Soft Skills are High on Every Employers Agenda

EDUCATION MAIL lines up some of the country’s top hiring executives and finds out what they look for while selecting a candidate for a corporate role

Q: Talent spotters now regard potential as one of the key attributes for hiring. How do you spot potential and passion during a job interview?

Today, we are operating in a highly dynamic and agile environment, where change is the only constant, right fit to our kind of work environment and industry would be someone who is a quick learner, is high on energy, has the ability to look at things differently and doesn’t mind being thrown in different situations to learn all along. While technical knowledge is important when we look at prospective candidates for a role, high degree of passion and potential among them becomes equally important. Domain knowledge is something people tend to learn on the job. During the hiring process, we ask for real-life scenarios (both from their past experience as well as from other cordons of their life) to gauge how they would fit in the Smartworks zealous team/people who are setting newer benchmarks every day.

Q: What are some of the other essential attributes you look for in a job applicant?

Apart from qualification, experience, passion and potential, we feel an entrepreneurial zeal, integrity, adaptability, flexibility, team spirit and ‘can do attitude plays an A pivotal role too.

The efficacy of a team player cannot be ruled out and entrepreneurship as a trait shows us that you have the passion, mindset and hunger to achieve big in life.

Q: What are the common issues, which you confront in graduates while hiring?

Often graduates apply for every job in order to get employed fast. This often results in voluntary turnover and many companies have noticed this as a trend now which isn’t good for business, considering costs involved in hiring, training and replacement of employees.

Q: How crucial is a candidate’s domain knowledge and what is your experience on this front from campuses?

Domain knowledge in sectors like IT/technology, health, data science is extremely important; it entirely depends upon the profiles that you hire for. Adaptability, interpersonal skills, physical and mental courage are some of the essentials which really make a difference during the overall hiring process. Employers now are putting more weight on soft skills such as assertive communication, high emotional and social intelligence.

Q: What is the transitional change which a candidate has to be prepared for when he/she enters the job market?

Campuses are still a carefree environment, however, while entering a job market one must be prepared for a more structured and disciplined ride ahead. You will have to commit yourself to the vision and mission k of the company. Every action will have a measurable reaction. Be like a sponge, absorbing everything in the initial years which would pay dividends in the long run.

Q: The role of social media in hiring candidates

Social media offers a good insight into the candidate’s overall portfolio or what they call ‘side-hustle’. A lot of times, it’s easier to spot passionate candidates via social media as it reflects into their social profiles.

Q: How can a candidate make himself/ herself valuable in their line of work?

Problem-solving capabilities, higher EQ in terms of empathy, patience, centricity to team members and customers, appetite for delight are some of the traits that make dependable leaders of tomorrow.