Missing Applied & Soft Skills

This Is Why Finding Talent Is Getting Tougher in 2016

roy.maurer@shrm.org

https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/recruiting-gets-harder-in-2016.aspx 

By Roy MaurerJun 20, 2016

More than two-thirds of surveyed organizations hiring full-time staff indicate they are having a difficult time recruiting for job openings, according to a research report released today by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

That number is up from what it was in 2013, when half of responding organizations reported having recruiting difficulties for full-time positions.

SHRM surveyed more than 3,300 HR professionals in February 2016 from various industries and company sizes.

Respondents in the health and social assistance (81 percent) and manufacturing (75 percent) sectors reported the highest levels of recruiting difficulty.

These results echo similar findings from the SHRM Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) recruiting difficulty index, which has shown a rise in the challenge HR professionals report in finding candidates.

​Talent Churn Muddies the Waters

Lower unemployment and more job openings, as shown by data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics over the past year, may indicate that more people are seeking out new job opportunities, but this churn also is making it more difficult for organizations to fill open positions.

“According to HR professionals, it’s getting harder to find people for the jobs they are trying to fill and the top reasons are a low number of applicants, lack of needed work experience among those that do apply, competition from other employers and a lack of technical skills among job applicants,” said Jennifer Schramm, SHRM-SCP, manager of workforce trends at SHRM.

“Another factor that many HR professionals noted was that their local markets were simply not producing enough qualified candidates. This factor alone could be behind many of the reasons HR professionals think it is a more difficult recruiting environment.”

The survey found significant differences between industries. For example, HR professionals in construction, mining, energy, finance, insurance, real estate, health and social assistance, high-tech, and manufacturing were more likely to report that their local labor market was not producing enough work-ready job candidates compared with respondents from other industries. Respondents in the accommodation, food services and retail sectors were more likely than those in other industries to say candidates lacked workplace soft skills such as problem-solving, interpersonal skills, communication, teamwork and leadership.

HR professionals in the education and government fields were more likely than those in other industries to say job candidates did not have the needed credentials or certifications for the roles they were applying for.

Not surprisingly, vacancies for jobs requiring high and in-demand skills are among the most difficult to fill. According to the HR professionals surveyed, the most difficult-to-recruit-for job categories were high-skilled medical professionals, scientists and mathematicians, skilled tradespeople, engineers and architects, IT/computer specialists, executives, and high-skilled technicians.

Key Skills Lacking Among Job Applicants

More than half (59 percent) of HR professionals reported some level of basic skills deficit among job applicants, and 84 percent reported applied skills shortages in job applicants over the last year.

The most common basic skills deficits employers encountered were:

• Writing in English (30 percent).
• Basic computer skills (30 percent).
• Speaking English (18 percent).
• Reading comprehension (17 percent).
• Mathematics (14 percent).

Notably, all industries reported writing in English and basic computer skills as the top two basic skills shortages. The most commonly reported missing applied skills were:

• Critical thinking and problem-solving (45 percent).
• Professionalism and work ethic (43 percent).
• Leadership (35 percent).
• Written communications (29 percent).
• Teamwork and collaboration (28 percent).

A higher percentage of HR professionals in the accommodation, food services, retail, finance, real estate, and health and social assistance sectors reported applicants lacking professionalism and work ethic when compared with other industries.

“Many HR professionals are reporting a lack of technical skills as a key reason behind the challenges they are having finding candidates for open jobs,” Schramm said. “Some of the reasons that positions require new skills, according to the HR professionals surveyed, are changing technology, growth of the organization, changing customer and client expectations, and the development of new products and services.”

While technology tends to be a driver of these changes, the most common types of new skills required for the full-time jobs HR professionals said they needed to fill in the last year were actually workplace or soft skills such as interpersonal skills, teamwork and leadership, Schramm said.

Training and Hiring Internally Most Effective Solution

Skills shortages are putting renewed emphasis on training. Although most organizations (70 percent) are ramping up social media engagement to find passive job candidates, build employer brand and advertise open positions, the approach HR professionals consider most effective is to train existing employees to take on hard-to-fill roles, with the largest organizations leading the way in this area.

Almost half (48 percent) of respondents said training existing employees to take on hard-to-fill positions was an effective recruiting strategy. This was followed by using social media and recruitment agencies (both 47 percent), expanding advertising efforts (44 percent), and improving the compensation packages being offered to job candidates (42 percent).

Although training is seen as valuable, nearly one-third (31 percent) of employers are operating without a training budget.

“HR professionals are very close to the talent market, and they are able to see it change and evolve in a way that few others can,” Schramm said. “So they must make the business case for greater investments in training and development based on this in-depth knowledge. To do this, they will often have to show the financial return on investments in training through improved outcomes in recruiting, retention and job performance.”

Roy Maurer is an online editor/manager for SHRM. Follow him @SHRMRoy

About Roy Maurer

Online Manager/Editor, Talent Acquisition

Roy is covers talent acquisition for SHRM Online. Before joining SHRM in 2008, he was an editor and reporter covering state and city government in Indiana, arts and culture in Los Angeles and theater in Washington, D.C. Before that he was a filmmaker and screenwriter. He has a master's degree in journalism from Indiana University and a bachelor's degree in film production from Columbia College.

Contact him at roy.maurer@shrm.org and follow him on Twitter @SHRMRoy​.

Note: Mr. Maurer permitted our reposting his article, 1-23-16

Habits of Likeable People

12 Habits of Exceptionally Likeable People

                                                            April 15, 2015

Too many people succumb to the mistaken belief that being likeable comes from natural, unteachable traits that belong only to a lucky few—the good looking, the fiercely social, and the incredibly talented. It’s easy to fall prey to this misconception. In reality, being likeable is under your control, and it’s a matter of emotional intelligence (EQ).

In a study conducted at UCLA, subjects rated over 500 adjectives based on their perceived significance to likeability. The top-rated adjectives had nothing to do with being gregarious, intelligent, or attractive (innate characteristics). Instead, the top adjectives were sincerity, transparency, and capacity for understanding (another person).

These adjectives, and others like them, describe people who are skilled in the social side of emotional intelligence. TalentSmart research data from more than a million people shows that people who possess these skills aren’t just highly likeable, they outperform those who don’t by a large margin.

We did some digging to uncover the key behaviors that emotionally intelligent people engage in that make them so likeable. Here are 12 of the best:

1. They Ask Questions

The biggest mistake people make when it comes to listening is they’re so focused on what they’re going to say next or how what the other person is saying is going to affect them that they fail to hear what’s being said. The words come through loud and clear, but the meaning is lost.

A simple way to avoid this is to ask a lot of questions. People like to know you’re listening, and something as simple as a clarification question shows that not only are you listening, you also care about what they’re saying. You’ll be surprised how much respect and appreciation you gain just by asking questions.

2. They Put Away Their Phones

Nothing will turn someone off to you like a mid-conversation text message or even a quick glance at your phone. When you commit to a conversation, focus all of your energy on the conversation. You will find that conversations are more enjoyable and effective when you immerse yourself in them.

3. They Are Genuine

Being genuine and honest is essential to being likeable. No one likes a fake. People gravitate toward those who are genuine because they know they can trust them. It is difficult to like someone when you don’t know who they really are and how they really feel.

Likeable people know who they are. They are confident enough to be comfortable in their own skin. By concentrating on what drives you and makes you happy as an individual, you become a much more interesting person than if you attempt to win people over by making choices that you think will make them like you.

4. They Don’t Pass Judgment

If you want to be likeable you must be open-minded. Being open-minded makes you approachable and interesting to others. No one wants to have a conversation with someone who has already formed an opinion and is not willing to listen.

Having an open mind is crucial in the workplace where approachability means access to new ideas and help. To eliminate preconceived notions and judgment, you need to see the world through other people’s eyes. This doesn’t require you believe what they believe or condone their behavior, it simply means you quit passing judgment long enough to truly understand what makes them tick. Only then can you let them be who they are.

5. They Don’t Seek Attention

People are averse to those who are desperate for attention. You don’t need to develop a big, extroverted personality to be likeable. Simply being friendly and considerate is all you need to win people over. When you speak in a friendly, confident, and concise manner, you will notice that people are much more attentive and persuadable than if you try to show them you’re important. People catch on to your attitude quickly and are more attracted to the right attitude than what—or how many people—you know.

When you’re being given attention, such as when you’re being recognized for an accomplishment, shift the focus to all the people who worked hard to help you get there. This may sound cliché, but if it’s genuine, the fact that you pay attention to others and appreciate their help will show that you’re appreciative and humble—two adjectives that are closely tied to likeability.

6. They Are Consistent

Few things make you more unlikeable than when you’re all over the place. When people approach you, they like to know whom they’re dealing with and what sort of response they can expect. To be consistent you must be reliable, and you must ensure that even when your mood goes up and down it doesn’t affect how you treat other people.

7. They Use Positive Body Language

Becoming cognizant of your gestures, expressions, and tone of voice (and making certain they’re positive) will draw people to you like ants to a picnic. Using an enthusiastic tone, uncrossing your arms, maintaining eye contact, and leaning towards the person who’s speaking are all forms of positive body language that high-EQ people use to draw others in. Positive body language can make all the difference in a conversation.

It’s true that how you say something can be more important than what you say.

8. They Leave a Strong First Impression

Research shows most people decide whether or not they like you within the first seven seconds of meeting you. They then spend the rest of the conversation internally justifying their initial reaction. This may sound terrifying, but by knowing this you can take advantage of it to make huge gains in your likeability. First impressions are tied intimately to positive body language. Strong posture, a firm handshake, smiling, and opening your shoulders to the person you are talking to will help ensure that your first impression is a good one.

9. They Greet People by Name

Your name is an essential part of your identity, and it feels terrific when people use it. Likeable people make certain they use others’ names every time they see them. You shouldn’t use someone’s name only when you greet him. Research shows that people feel validated when the person they’re speaking with refers to them by name during a conversation.

If you’re great with faces but have trouble with names, have some fun with it and make remembering people’s names a brain exercise. When you meet someone, don’t be afraid to ask her name a second time if you forget it right after you hear it. You’ll need to keep her name handy if you’re going to remember it the next time you see her.

10. They Smile

People naturally (and unconsciously) mirror the body language of the person they’re talking to. If you want people to like you, smile at them during a conversation and they will unconsciously return the favor and feel good as a result.

11. They Know Who To Touch (and They Touch Them)

When you touch someone during a conversation, you release oxytocin in their brain, a neurotransmitter that makes their brain associate you with trust and a slew of other positive feelings. A simple touch on the shoulder, a hug, or a friendly handshake is all it takes to release oxytocin. Of course, you have to touch the right person in the right way to release oxytocin, as unwanted or inappropriate touching has the opposite effect. Just remember, relationships are built not just from words, but also from general feelings about each other. Touching someone appropriately is a great way to show you care.

12. They Balance Passion and Fun

People gravitate toward those who are passionate. That said, it’s easy for passionate people to come across as too serious or uninterested because they tend to get absorbed in their work. Likeable people balance their passion with the ability to have fun. At work they are serious, yet friendly. They still get things done because they are socially effective in short amounts of time and they capitalize on valuable social moments. They minimize small talk and gossip and instead focus on having meaningful interactions with their coworkers. They remember what you said to them yesterday or last week, which shows that you’re just as important to them as their work.

Bringing It All Together

Likeable people are invaluable and unique. They network with ease, promote harmony in the workplace, bring out the best in everyone around them, and generally seem to have the most fun. Add these skills to your repertoire and watch your likeability soar!

Dr. Travis Berry

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning co-author of the #1 bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of TalentSmart, the world's leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training, serving more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies. His bestselling books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. Dr. Bradberry has written for, or been covered by, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, andThe Harvard Business Review.

Dr. Bradberry's book

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/12-habits-exceptionally-likeable-people-dr-travis-bradberry

Ret. 4-17-15

Note: We are not advocating purchasing a book. Check it out at the library if you are interested.

More Phrases to Avoid

Similar to the October 21, 2014 post

10 Phrases Successful People Avoid (But Losers Use)

April 16, 2015

Winning and losing are about your frame of mind more than anything else. You can be a successful go-getter working in a mail room just as easily as you can be a loser CEO. By cultivating a winner’s mindset, you’ll set yourself up for greatest success.

Check out the list of phrases below and note any that pop up in your daily lexicon. Eliminating them from your speech will go a long way to eliminating the negative thoughts that go along with them and help you believe that you can succeed.

1. That won’t work.
   How do you know it won’t work? Even if it’s something that’s been tried before that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work this time. Shutting down ideas without trying them is definitely not the mark of a winner.
2. I can’t do it.
   OK, negative Nancy, but guess what? If you can’t do it, chances are they’ll find someone else who can. Instead, approach this from the perspective of what you’ll need to accomplish the task. Do you need more training, more support, more supplies, more time?
3. Impossible
   Things are rarely impossible, so be very careful throwing this word around. In my experience, it often indicates someone closed-minded who can’t see another person’s vision. Rather than declaring it impossible, open your mind to how it might be possible. Brainstorm. Look at the problem from different angles. Nothing amazing was ever created by declaring it impossible.
4. That’s not fair.
   What are we, four-year-olds? Real life isn’t set up to always be fair, and if you find these words coming out of your mouth, you are almost certainly feeling mistreated.  Instead of playing the fair card, however, try looking for opportunities to improve the situation. And, understand that sometimes you’renever going to change a situation to make it fair — you might have to go out and create your own, more fair, situation yourself.
5. It’s not my fault.It may very well not be your fault, but this phrase assumes that you’re laying the blame somewhere else. And nobody wins the blame game. Instead of focusing on blame, focus on solving the problem. How can you step in and make things right — even if you weren’t the one in the wrong?
6. I might be able to…
   Might is another one of those words like try that set you up to fail. When people use words like this, it’s because they’re expecting not to be able to do whatever is being asked of them. Or, sometimes it’s used grudgingly. A client asks you to go above and beyond your original agreement, and to placate them, you say you “might” be able to add something. In either case, don’t hedge. Stand your ground and say what you mean.
7. That’s not my job.One of the things managers loathe to hear. Sometimes, in order to help the team or move up the ladder, you need to step up and do things that might not ordinarily be in your job description. Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of, but try to look at working outside your comfort zone as an opportunity for experience and growth.
8. NeedNeed is a funny word.  You need food, water, and shelter. You don’t need that report on time, your team to come in for the weekend, or really anything else at work. You want it. Perhaps you even require it for things to function and flow properly. But do you need it?
9. I think…
   Which sounds more powerful: I think, I believe, or I know?  I think can be wishy-washy. Leaders and other successful people are decisive. Go with what you know.
10. I’ll try.
    Take a page from Yoda’s book of wisdom: Do, or do not. There is no try. People tend to use the word try when they want to leave themselves an out, because they consciously or subconsciously don’t believe they can or will accomplish the task.

Obviously, it is not black or white with any of these phrases and there are of course times when you would use them. The point I am trying to make here is more about the mindset and the words we use (as well as the way we say them) are a reflection of that.

Marr regularly writes about performance management as well as the mega-trend that is Big Data for LinkedIn and Forbes. Marr is founder and CEO of The Advanced Performance Institute, based in the UK but operating across Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Australasia. 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-phrases-successful-people-avoid-losers-use-bernard-marr

Ret. 4-17-15

Soft Skills - Assistant

Many students choose work-study programs to help pay for their education or work full-time during the day and attend post-secondary education in the evenings. 

Mentors can encourage mentees to seek a higher employee skill base during the mentoring relationship. 

8 Soft Skills That Make for a Great Assistant

Sharon Tsao 

Recruiting & HR expert and Principal, Contemporary Staffing Solutions

Posted: 11/25/2014 9:47 am EST Updated: 01/25/2015 5:59 am EST

If you've ever seen The Devil Wears Prada, you may believe that being an administrative assistant is a stepping stone to something greater. Though it can be a proving ground that opens doors to other positions, being a personal assistant to an executive or middle manager can also be a fulfilling career that is currently totally in vogue. Candidates may not need previous work experience as a receptionist or assistant, there are several crucial soft skills that make a candidate the best person for an administrative or executive assistant position.

Soft skills are those character traits and interpersonal skills. Character traits tend to be ingrained unlike occupational or hard skills, which are learned and honed over time. They're less what we know and more the core of who we are. While experience in similar positions may get you the interview, your ability to showcase these soft skills should get you the job.

Not everyone can be an administrative assistant. It takes a very specific set of skills to assist an executive or manager. The following soft skills make for a great assistant: time management, project management, strong communication, and active listening skills, as well as common sense, a flexible personality, attention to detail, natural curiosity and research ability.

1. Curiosity and Research Ability

An assistant with a natural curiosity and research ability benefits the executive or manager in many ways. The perfect candidate is someone who reads a lot, gathers information and builds bridges between ideas. Executives and managers dream of the kind of assistant who reads trade news, keeps him or her up-to-date, points out networking connections that should be made, and research the boss's new ideas with vigor.

2. Attention to Detail with a Great Sense of Urgency

The great executive assistant must be meticulous in all things. However tiny, details are expected never to go without notice. Assistants must pride themselves on noticing things others do not. All those arguments about work-life balance? A great assistant is the key to helping an executive or manager achieve it. When a great assistant respects his or her boss's need to balance work with their family or private life, he or she approaches the details of the boss's day with urgency and accuracy. Arrive well before the boss does, stay after the boss is gone to prepare for the next day, and work their calendar with proper planning and recommendations.

3. Common Sense

Despite what the name implies, common sense is rare. The great assistant is capable of filling in the gaps and demonstrating initiative. When given incomplete ideas, the assistant uses knowledge of his or her company and boss to round them out, all while keeping the executive informed and in approval along the way.

4. Active Listening Skills with Vision for the Future

Listening leads to learning. While most people are "hard of listening" rather than "hard of hearing," the great assistant processes information quickly and boldly asks questions to fill in his or her understanding. When an assistant understands the direction his or her boss is heading in and the strategy behind every move the executive or manager makes, the assistant will be able to have a greater impact on this growing partnership. Ultimately, the assistant will accurately anticipate what goes next.

5. Flexible Personality

A great assistant must have the ability to interact with all people. Whether you meet in person or over the phone, the assistant must build rapport. With as many unique personalities as an assistant must deal with, he or she must be able to build rapport in a number of ways. An assistant must remain flexible and patient with all people.

6. Strong Communications Skills

Communication is key. Understanding and conveying information between people is absolutely invaluable. There's perhaps nothing in the world more valuable to customers, clients and business partners than understanding and being understood. Strong communications skills could be the difference between your legacy as "The Greatest Assistant Ever" and "What was their name again?"

7. Time Management Skills

A great assistant needs to know how to prioritize and keep things on schedule because the job of assisting an executive or manager includes scheduling his or her meetings, events and other means of spending time. An executive assistant works with his or her boss to understand priorities and help manage daily scheduling so that the executive can spend more of his or her valuable time on long-term goal planning and setting.

8. Project Management Skills

As much as an assistant's ability to manage his or her time and the boss's daily operations so that the boss has time for big-picture thinking, it's incredibly important for an assistant to help bring the boss's big picture thinking to life. That means being able to help manage the projects the executive or manager is working on. Big pictures are made from many little ones. With each project, there are many moving parts and you'll be invaluable to your boss if you can help manage these moving parts. That may mean managing the deliverables assigned to all project team members or just making sure that the boss is working on the right project at the right time. It also means being able to pick up the threads of projects that have been tabled earlier but are now the boss's focus. A great assistant is one who can make his or her boss's job easier by tackling things like comparing expenses on financial statements, analyzing client trends or even simply highlighting a budget. These things make a huge difference in growing the partnership between an executive and an administrative assistant.

While the job title and description of an assistant may seem straight-forward, it can be less so in practice. An assistant's job requires the delicate use of dozens of desirable skills that people mostly notice when there's a distinct absence of them. If you've got at least some of these skills, you've got a shot at being a great assistant.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sharon-tsao/8-soft-skills-that-make-f_b_6192974.html 

Ret. 3-17-15