In today's competitive job market, the quest for top-tier leaders demands much more than technical expertise and hard skills. While many companies have grasped this concept firmly, many others still fail to recognize the vital importance of soft skills.
To grasp the indispensable skills to consider when recruiting C-Level positions, we spoke with Paulina Zito from Hays Consulting, who is part of the Executive Search division.
Question: What do we mean when we talk about soft skills and what is their relevance in talent hiring for C-Levels?
Answer: As a professional immersed in this landscape day in and day out, I've witnessed the growing value of soft skills in hiring C-Levels.
For those who may still be unfamiliar with soft skills (which would be a red flag at this point), they are qualities related to active listening, teamwork, creativity, resilience, or the ability to learn, among others. These are important competencies for both present and future job roles.
A few years ago, companies began to realize that a good CV or solid qualifications are not enough; their leaders have other significant responsibilities such as leading and supporting the growth of their teams. Therefore, the focus shifted towards developing and enhancing these skills in their executives.
Q: Have you ever found yourself interviewing highly qualified candidates with all the necessary requirements for the position, but whose soft skills fell short of expectations?
A: Several times. There are executives who come from highly hierarchical structures where active listening, admitting "I was wrong," or "how can we solve this together?" are far from their reality. And don't even get me started on soft skills, which they often see as synonymous with weakness and loss of power.
However, I believe these are skills that can be developed and undoubtedly improved through development plans or leadership programs tailored for these executives.
Q: Which are the top 3 soft skills every leader should have or learn? And how can these skills be materialized in everyday life?
A: I believe soft skills are becoming more complex, for the better. For example, among the most required is possessing transformational leadership, being able to manage generational diversity within teams, and fostering transparent communication.
1. Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership becomes essential for inspiring teams and driving organizations towards success in an ever-changing business environment. Leaders with these skills motivate their teams to embrace change, foster innovation, and achieve exceptional results. This style of leadership, rooted in vision, inspiration, influence, and empowerment, allows leaders to guide their teams through organizational transformation effectively, paving the way for more horizontal structures. In this way, talent is retained by creating safer environments with a collective purpose.
How does this manifest in practice?
Inspiration and Guidance: Inspire employees by showing them how their work contributes to the organizational vision and motivate them to achieve ambitious goals.
Mentoring and Coaching: Act as a mentor and coach, facilitating the growth and professional development of employees.
Recognition and Learning: Celebrate achievements and use failures as learning opportunities, encouraging reflection and continuous improvement.
2. The Multigenerational Challenge
In today's environment, organizations face multigenerational teams, which present unique challenges in terms of management and leadership. Leaders must understand and appreciate the diverse perspectives, values, and expectations of each generation. This demands empathy, flexibility, and the fostering of an inclusive environment where all voices are valued and respected. Leaders who leverage generational diversity to create cohesive and collaborative teams are better prepared to drive long-term organizational success.
Ideas for Implementation:
Multigenerational Collaboration: Create opportunities and environments for different generations to work together on collaborative projects.
Recognition and Personalized Development: Recognize the unique skills of each generation and offer feedback and development opportunities tailored to their individual needs.
Stay Informed: Stay abreast of the needs and challenges of new generations in work environments.
3. Transparent Communication
Transparent communication is essential for building trust and credibility within and outside the organization. Leaders must communicate the company's vision, goals, and expectations clearly and effectively, being responsive to the concerns and needs of their teams. Open and bidirectional communication fosters trust, engagement, and collaboration, elements that are undoubtedly essential for business success.
Some implementation strategies:
Regular Meetings and Feedback: Create regular opportunities for employees to share their thoughts and receive direct feedback.
Transparency and Availability: Share relevant information and demonstrate openness to addressing team concerns.
Communication of Decisions: Communicate important decisions clearly and timely, explaining their rationale and how they will affect employees.
Feedback Culture: Foster a culture of continuous feedback where team members feel comfortable sharing honest feedback.
Q: How do you identify the presence of these skills in the selection processes?
A: I use various tools to effectively identify candidates' soft skills. I conduct behavioral interviews, observe their non-verbal communication during the conversation, and ask them to share relevant stories from their work experience. Additionally, I employ specific psychometric tests to assess these soft skills.
Q: What role do you think senior management should play in fostering and developing soft skills?
A: Senior management has a crucial role in creating an environment where soft skills are valued, nurtured, and rewarded. When leaders demonstrate these skills, they inspire others to do the same and contribute to the overall success of the organization.
Lead by Example: Leaders must demonstrate soft skills in their own behavior.
Invest in Training: Allocate resources to specific development programs for soft skills.
Integrate Soft Skills into Strategy: Align these skills with the company's objectives.
Evaluate and Measure: Conduct regular assessments to measure progress.
Promote a Learning Culture: Value continuous development.
HR professionals should recognize the importance of soft skills in hiring C-Levels and should commit to identifying exceptional leaders with these critical skills.
Through a people-centric approach and a deep understanding of needs and expectations, we will help organizations recruit transformational leaders who can successfully lead in an increasingly complex and competitive business environment.
We can help your talent incorporate and enhance soft skills through our workshops and training sessions, whether in-person, hybrid, or online.
Contact us for more information: info@thehappycompany.es
People matter to us. People inspire us.
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