ASSIGNMENT 2

Survival in the workplace environment requires a delicate balance between hard and soft skills. Use
this assertion to identify the common soft skills human resources practitioners look for when hiring
and justify the importance of these skills in any workplace environment.

Prepared by

Takudzwa R Chiyaka

Reg Number: R204695E

FACULTY OF COMPUTER ENGINEERING INFORMATICS AND COMMUNICATION

(Department of Electronics and Telecommunications)

BSc Hon Network Engineering

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 17 November 2022

FOR

Student Development and Life Skills (SDLSCE301)

According to the Merriam-webster dictionary survival is the act or fact of living or continuing longer
than another person or thing. This translates to having exceed beyond the odds that are naturally set.
Survival can also be defined as the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an
accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances.

Hard skills are abilities that let you tackle job-specific duties and responsibilities. Hard skills can be
learned through courses, vocational training, and on the job. These skills are usually focused on
specific tasks and processes such as the use of tools, equipment, or software. Hard skills are technical
skills required for a job. They are learned abilities acquired and enhanced through education and
experience. Education is the basis for acquiring hard skills.

Soft skills are non-technical skills that relate to how you work. They include how you interact with
colleagues, how you solve problems, and how you manage your work. According to Wendy Connett
hard skills alone don't translate into success as employees also need other skills, such as soft skills.
Unlike soft skills, hard skills can be quantified. For example, a hard skill might be proficiency in a second
language, while a soft skill could be the ability to work well on a team.

The group of individuals who work for a certain company, business sector, industry, or economy is
referred to as its human resources. Human capital, or the knowledge and abilities that people possess,
is a more specific idea. Manpower, labor, staff, companions, or simply: people are comparable
phrases.

Employees must have at least role-specific knowledge and skills in order to perform their jobs.
However, people who typically stand out as top performers require some additional skills, such as the
capacity for clear communication, the capacity for collaborative work, and the capacity for efficient
time management. These competencies are illustrations of soft talents.

Hard skills are acquired by workers through formal education, training courses, and focused effort.
Hard skills are the quantitative abilities required for employees to carry out a certain profession.
Before recruiting, employers frequently test or assess a candidate's hard skills. Computer
programming, writing, web development, and graphic design are a few examples of hard skills. Some
hard talents are in higher demand than others, therefore businesses may need to use headhunters or
recruitment firms to fill positions that call for specialized knowledge

There are a lot of soft skills that human resources look at when hiring employees also taking into
consideration that some traits are more suited to specific job description. When recruiting the human
resources department should think about the soft skills that are crucial for the position they are
recruiting for and prepare specific questions to gauge those skills.

Relationship development also known as employee relations, is essential in turning the human
resources into a strategic business partner in the eyes of the business owners as well as in fostering a
culture of trust with employees. An organization's culture of community is created by authentic
relationships; this culture promotes higher retention, lower turnover, cost savings, better
performance, and ultimately higher revenue. When employees have good and healthy relationships
between each other there are more likely to tolerate each other’s flaws and help each other which
evidently in return produces good results.
Innovation and creativity help organizations and companies stay at the top of its industry by
maintaining a creative mindset and innovative approach. Human resources departments around the
globe are currently dealing with a very competitive employment market that is the demand for
creative and innovative minds is always extremely high as that can be the difference between being
pioneers or being left behind, being innovative has been the only way to keep hiring despite the high
rate of resignation. The constant evolution of technology, policies, and employee priorities keeps the
demand of minds that can think of new ideas and solutions to help businesses. In most technology
companies’ employees that come through with innovative ideas are the most likely to get promotions
or salary raises.

It's frequently not a person's ability or work ethic that makes them productive or ineffective in their
job, but rather their time management abilities. Time management is a soft talent that guarantees
you do your task quickly, effectively, and on schedule. Prioritizing tasks and allotting time for each one
is a process known as time management. Employees that are better at managing their time might
reduce their workload by working more efficiently. Time management allows one to work more
productively to complete projects faster rather than spending more time working on them. Because
of this, there is less time wasted at work and more time for oneself, which frequently results in a better
work-life balance.

The soft skills that can be used to help with every issue at a company are decision-making abilities.
Making wise decisions is essential to a company's success, regardless of whether an employee must
decide what is best for the business. All of the skills required to make an informed, logical decision are
decision-making skills. An employee with strong decision-making abilities can weigh all the
information, comprehend the current and desired states of the business, and select the best course
of action. It's simple to base decisions on assumptions, but the best way to make effective, logical
decisions is to look further and seek out facts.

Being adaptable implies you can quickly change your behaviour in response to new situations. A
flexible worker can keep up with clients, projects, goals, and technology as they change. They are
adept at adjusting to changes at work, whether it is in their working environment or procedure
upgrades. Being willing to modify your plans in response to altering strategic corporate goals, new
roles and responsibilities, new systems and technologies, process improvements, and policy changes
are all examples of flexibility in the workplace. An individual that is flexible may change their approach
to a task rapidly, respond to new ideas quickly, and come up with fresh, workable solutions swiftly.
Being adaptive also demonstrates that a worker can reduce both group and individual stress, which
enhances both problem-solving and performance. Adaptable professionals help their departments
and organizations overall by being composed and level-headed in the face of unanticipated situations.
Because of this, human resource professionals frequently seek for applicants who have proven their
capacity to contribute positively in the face of shifting conditions or situations. This soft talent, which
calls for a certain amount of flexibility and tenacity, is one of the most in-demand in the modern
workplace. People that are adaptable create specialized skill sets, procedures, and frameworks that
enable them to handle various situations as they emerge rapidly and effectively. Employees that are
able to adapt at work are better equipped to handle changing circumstances, responsibilities, projects,
and clients.

Communication is the ability to convey or share ideas and feelings effectively. Communication is
necessary for productive exchange between individuals, departments, and companies, particularly
when sharing new ideas, responding to concerns, and listening to feedback. Without clear
communication, workplaces cannot operate effectively. Since remote collaboration has become
increasingly common, employees with strong communication skills are more highly valued than ever
in the workplace. Communication in the workplace is important because it boosts employee morale,
engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. Communication is also key for better team collaboration
and cooperation. Ultimately, effective workplace communication helps drive better results for
individuals, teams, and organizations.

Interpersonal skills are the behaviours that are used every day to interact and communicate with
others well. Interpersonal skills enclose a wide range of skills, but some of the most common are active
listening, conflict resolution, communication, collaboration and emotional intelligence. Interpersonal
skills are those that allow a person to build relationships and communicate well with others. They are
the behaviours you use every day to interact and get along with people and so build positive working
relationships. Those with strong interpersonal skills are active listeners and have a high level of
emotional intelligence. They can resolve conflict, communicate well and collaborate effectively to
maintain mutually beneficial working relationships. They enjoy rewarding professional relationships.
Interpersonal skills are important because they are the foundation for positive working relationships.
This makes them key to career success. For instance, employees with well-rounded interpersonal skills
can collaborate effectively, adapt to the strengths and weaknesses of a group, and adjust how they
participate in teams according to the dynamics of colleagues or stakeholders. Having good people
skills can be highly rewarding on an individual level at work. People with good interpersonal skills often
enjoy rewarding professional relationships and the fulfilment of having the ideas they communicate
embraced. They are also skilled in resolving conflicts to maintain enjoyable professional lives.

It can be difficult to recognize and evaluate soft talents in applicants because these traits are
frequently immeasurable and cannot be determined by merely glancing at the soft skills listed on each
applicant's résumé. Additionally, candidates will make an effort to come across favourably during
interviews, so it's your responsibility to delve deeper to learn more about their true soft skill set.
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