One of the most common misconceptions about the current job market is that employers are only interested in candidates who have the necessary experience and skills to perform the responsibilities of the position.  While professional experience and abilities are vital, they’re not the only skills hiring managers are looking for.  They’re also interested in candidates who have excellent social skills, too. 

In the following article, we’ll define social skills, discuss their importance in the professional world, and highlight ways you can improve your social skills to help make meaningful connections with hiring managers. 

What Are Social Skills?

In your personal and professional life, you communicate in many ways.  You’re able to express yourself to others through verbal communication, written communication, and body language.  In addition to being able to clearly deliver messages, you must also possess strong listening and understanding skills.

These various forms of communication and comprehension skill sets are the foundation of your social skills.  Verbal and nonverbal skills along with the capacity to listen, understand, react appropriately, and respond accordingly are essential for effectively communicating with your family, friends, colleagues, customers, and strangers.

Why Are Social Skills Important?

It’s not just what you say or do that matters; how you react and respond to verbal and non-verbal messages is equally important.   

While strong social skills are necessary in your personal life, they are of the utmost importance in your professional life, too.  Every employee in the professional world needs to express themselves clearly, listen attentively and respond appropriately in word and action regardless of your industry or job responsibilities. 

Every role, from leadership to entry level positions, requires a strong social skills-set to properly handle communication such as:

• Impersonal conversations with coworkers

• Formal discussions during business meetings

• Responding to customer inquiries

It is imperative that you convey strong social skills on your resume or application, in your correspondence with hiring managers, and during interviews with prospective employers. 

When reviewing your resume or application, hiring managers are not simply verifying your experience and qualifications, they are also analyzing your resume to evaluate your social skills set.  For example, if your resume is poorly written (bad grammar, lack of punctuation, unclear descriptions, etc.), they may consider it a reflection of inadequate social skills. 

Managers also evaluate more than just your answers during the interview process, they’re focused on your speaking skills and body language, too.  Slouching, mumbling, insufficiently answering questions, no eye contact, losing focus during the conversation—all of these practices will diminish a hiring manager’s confidence in your professional capabilities.

How To Improve Your Social Skills

If you believe that your social skills may be lacking, it’s ok.  There are some simple steps you can take to improve your skills to increase your chances of success in the job market. 

1. Get resume help - Have your current resume evaluated by a professional.  They will be able to identify areas that need improvement and offer tips on how to rewrite your resume to convey your professional and social skill sets more effectively.

2. Don’t fear feedback - If you recently had an unsuccessful interview, ask the hiring manager for feedback.  Through this information, you’ll be able to pinpoint which social skills you need to focus on for future interviews.

3. Practice, practice, practice - If you feel that your listening or comprehension skills need help, you can strengthen them by being more engaged in conversations.  The next time you’re speaking with someone, give them your full attention.  Maintain eye contact with them while they’re speaking.  Hold off on speaking to them until you are sure they are finished speaking to you.  Ask questions if they say something you don’t understand.  By doing these things regularly, you’ll notice that your ability to listen and comprehend conversations has greatly improved.

4. Keep watch - Observe the actions of your coworkers or other professionals.  Listen to how they speak to each other and pay careful attention to their body language.  Review their email and written communication to get a better understanding of how they convey important information in clear, concise language.  By observing these professionals, you’ll begin to have a better understanding of how to appropriately communicate in the workplace. 

If you believe that your social skills are impacting your ability to land a new job, it can help to work with experienced staffing and recruiting experts like the team at Elite Personnel.  You will receive honest feedback about your resume, and they can steer you to the types of available jobs that are the right fit.  If you’re ready to find the opportunity that’s right for you, contact us today!