Hard skills
| Hard skills |
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Hard skills are the competences which individual possesses can be quantified. Both hard and soft skills are necessary in manager's work. However importance of each group differs depending on the job. Some managerial jobs are related more with hard skills (e.g. related to accounting or programming), others more soft skills (e.g. related to marketing, selling or designing). It is worth to bear in mind, that soft skills are more difficult to check than hard skills. Recruitment process for positions based on soft skills should be wider and include different methods of assessment (A. Doyle, 2018).
Definition of Hard Skills
According to Alison Doyle, hard skills are group of abilities, necessary for a specific job, demanded from employee. That skills are not connected with personality, its possession require experience and knowledge in particular field or time spent on education. Hard skills could be learned on college, training classes, online trainings or workshops. They could be also obtained during work, internship or projects. The proofed of hard skills could be diploma, certificate, license or portfolio (A. Doyle, 2018).
Examples of hard skills
Examples of skills demanding specific knowledge and abilities are (A. Doyle, 2018):
- computer programming in particular language, e.g. C++ or Java
- knowledge of accounting in GAAP standard
- driving license
- knowledge of certain computer programs
- master's degree in specific field
Soft skills
The soft skills are another category of skills demanded by employers. Those skills that are difficult to measure and depends on personality. It is hard to learn it, so employers often looking for persons with specific group of soft skills in order to learn them hard skills. Soft skills are essential in many jobs. They are necessary to work in efficient way in every company. Examples of soft skills are (M. M. Robles, 2012):
- effective communication and cooperation with team,
- time management,
- listening and empathy,
- abstract or creative thinking,
- ability to work under time pressure and deadlines.
References
- Doyle A. (2018). The Hard Skills Employers Seek. The Balance Careers
- Doyle A. (2018). What Are Soft Skills?. The Balance Careers
- Hendarman, A. F., & Tjakraatmadja, J. H. (2012). Relationship among soft skills, hard skills, and innovativeness of knowledge workers in the knowledge economy era. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 52, 35-44.
- Nonaka, I., & Johansson, J. K. (1985). Japanese management: what about the “hard” skills?. Academy of Management Review, 10(2), 181-191.
- Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today’s workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453-465.
- Zhang, A. (2012). Peer assessment of soft skills and hard skills. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 11, 155-168.
Author: Artur Kopera
