Member Article

Manchester employers value soft skills more than the UK average

Manchester employers value candidates with ‘soft skills’ more highly than the UK average, according to research by recruiter Randstad.

Randstad research suggests that Northern employers prioritise people skills, co-operation and collaboration within organisations.

In Manchester, the most desired soft skill is ‘team work’, with 61% of Randstad job listings in the area requiring it, compared to just half of listings across the UK as a whole.

The second most attractive quality Manchester-employers look for in potential candidates is being able to build relationships, cited in almost a quarter (23%) of job advertisements.

The most desired personality traits Manchester-employers look for in applicants are ‘dedication’ and ‘honesty’ – one in three (30%) Manchester vacancies mention these terms; more than double the wider UK average (15% and 9% respectively).

In addition, just over a quarter (26%) are concerned with finding candidates who describe themselves as ‘passionate’, suggesting enthusiasm, loyalty and love of what you do is key to success in Manchester.

Managing director of Randstad Care, Victoria Short, said: “Candidates now have a secondary checklist to work through when assessing whether they are suitable for a role – but it also opens up a whole new window of opportunity.

“While core qualifications and experience may be an employer’s immediate consideration when whittling down applicants, as the competition heats up at the later stages of the hiring process, soft skills take centre stage – and are often the key differentiator between final candidates.

“It’s not just about finding someone who can get the job done - employers have to think about how someone will fit into a team, whether they can inspire and motivate colleagues, make tough decisions under pressure, and if they have the leadership capability to develop upwards in an organisation.

“Employers have been quick to cotton onto the importance of soft skills within their businesses, as well as the overall performance of our economy. Awareness of soft skills enables employers to maximise the efficiency of their workforce, by matching roles with the best suited personality traits.

“But workers are underestimating the importance of soft skills, and may be selling themselves short to their bosses and prospective employers as a result.

“Many individuals are part of a sports team, or volunteer in their spare time and not realise how these attributes may be applicable – and highly valuable – to the world of work. “Companies actively look for these skills in candidates, and can also nurture these positive attributes in their workers through mentoring schemes.”

Soft skills currently contribute £88bn to the UK economy, and this is projected to rise to £109bn over the next five years

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sophia Taha .