5 top soft skills to impress employers
Soft skills are interpersonal and behavioral traits—like communication, empathy, and adaptability—that shape how you work with others. Unlike hard skills, they aren’t tied to one job: they transfer across roles and industries, and employers consistently rank them among the qualities they value most when hiring.
The five soft skills employers look for most are communication, problem-solving, creativity, adaptability, and work ethic. Listing the right ones on your resume—and putting them into action—shows employers, managers, and what you bring to a team.
This guide explains each skill, how to evaluate soft skills when hiring, and how to strengthen and showcase your own.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are general behavioral traits like resilience, conscientiousness, and empathy. You can develop these traits and transfer them from role to role. They matter in both your professional and personal life, so working on them pays off in more ways than one.
What’s the difference between soft skills and hard skills?
Hard and soft skills are both essential. Employers sometimes overlook soft skills like interpersonal skills, work ethic, and punctuality in favor of hard skills like experience—but both shape how you perform as an employee.
Experience, education, and knowledge are quantifiable hard skills required for specific jobs. Formal training, from college courses to on-the-job training, is how you gain them.
Soft skills aren’t quantifiable, but they’re key to good relationships and adaptability. Both kinds of skills can be developed.
Why are soft skills important?
Soft skills are often harder to acquire than hard skills, and they’re invaluable throughout your career. Some come naturally; others take deliberate practice. Employees who demonstrate strong soft skills tend to progress further in their chosen field.
If you’re an employer, identifying candidates whose soft skills match your company’s values or culture helps you know who to hire—and who to promote into positions of influence.
5 soft skills examples that employers look for in employees
Dozens of soft skills deserve attention, but these five are the most valuable to employers:
Communication
Strong communication helps you succeed in every facet of your life.
Your affect how well you work with colleagues and help you build stronger professional relationships.
From active listening to appropriate body language, communication is a skill everyone should keep developing.
Problem-solving
Problems occur in every job across every industry. The best way to prepare is to hire effective problem-solvers.
Problem-solving means understanding the root cause of an issue, troubleshooting, and resolving what’s connected to it. A strong problem solver thinks logically and devises creative solutions, preventing delays and future issues.
Creativity
Creativity pays off. Thinking outside the box can drive market growth and lead to more .
Creativity also supports problem-solving and teamwork—creative employees are invaluable in and idea-formation sessions.
Adaptability
Adaptability is the ability to adjust to any situation and thrive in the face of change. Like problems, change is inevitable in business.
Employees who roll with the punches create a and influence teammates for good. Staffing, structural, and environmental shifts don’t faze an adaptable worker.
Work ethic
Employees with a strong work ethic prioritize productivity and performance, setting ambitious goals and working hard to meet them.
They improve the employee experience for others by setting an example and providing . A strong work ethic translates to success across industries.
How to evaluate soft skills in the workplace
Assessing soft skills isn’t always easy. Many employers focus on a candidate’s hard skills, but it pays to dig deeper.
Successful organizations hire for soft skills and train for hard skills—the former are often harder to find.
Evaluating soft skills in candidates
Start before the job posting. Develop a clear picture of which soft skills the role needs, and note them in the job ad.
Prepare specific questions that address those skills—ask how the candidate used them in a previous job. Hypothetical questions, games, and scenarios that test specific abilities also help.
Pay close attention to how candidates react during the interview. Their body language and responses can help you determine their suitability for the position.
Assessing soft skills in colleagues
It’s harder to measure the soft skills of employees you don’t see or interact with regularly.
A team member who primarily works online, with little interpersonal interaction, may not get many opportunities to show off their .
Collaborative situations are where colleagues can shine. When they exhibit , creativity, and problem-solving, fellow employees and managers can see those soft skills in action.
How to improve soft skills
Experience and practice are key. There are several ways to build them deliberately:
- Find a mentor who’s mastered the soft skills you want to develop. They could be in your industry or a different line of work entirely.
- Take classes, read books, or work with a business development coach.
- Get to know yourself. Self-assessment tools and personality frameworks can give you a useful look at how you show up in the workplace.
- Ask for feedback from a trusted leader, coworker, or friend on how well you deliver on a specific skill.
If communication is your goal, ask specific questions to learn what you’re doing well and where you could improve.
Highlight your soft skills for job applications
When building your resume, highlight soft skills along with hard ones. Prioritize transferable soft skills, such as teamwork and adaptability, and match your relevant skills to the job description so hiring managers quickly see you’re a good fit.
For cover letters, lead with the most in-demand soft skills. Communication is a safe bet—it’ll serve you well in any job. Mention your communication skills and relate how you used them at a previous job. If you talk to customers or colleagues daily, emphasize the results.
Drawing attention to your soft skills shows employers you’re a strong all-rounder. Knowing yourself, your top soft skills, and how you work best can open up more professional opportunities.
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