The Softer Side of a Job Search

By Tom Lutzy

Do people want to work with you? If you are conducting a job search or contemplating a career change, ask yourself this question and don't underestimate its importance. Recruiters can always find candidates with the required skills and experience for clients' open positions. It's the soft skills that often tip the scale toward candidate A over candidate B. And in a highly competitive job market, soft skills can be even more important.

Here are key soft skills that, over the past several years, our clients have said they value:

Tolerate ambiguity

In today's fast-moving world in which information is shared 24/7, the ability to work without all the answers is critical. One client, describing why a senior corporate affairs director didn't work out, said, “She couldn't accept that 80% is sometimes good enough. She had to have all the T's crossed and I's dotted before she could act, and that meant things didn't get done on time. We need someone who can think quickly on their feet.”

Play nicely

If people want to work with you, you have a much higher chance of succeeding. That means treating everyone with respect and valuing input from folks at all levels. For one highly competitive search, a comment from a candidate's reference resulted in an offer: “He was easy to work with, so he had credibility at all levels of the organization. People came to him for advice and valued his input. Even folks who were challenging and skeptical learned to trust him and seek him out.”

Exude confidence, not arrogance

Recently, a candidate who had all the required skills and industry experience for a position was invited for a third round of interviews with several senior executives. The hiring manager got this feedback from one of the executives and decided not to move forward with this candidate: “He clearly knows his stuff, and I'm sure he could do the job, but I got the sense he was talking down to me. I'm not sure that would go over well here.”

Share the credit

Most people want to work in a collaborative culture, but not everyone thinks about what that really means. A senior communications consultant at a national firm was considered a star and exceeded her goals almost every quarter. But when the firm instituted a 360° feedback process, it became clear that her team resented her for always taking the credit. While she collaborated with peers and superiors, she did not with those under her. As a result, she did not get a coveted promotion that she thought was certain.

Persuade, don't demand

Being able to negotiate and influence separates the emotionally intelligent candidates from those who are not. One of our candidates provided an example of how he secured buy-in to a communications strategy from a cynical sales executive. “I realized that he was a numbers guy, so I gathered hard data that linked some communications programs to increases in sales and productivity, and that won him over.”

Guide, don't chide

Managing people doesn't mean berating them. A VP of marketing at a prestigious financial services company was laid off as part of cost-cutting and restructuring. He was invited to interview for several positions, all of which included large staffs. One of our clients who was considering him knew some of the team members who reported to the VP in his previous position and contacted them on the QT. After hearing two unfavorable anecdotes of the candidate's dictatorial management style, our client decided not to pursue him even though he had the perfect skill set for the job.

Follow through

Recently, we were surprised to get a call from a company about filling a senior communications position that they had just filled on their own 10 months ago. We asked why the person they hired didn't work out. “She had all the right intentions, was smart and strategic, but she just couldn't follow through. She rallied and excited folks around big plans and programs but then didn't deliver. Her credibility suffered pretty quickly.”

Stay above the politics

Politics exist in every organization regardless of the size. Savvy communicators know how to navigate political waters without getting bogged down in gossip. A director of corporate communications was skilled at managing up, laterally and down. He read the political winds accurately and often advised others on who was influential and who was not. At the same time, he couldn't help but spread rumors and participate in water-cooler gossip session. Word got around, and he not only lost credibility, he was demoted.

While some people may be wired to be better at the soft skills than others, everyone can learn them. There is no shortage of information on the subject; a Google search on “soft skills in the workplace” turned up over 18 million hits, including books, training DVDs, and several Harvard Business Review articles. But for an immediate assessment, ask people who know you best to comment on your soft skills: a spouse or partner, a co-worker, a former boss, a coach, a client, etc. Then, make a plan to enhance or develop these skills and go get that next job.

About Chaloner Associates, Inc.

CELEBRATING OUR 30TH YEAR IN EXECUTIVE SEARCH - Chaloner Associates is a national, executive search firm specializing in communications, marketing, advertising, and interactive recruitment. With offices in Boston and New York, we work with corporate, agency, consulting and non-profit clients in all industries across the US and Canada. Our knowledgeable recruiters, team-based approach, and long-term client and candidate relationships distinguish Chaloner Associates as a leader in talent acquisition since 1979.