alone. Here are a few soft skills today’s eager workers might miss along with tips on how to encourage refining them.

Black Inclusion Jobs has discussed honesty before in terms of talking about weaknesses in a job interview. Unfortunately, many new employees tend to take their little white lies well into their employment. Being dishonest about things, such as education, experience, and abilities, is problematic for many reasons. While it’s true that we’re all guilty of puffing the truth every once in a while, there is no place for untruths at work. As an employer, you can demonstrate honesty, which Influencive suggests has many rewards, including customer and employee loyalty and a better reputation within your industry. When your employees see you admit mistakes and own your shortcomings, they may be more likely to accept their own and then make changes to better themselves.

Chronic lateness is often and understandably perceived as rude and impolite. While your employees may not intentionally disrespect and disregard your schedule, the fact remains that time is money. Stress to your employees the importance of punctuality, and always make a point to arrive on time or early yourself each day. To encourage being on time, you can use a timesheet calculator, which is a simple strategy that many employers use to give their employees a visual cue. An easy timesheet tool can help your employees clock in and clock out and, perhaps just as importantly, eliminate issues that can lead to incorrectly calculated paychecks.

If you ever arrived at a job interview only to find your prospective employee in flip-flops and a T-shirt, you are likely immediately put off by their lack of professionalism. While working adults should absolutely be aware of what they wear, nearly half of all businesses in the US have adopted a casual dress code, according to Quartz At Work. With this in mind, it may come as no surprise that your interviewee may simply not know what to wear. You can no longer expect business suits and a well-groomed hair cut. One thing we can do, however, is update our job descriptions and interview invitations to reflect the style of dress expected within your organization from day one.

Technology is crucial in the workplace, but it has fundamentally damaged our ability to communicate in person. You may have noticed a much more casual communication style, particularly among younger applicants. These individuals are acclimated to the idea that communication takes place via phones, virtual-reality headsets, and computers. Make sure your employees realize that you value face-to-face cooperation. Schedule a standup meeting each day and plan occasional outings where technology is prohibited.

In addition to all of the above, you can also encourage applicants to refine their soft skills before they apply. There are plenty of online courses that can help them work on themselves, which will make them more valuable employees for you. Although the world has changed, some skills remain invaluable. Being on time, having the ability to communicate, honesty, and dressing professionally are just a few of these, but they are ones that matter when you try to run a business.

Black Inclusion Jobs is proud to be just one of many inclusion-driven job sites available today.

*Guest post by Amy Collett