There has been a lot of conversation lately about exactly what young people need to be successful in the job market. In the last few years, tremendous emphasis has certainly been placed on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). The question is, however, will these skills actually help young adults find and keep jobs?
In a recent Washington Post article, Cathy Davidson cites two studies touting that workforce readiness isn't only about the hard skills. One of the studies was conducted by Google, which has analyzed hiring, firing and promotion data since the company began in 1998. The top most important qualities of Google's top employees were: being a good coach, communicating and listening well, people smarts (valuing different points of view and values), having empathy toward and being supportive of colleagues, being a critical thinker and problem solver, and being able to make connections across complex ideas. Guess what came in last? STEM expertise.
Additionally, Google found that their highest-functioning teams were not necessarily the teams with the smartest team members. Instead, they were the teams with members who exhibited these traits: equality, generosity, curiosity toward the ideas of teammates, empathy, emotional intelligence and emotional safety.
Caroline Beaton, a Forbes contributor who covers the psychology of millennials at work, asked more than 100 top HR managers, recruiters and CEOs what was important for entry-level job seekers. Nearly all of them said soft skills such as leadership, communication and collaboration were more important than others. The head of HR at Prezi said he looks for candidates with a solid foundation of soft skills and trusts the rest can be built upon those.
According to Beaton's research, there are four additional soft skills that are underdiscussed yet essential for workplace success: focus, more than a college degree, agility and humility.
Employers today look for workers who are able to concentrate, which is apparently difficult due to various things, including technology. Additionally, Beaton shared that while employers value higher education, many interviewees said college graduates often lack people skills. One CEO said that recent college graduates do not have the necessary skills, and he realizes he must hire someone who is still willing to learn after graduating from college.
Job seekers with the ability to adapt and adjust will have a leg up when it comes to applying for a job due to the fast pace of change in almost every workplace. One CEO said she looks for individuals who demonstrate resourcefulness, goals-driven behavior, team-player mentality and relentlessness.
Finally, Beaton found that employers want to hire humble people who don't take themselves too seriously and are willing to admit when they don't know something, in addition to having a willingness to ask for help when they need it.
Undoubtedly, hard skills are important. The Google research, along with others, shows that teaching soft skills will be every bit as important if we want to prepare the next generation well for the real world of work.
Julie Baumgardner is president and CEO of family advocacy nonprofit First Things First. Contact her at julieb@firstthings.org.