Danny Swersky works as an educator to provide opportunities and positively impact the lives of others. In the following article, Daniel Swerksy discusses the importance of establishing “soft skills” in business, life, and education to perform the job at hand efficiently, and effectively.

There’s no question that “hard skills”, otherwise known as industry-specific abilities and skill sets are needed to perform a job well.

That often comes from formal training, whether it’s a college degree, internship, or certification. Danny Swersky explains that employees may succeed because they are well-versed in a certain computer program or have detailed experience within an industry.

But the X-factor in career success often boils down to the skills that may not make it onto one’s resume. So-called “soft skills” covers an array of other attributes that are often just as important as what’s categorized under “hard skills.”

In fact, Danny Swersky says that these abilities are often seen as more important. One study found that well-developed people skills and other soft skills account for up to 85% of success on the job. And leading financial advising and consultant firm Deloitte once found that by 2030, two-thirds of jobs will be characterized by intensive soft skills.

It seems that these delicate skills are now universally seen as strong indicators of a successful employee — and a successful career.

Soft Skills Explained

Soft skills go by many names. Some call them people skills. Others categorize them under the blanket term of emotional intelligence.

Whatever they are called, Danny Swersky says that they share one characteristic: personal behavior that showcases a refined way to effectively communicate and interact with others in ways that are seen as essential to achieving success.

While hard skills are very specific and definable — design and editing ability, accounting, or tax expertise — soft skills refer to the ability to work extremely well with others in a productive and positive way.

Daniel Swerksy explains that these delicate abilities back up success internally in a workplace and often make a difference in keeping and maintaining clients or others benefitting from a company’s output.

These abilities run the gamut from an ability to network and maintain self-awareness to the skill of building fantastic relationships with colleagues and executives. These are usually seen as invaluable traits for any employee to have.

Importance of Soft Skills

Various studies in recent years, have found shortages in soft skills in organizations found in major American cities.

Communication skills are noted as one of the major deficiencies, and it happens to be one of the most important personal traits. Daniel Swerksy explains that excellent communication can make or break an organization. It can lead to difficulty in training workers and tapping into what consumers want and need — and how they want it.

Employees who effectively communicate with each other are more productive and happier. They can hold difficult but necessary conversations without fear and express themselves in clearer ways. They also seem to listen better according to Danny Swersky.

The importance of soft skills is extensive and includes:

• Better Problem-Solving Capabilities

Employers who are able to problem solve effectively can do everything from identifying and tackling problems associated with certain tasks or goals to creating potential solutions to issues that can help a company in the short and long term.

• Improved Efficiency

Danny Swersky says that employees with both hard and soft skills often facilitate better teamwork which leads to enhanced productivity accomplished in concert with technical hard skills. Those with people skills often display better critical thinking and can tap into more creative approaches to getting work done.

• Stronger Leaders

Those who are able to listen better, and both absorb and give constructive feedback, develop into stronger leaders for a company. Daniel Swerksy says that these leaders are unafraid of taking responsibility and frequently motivate themselves to hit ambitious goals but also inspire other employees to become more motivated and more productive.

Other Benefits of Soft Skills

No employer likes turnover. And since many companies value job candidates with the potential to stay long-term, proven interpersonal skills such as those who are highly motivated and capable, up the chances that workers will stay put and produce years of fantastic work.

Those with enhanced soft skills are also seen as being advantageous competitively. Employers are looking for workers who value empathy, who will care about their teammates, and who genuinely care about customers explains Danny Swersky.

Individuals with high emotional intelligence are more likely to be genuine and ethically responsible. They may also encourage others to behave in the same way.

All employers value workers who are able to adapt to change and adjust to it with resilience. Those attributes also fall under the soft skills category.

It’s one thing to be technically sound in ever-evolving industries. Danny Swersky says that it’s quite another to have the internal ability to consistently adapt and stay positive while doing so.