Moving up the technology talent ladder isn't easy and you need to up your game not just in terms of technical skills but soft skills too! That's what sets apart one candidate from others and gain the best opportunities.

1. TOP SOFT SKILLS FOR TECHNOLOGY
PROFESSIONALS

2. WHAT ARE SOFT
SKILLS?
94 %
• Soft skills can be defined as qualitative
attributes that provide hiring managers
with a sneak peek of an applicant’s
professional behaviour. These skills include
adaptability, communication, and
teamwork.
• Complementing technical skills with soft
skills increases your value beyond any
specific job responsibilities.
• “Deficient soft skills is the No. 1 reason
workers are fired.“, according to a Harvard
Business School professor.
94% of recruiters believe that "an employee with
stronger soft skills has a better chance of being
promoted to a leadership position than an
employee with more years of experience but
weaker soft skills."

3. SOFT SKILLS THAT
MATTER
Communication Skills01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
Time Management
Leadership Skills
Critical Thinking
Team Management
Positive Attitude
Work Ethics
Communication

4. HOW IMPORTANT ARE SOFT SKILLS?
of corporations and 50% of academic institutions believe that recent graduates lack certain
so-called “soft skills” needed in the workforce to be successful, including emotional
intelligence, complex reasoning and negotiation and persuasion.
of recruiters believe that "an employee with stronger soft skills has a better chance of being
promoted to a leadership position than an employee with more years of experience but weaker
soft skills.”
of CEOs believe that the biggest threat to their businesses stems from underdeveloped soft
skills.
94%
40%
77%

5. BUILDING LEADERSHIP SKILLS
THROUGH SOFT SKILLS
• Most of the traits that characterize great managers are the intangibles associated with strong soft skills. The soft
skills to focus on as you build yourself into management material.
• As a manager, you need to motivate your team, have difficult conversations, give presentations and speak in public,
interview job candidates and foster an environment of inclusiveness and innovation.
• In this technologically advancing environment, successful employees will be those who excel in areas where robots
and algorithms can't. So far, computers are no match for people when it comes to critical thinking, creativity,
judgment and the like.
• Managing your time and maintaining focus are skills that help boost productivity. Communication, both written and
verbal, is another soft skill most of us could improve.
• Finally, stress management is a key skill to be a leader. You can learn strategies for finding a healthy balance in your
workday, so stress doesn't undermine your performance.

6. IMPORTANT SKILLS IN THIS
CUSTOMER-EXPERIENCE DRIVEN ERA
• Customer-centric mindset – The customer always comes first for a CX specialist. All communications, decisions,
strategy and processes must be devised keeping in mind the interests of the customers. A CX specialist must
have customers at the nucleus and should encourage a similar environment within the organization.
• Empathy: To be effective in this role you should be able to empathize with your customers, understand the problems
from their perspective, and be proactive in providing solutions to their problems. For some, empathy comes naturally,
while others need to practice and master it.
• Active listener: While communicating with customers, a CX specialist needs to be an alert listener who can
understand the customer challenges and hold his nerve even during the most difficult customer interactions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills: A CX specialist must regularly interact with customers and the team
within the organization. This role entails translating customer requirements into documents for the team to act upon,
conducting customer meetings or email communications. Thus, the CX specialist must have excellent verbal and
written communication skills to get his point across.

7. FOUR WAYS TO
DEVELOP SOFT
SKILLS
1. Build A Feedback System - The fastest way to develop soft skills in
your team is to routinely discuss success and failure. Help your peers
become more comfortable with feedback by sharing your own. Leaders
who express their professional weaknesses will be better able to create
a trusting relationship where criticism is valued.
2. Make Growth Visible - People are impatient. So, provide ways for them
to see progress as they work. Ask them to establish long-term goals,
and then break them down into weekly tasks.
3. Envision Success - Don’t let employees hide behind company leaders.
Encourage them to write their own vision statement for their work,
defining the employee they wish to be and the responsibilities that
come with that. When supported in this task, they will improve their
sense of purpose.
4. Hire An Organizational Coach. An outside perspective is crucial.
Employees are usually more transparent in addressing concerns with an
external coach because they understand that the person is not
connected to office politics. An outsider can look at a work
environment and see clearly what habits are counterproductive and
then determine ways to point team members toward success.

8. SOURCES
https://www.martechadvisor.com/articles/customer-experience-2/essential-skills-for-cx-specialists-at-large-
enterprises/
https://jaxenter.com/skills-tech-interview-148484.html
http://bweducation.businessworld.in/article/Importance-Of-Soft-Skills-For-Professionals-In-The-Digital-World/30-07-
2018-156250/
http://www.gocertify.com/articles/there-s-no-denying-the-career-value-of-soft-skills
http://www.youthincmag.com/importance-of-soft-skill-at-work-place
https://chiefexecutive.net/investing-in-millennials-soft-skills-could-benefit-the-bottom-line/