Time to harden up on those soft skills

Careers Mar. 13, 2013 - 09:07AM JST ( 1 )

  Time to harden up on those soft skills While the internet has created great networking opportunities for businesses and individuals, the value of face-to-face communication should not be forgotten, according to Hays. According to Jonathan Sampson, Regional Director of Hays in Japan, email should be no substitute for human contact and companies should develop their staff’s softer skills as there are gains to be made whether within or outside the organization. This is particularly important in countries such as Japan. “Staff who are isolated by email can become a threat to an employers‟ competitiveness, so offering formal training in networking skills would benefit both companies and the individuals concerned,” says Jonathan. Introductions via technology can be a good starting point, but professional relationships are often cemented in person. “If you want your business to succeed, sooner or later you’ll need to meet the people you would like to turn into clients or staff,” says Jonathan. Top 5 networking tips according to the Hays Journal:

1. People should be cultivating their “weak ties” – those individuals encountered casually or unexpectedly who could develop into new and useful relationships. Potential networks are everywhere and not always in work-related places.

2. Technical knowledge of a job role or organization is a given in anyone with any professional ambition. But “loose knowledge” – what and who we know outside of work – is also relevant and could also be useful to career development. Such information should be exploited appropriately.

3. The “global green room” – the elite networks that welcome senior people, but remain closed to those further down the professional chain – stifles creativity. Opening up established groups to outsiders and sharing knowledge and best practice on a more meritocratic basis could revitalize networks.

4. “Marzipan managers” should be a source of concern for organizations. These employees sit beneath the leadership icing and often feel frustrated and swamped in a sea of email and paperwork. Responsible employers will encourage them to network for their own benefit and that of the organization.

5. Organizations should aspire to becoming “curious corporations”. In order to flourish and succeed, businesses must not be too insular and should be aware of what is happening outside their operation. To achieve this, they must engage with the broader world through external networks and information-sharing to generate new ideas. Source: Hays Journal (www.hays-journal.com)

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