Nearly all, or 96%, of employers in Australia consider soft skills to be either more important or equally important to a candidate’s hard or technical skills, according to research from Hays Australia.

Based on findings from Hays, 81% of the nearly 3,500 employers surveyed say teamwork is the most important soft skill they require in their permanent staff today. 

This is followed by skills in problem solving (79%), communication (74%), adaptability (70%), critical thinking (63%), time management (60%) and emotional intelligence (53%).

“Soft skills are those crucial personal attributes that relate to how you work and behave,” Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia & New Zealand said. “While technical capabilities ensure you can do a job, it’s soft skills that allow someone to function well in a workplace. For example, soft skills ensure you can share and discuss ideas, forge effective relationships with stakeholders, work with others to solve problems and accurately look at information to come to the best conclusion.”

“Soft skills also distinguish candidates who possess similar technical skills. They play a vital role in the success of a job search and your long-term career progression,” Deligiannis continued.

“Interestingly, while adaptability has been at the top of the list of soft skills sought over the past year, valued to ensure entire workforces shift to new ways of working, today teamwork is prioritised,” Deligiannis said.

“Employers value an ability to work well with colleagues, stakeholders and clients to ensure common goals are met,” Deligiannis said. “Problem solving and communication skills are also sought to help organisations find creative and viable options to existing and new challenges and express and accept ideas.”