Recently, I’ve noticed that basic workplace skills such as business manners, communication, interpersonal effectiveness, active listening, problem solving, and attention to detail are often missing. As a customer, I expect a certain level of professionalism. Yet across a range of organizations, recent interactions have fallen short.

Employers are seeing it too. There’s a growing concern about the decline of basic soft skills, from clear communication to common courtesy. We’ll explore why hiring for these “forgotten skills” is more important than ever and how these skills can strengthen your business from the inside out.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: A Quick Refresher

Hard skills are technical, job-specific abilities that can be taught, tested, and measured. They are typically acquired through formal education or training. Hard skills include things like:

  • Accounting
  • Machine operation
  • Software proficiency
  • Coding
  • Construction
  • Keyboarding

Soft skills, on the other hand, are attributes or interpersonal abilities that affect how individuals interact with others and respond to workplace situations. They include:

  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Active listening
  • Time management
  • Initiative
  • Flexibility
  • Analytical thinking

While hard skills may get someone hired, soft skills determine how well they work with others and grow in their role. As leadership expert Scott Greenberg illustrates in U.S. News and World Report:
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“If hard skills are a race car, soft skills are the driver. A person may have knowledge and ability, but it’s qualities like confidence and resilience that will determine how far they go and how fast they get there.”

Why Soft Skills Matter More than Ever

In today’s service-driven environment, hiring for soft skills isn’t just a good idea, it’s essential. Whether it’s a cashier making eye contact and greeting customers warmly, or a team member taking initiative and solving a problem without being asked, these behaviors make a lasting impression and elevate your brand.

Unfortunately, many of these basic soft skills are disappearing. And there seems to be a growing complacency or reluctance to address this soft skills gap. Why? Often, it’s easier to avoid awkward conversations than to coach someone on tone, attitude, or attention to detail. But choosing the path of least resistance sends the wrong message: that professionalism doesn’t matter.

Yet it does. These forgotten skills influence customer satisfaction, brand image, employee morale, and overall productivity. Hiring people who bring these skills to the table is far more effective than trying to fix problems later.

The Business Impact of Hiring for Soft Skills

Employees with strong soft skills make a positive impression, not only on customers but also on colleagues and leadership. They communicate clearly, build rapport, take initiative, listen well, adapt quickly, and handle challenges with professionalism. These traits build trust and confidence in your organization while delivering impressive bottom-line results. As ROI experts Drs. Jack and Patti Phillips note in Chief Learning Officer:

“Soft skills are not ‘nice to have’ when we have the budget. They are critical skills that make a difference in an organization and drive tremendous business value. In our database of ROI studies, the largest in the world, soft skills ROI values are much higher than hard skills.”

Our own research backs this up. In a client study with a top aerospace contractor, we learned that a candidate’s academic and technical skills were less critical to long-term success than their basic soft skills. In fact, it was easy to find quality engineers with the technical skills needed to be successful, but not all these engineers had the soft skills needed to work as a member of a diverse team. Without that balance, key projects often derailed.

When you prioritize soft skills in hiring, your business benefits in multiple ways:

  • Fewer performance issues
  • Stronger team dynamics
  • Higher customer satisfaction
  • Improved retention rates
  • Stronger brand image

How to Hire for Soft Skills: What to Look For

Hiring for soft skills requires intentionality. These skills are harder to assess on a résumé, but they show up in interviews and interactions if you know what to look for. They tend to cluster around three key areas:

1. Interpersonal Effectiveness

  • Demonstrates friendliness and professionalism; uses pleasantries to engage others.
  • Communicates clearly and articulately using complete sentences, showing active listening and thoughtful responses.
  • Avoids excessive cynicism or criticism.

2. Problem Solving

  • Approaches challenges analytically by asking questions, gathering information, and generating ideas or options.
  • Demonstrates adaptability when facing barriers, resilience in setbacks.
  • Proactively seeks input and suggestions from others.

3. Conscientiousness

  • Takes initiative and shows perseverance.
  • Attends to details, going beyond “good enough.”
  • Punctual and thorough in their work, follows instructions, asks clarifying questions, confirms work is completed effectively.

It’s easy to overlook these basics, but they’re often what differentiate a good hire from a great one. Many employers now use assessments and structured interviews to evaluate soft skills more accurately.

Ultimately, hiring for basic soft skills is good business. Candidates with strong foundational behaviors are more likely to succeed, represent your brand positively, and contribute to a thriving workplace. After more than 30 years of research and consulting, I’ve seen one truth play out time and again: basic soft skills drive exceptional business outcomes. Don’t overlook them.

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