When meeting recruiters, a CV is no longer enough. Soft skills, mad skills… Personality traits, the new core skills, are paramount. But what qualities in particular must be protected in order to hold office?
We are hearing more and more about them, they seem to be attracting the attention of recruiters and are the subject of abundant training offers. They are soft skills, these human or relationship skills that are increasingly valued in the world of work. “It seems clear to me. they are essential,” emphasizes Anne Laure Cordier, Head of Human Resources Recruiting at Michael Page. We don’t forget hard skills, but they become obsolete as professions evolve, much faster than soft skills. CV, this ancient Holy Grail, is no longer enough by itself.”
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When faced with a recruiter with an equal profile, personality traits that translate into useful and marketable skills therefore make the difference. As long as you identify the most strategic ones and know how to bring them forward when the time comes. “The most valuable differ from one profession to another and are filtered according to the culture of the company,” continues Anne-Laure Cordier. But some return, from one part to another.”
Autonomy
The queen of qualities, this one seems to be imposing itself across the spectrum of the job market. “The ability to work alone, solve problems and be ‘solution oriented’ is essential.” The fruit of management developments, which expects greater versatility and responsibility from its employees, but also from the organization of work. Or independence, in interdependence… “Companies are constantly reorganizing, they work more and more in project mode,” explains Anne-Laure Cordier. Our customers tell us a lot about the importance of being able to work cross-functionally.”
The most popular candidates therefore demonstrate their ability to think like an entrepreneur, communicate with colleagues from different disciplines, and coordinate teams with specific schedules and skills. “We increasingly require profiles that can work in a matrix organization and no longer just in a hierarchical mode.” In interviews, examples of complex projects or brilliantly managed crises can be welcome to demonstrate autonomy.
Ability to adapt
They also provide an opportunity to demonstrate its agility, which has been established as a key value in a world in constant motion. “Our Talent Trend 2024 study shows that one in two French people believe that artificial intelligence will have an impact on their career in the long term,” highlights Anne-Laure Cordier. Lawyers, financiers, doctors… In all fields, technology is gaining momentum without us yet knowing the limits of the tasks it will be able to take on. Hence the importance of customizing your major, your team’s organization, and even your long-term professional trajectory.
Even before the advent of robots, globalization imposed this requirement to know how to adapt to everything, all the time. As a compass, versatility, short-term reactivity, constant adaptation to the market and the customer. Today, organizational methods such as lean management aim to manage as close to resources as possible without room for maneuver. And at the same time force employees to constantly change directions and emergency situations. To which we must be able to respond.
Curiosity
This soft skills requires, in addition to good stress management and unwavering enthusiasm, a great appetite for novelty and even change. “I think intellectual curiosity is another important skill. On his own profession and his business, obviously, but also much more, without putting any barriers. Let’s follow our desires.” Whether you suddenly feel passionate about watercolors, knitting, or Japanese medieval civilizations, this recruitment expert encourages you to expand your horizons, to invest your energy elsewhere than at work, perhaps to find enjoyment there.
How to show this curiosity in an interview? “Asking questions,” answers Anne-Laure Cordier, “about the company, the position, the organization… Even if we feel he is reactive, about the recruiter himself, his background or his values. All this allows us to show that we are planning. The recruiter should be a potential partner, and the interview is a bit like the beginning of a relationship of trust.” For the candidate, it is an opportunity to prove the relevance of their views, but also their ability to listen and empathize. Two more soft skills is important in the eyes of employers.
Source: Le Figaro
