Why are soft skills needed?

Resumés get you interviews. Diplomas make recruiters nod. Technical skills may even land you the job.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

But if you want to keep the job, grow in it, and move higher, it’s not the technical side that sets you apart — it’s your soft skills.

A LinkedIn Global Talent Trends study revealed that 92 percent of hiring managers value soft skills as much as, or more than, technical skills. Why? Because when new hires fail, 89 percent of the time it’s not because they didn’t know how to do Excel formulas or run a presentation— it’s because they didn’t know how to work with people.

In other words:

Hard skills get you through the door. Soft skills decide whether you’ll be invited to stay for dinner.

Here are 10 in-demand soft skills that don’t just make you employable —they make you indispensable.

1. Adaptability

Your professional survival kit comprises adaptability. Modern work brings unexpected changes — new managers, sudden policy updates and unexpected corporate mergers.

Individuals who adapt to change tend to succeed in their careers. Those who resist change will become outdated in the company’s practices. Flexible individuals will maintain their shape regardless of what happens.

2. Emotional intelligence

High IQ might impress. But high EQ earns trust. People who possess genuine emotional intelligence develop better self-awareness and emotional control, which enables them to build strong relationships with others.

We've all met that brilliant colleague who can solve equations faster than a calculator — but somehow manages to create problems faster than they solve them. Smart? Yes. Effective? Not at all.