Hiring

The Demand for Soft Skills is Growing, Here’s Why

February 27, 2024 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

The workplace is transforming as employers’ attitudes toward work and the criteria for suitable talent have shifted. “Hard” technical skills once took center stage, and employers now realize the increasing importance of “soft skills.” Those intangible qualities that define how you work and interact are the new currency of the workplace.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2023 report reveals that soft skills are just as essential as hard skills because success in the workplace often requires more than the technical ability to do the job. Soft skills can make a significant difference, “The socio-emotional attitudes which businesses consider to be growing in importance most quickly are curiosity and lifelong learning; resilience, flexibility and agility; and motivation and self-awareness—evidence that businesses emphasize the importance of resilient and reflective workers embracing a culture of lifelong learning as the lifecycle of their skills decreases,” the report’s findings state.

The Beauty of Soft Skills

As businesses adapt to emerging technologies, the demand for soft skills becomes more pronounced as they enable companies to navigate change.

What sets soft skills apart is their high transferability across industries. Whether contemplating a career pivot, aiming for rapid career progression, or even considering entrepreneurship, soft skills are your liquid assets. Their adaptability aligns seamlessly with evolving employer perspectives, making them and you a valuable asset in any professional setting.

Studies by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and the Stanford Research Center affirm that 85% of job success stems from proficient soft and interpersonal skills. In comparison, a mere 15% is attributed to technical skills and knowledge (hard skills).

Current In-Demand Soft Skills

Online learning platform Springboard for Business recently released its 2024 State of the Workforce Skills Gap report, which surveyed more than 1,0000 corporate professionals working at large companies, revealing the most sought-after soft skills in the current job market. Strategic thinking is at the top of the list, with 57% of leaders expressing the need for professionals with this skill. As businesses navigate an economy in a changing environment of flux, critical thinking becomes indispensable to stay competitive.

Additionally, problem-solving (49%) and verbal and written communication skills (46%) are crucial to keeping pace with the evolving professional landscape—emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationships round out the list of essential soft skills, also known as durable or non-perishable skills, the report said.

The Importance of Soft Skills for Employees

With 79% of leaders acknowledging the limited longevity of technical skills to five years or less, the emphasis on soft skills has intensified as artificial intelligence reshapes industries. Unlike technical skills, soft skills cannot be outsourced to AI and are universally applicable at every level and function.

Displaying Your Soft Skills

In a competitive job market where employers sift through numerous resumes, showcasing your soft skills is a strategic move. Using explicit language such as “facilitated,” “presented,” “negotiated,” and “implemented” can help ensure that your soft skills stand out on paper. Be explicit and mention soft skills by name to avoid them getting lost on the page.

During interviews, soft skills become a powerful differentiator. Outline unique competencies through examples from previous work experiences, demonstrating critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.

How to Actively Develop and Enhance Your Soft Skills

Personal development should be ongoing. Employees can hone their soft skills in practical situations by engaging in soft skill training initiatives. They can gain insights from each other’s experiences through immersive courses, simulations, and peer learning opportunities. Adopting an immersive approach can inspire employees to engage actively in personal and professional development.

Some courses that can help improve soft skills include:

Yale Connected Leadership Course
Yale Intro to Negotiation Course
Leadership Skills Course
Negotiation Strategies and Skills Course

Here are some ways companies can adapt their hiring processes to evaluate and prioritize soft skills:

Utilize behavioral interviews, employing questions that delve into a candidate’s real-life experiences and their application of skills across various contexts.
Employ skills assessments or pre-employment tests to evaluate both technical and soft skills.
Revise job descriptions to emphasize the importance of soft skills and talent.
Integrate psychometric testing into the evaluation process.
Provide skill development programs for candidates.
Cultivate a culture of continuous learning within the organization.

The Corporate Impact of Soft Skills

Mastering soft skills benefits not just individuals; it elevates teams and entire organizations. Strong, soft-skill employees become catalysts for innovation, efficiency, and growth. There’s a clear correlation between soft skills proficiency and professional success in a business landscape that continually evolves. As the demand for these skills persists, they remain valuable for job seekers and corporations.

Dice Sentiment Report: Tech Pros Likely to Take Flight

November 22, 2022 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

Despite concerns of a looming recession, layoffs, and hiring freezes at tech giants like Amazon, Twitter, and Meta, technologists might feel like hunkering down and holding onto their standing desks. But a new report shows tech pros are still open to changing jobs in the next 12 months.

Data released from Dice’s annual Tech Sentiment Report includes sentiment data from 950 technologists and historical trend analysis from previous sentiment and salary reports.

Here are the key takeaways that can help empower your career moves and support company leadership, HR pros, and hiring managers to build their 2023 tech talent acquisition and retention strategies.

More technologists are likely to change employers.

Technology professionals feel confident about their skills and market prospects to consider jumping employees, with 52% of respondents surveyed indicating they’re likely to switch jobs in the next year, up from 44 percent last year. The need for tech talent shows no signs of slowing, and this increase in openness to opportunity means recruiters are more likely to get a response from both active and passive candidates.

Fully remote work remains important to most technology professionals, surpassing interest in a hybrid working model.

Once seen as a temporary solution during the pandemic has remained the preferred work method in the tech world. Dice found that approximately 70% of employers plan for a hybrid future; however, only 30% of technologists prefer hybrid work. 60% of technologists surveyed ranked fully remote work as their most desired workplace setting — up from 53% in 2021. It’s hard to ignore those numbers.

Given the continuing demand for tech skills, technologists may find they have the leverage to negotiate with employers for the flexibility they want, including custom working hours and a fully remote or hybrid working model.

From an organizational standpoint — diving into why they prefer working remotely and what, if anything, would entice them to return to the office a few days a week could help retention before rolling out a return-to-the-office model. Employers will need to get creative on incentives beyond free meals and comfy office furniture to lure workers back to an office environment.

Brand, reputation, and company culture are driving factors in technology professionals’ decisions to join a new employer.

In the age of online conversation, the reputation of individuals and entities has become more critical than ever before. With the tech job market so competitive for companies seeking talent, technologists are becoming more discerning in how they view a company’s culture, reputation, and brand.

Nearly 90% of tech professionals feel an employer’s brand is essential when considering a new employer, and almost 8 in 10 said they would not apply for a higher-paying job at a company with a poor reputation. It will be challenging to attract top tech talent if you’re not investing in your brand and reputation as an employer and ensuring your company culture supports employee morale and creativity.

Time-to-hire could create more opportunities for technologists.

Dice found that most HR professionals surveyed indicated that their times-to-hire had been faster in 2022 than in 2021. That could be due to the need to fill roles, considering nearly 50% of respondents indicated that attrition rates for technology professionals in their organization are higher than in 2021.

That’s increasing pressure to find replacements and accelerating the time needed to fill roles. So technologists need to be ready not only with an updated resume and portfolio but also to consider an offer faster than seen in the past.

Salary and merit increases

Technologists know they are in demand, and they’re learning more skills than ever to increase their value at organizations and maximize their compensation packages.

While the job market for new hires rewards these skills and competes to attract talent, organizations aren’t necessarily keeping pace regarding their current employees’ salaries. In the report, Dice’s research shows that technologists received an average merit increase of only 4.8% this year versus an expected growth of 5.2%.

This salary gap could contribute to the growing openness of changing employers.

If your organization is struggling to keep up with inflation — as most companies are — offer other incentives or compensation like additional paid time off, remote and flexible work options, or training and education opportunities — all of which were ranked as important to tech professionals in the Dice 2022 Tech Salary Report.

Let our talent acquisition professionals help you elevate your career. Work with INNOVA People today.

Hiring Full-Time vs. Part-Time Tech Employees – What to Consider

August 5, 2022 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

Today’s employees want more options; hybrid, fully remote, a four-day work week, and working part-time are a few. If you’re a start-up or a growing company, it can be hard to navigate if you need a full-time staffer or someone to fill in gaps a few days a week.

The Pros and Cons of Part-Time & Full-Time Employees

Offering part-time work options effectively attracts top talent while keeping your company agile and ready to staff up or down according to your needs. But blending part-time workers with your full-time workforce takes some finesse. Before rolling out a part-time option, consider these pros and cons to determine whether it makes sense for your business.

Start with the basics – what is considered Full-Time?

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the primary employment law in the U.S., doesn’t provide a clear definition for part-time or full-time jobs. Depending on your company, the line between part-time and full-time employment can differ.

Most companies require full-time employees to work between 32 and 40 hours per week. The Bureau of Labor Statistics sets the benchmark for full-time employees a little higher, at 35 hours a week, but this isn’t law.

State and local laws vary in providing benefits for part-time employees. Some states may require employers to provide their part-time workers sick leave, paid time off, short-term disability, or health insurance. For example, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that employees who work 30 hours per week (or over 130 hours per month) must be given the option to receive health insurance benefits, or the business may risk fines.

Higher rates of productivity

A HubSpot report found that lost productivity costs U.S. businesses a shocking $1.8 trillion yearly. Helping a full-time employee drop down to a part-time schedule often lowers a company’s cost more than their productivity losses. Parkinson’s law is the adage that work will expand to fill the time allotted for completion. Deadlines can cause procrastination or even prompt people to fill their time with trivial matters. Employees who drop to a part-time schedule often cut out less important tasks like meetings and finish most of the same work in less time.

Stronger level of employee loyalty

Employers often view full-time employees as more committed to the company and less likely to job-hop than contractors or part-time workers. While this may or may not be true in practice, the perception persists. There’s a stronger sense of belonging, and full-time employees can access all the company benefits and training. The security that company benefits can provide is very valuable.

Beyond receiving benefits, full-time employees get to know their coworkers and build relationships and networks throughout the workplace in ways that part-time employees have fewer opportunities to do so. These connections improve day-to-day operations and projects, help employees feel valued and appreciated, and make them more productive and successful over the long term.

Greater training requirements

Full-time IT employees have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the technology they work with. In contrast to part-time employees who may have to learn new technologies and platforms for each project, full-time IT workers can become experts in their tech specialty or field. This technical knowledge and a strong understanding of the company make full-time tech employees valuable assets to many organizations.

Cons of hiring full-time employees

It can be expensive and time-consuming to onboard and train a new employee, not to mention paying someone a full salary instead of a half-time wage. Then you add the additional healthcare and benefits; it can add up pretty quickly, especially considering the cost if you don’t get the hire right.

Hiring good employees can be challenging, costly, and time-consuming.

The IT job market is hotter than it’s ever been. IT pros have the pick of when and where they want to work.

It’s taking more days to recruit and hire top talent; according to LinkedIn, only 30% of companies can fill a vacant role within 30 days. The other 70% of companies take 1 – 4 months to process a new hire. The longer it takes to fill critical positions is costly.

Paying full salaries even during quiet or reduced periods.

When an employee commits to your organization, you commit to them, even during the slow months. Regardless of the workload, a full-time employee will still earn the same salary even when a big project has been completed.

Pros of hiring part-time employees

More flexibility

It allows for more nimble staffing for fluctuating ups and downs. It doesn’t always make sense for organizations in volatile industries to ramp up their roster of full-time employees during busy times if they don’t have enough to do during downturns. Or worse yet, you have to lay off those same employees.

If you hire part-time employees to help carry the workload, you give your full-time employees extra support. Part-time workers can also fill in for employees taking sick or maternity leave and work schedules not covered by full-time employees.

Cost-effective solution

You save on salary and employee benefits, especially with the skyrocketing cost of providing healthcare benefits.

Expanding the talent pool

When you consider part-time employees, you’re opening the door to a talent pool you may be overlooking (for example, mothers re-entering the workforce, workers transitioning to retirement, or someone pursuing a passion project on the side).

Not all exceptionally skilled and talented individuals seek full-time employment, so you cast a wider net in your recruiting efforts when considering part-time candidates. Moreover, you may even increase employee retention by offering part-time options to your existing workforce.

Cons of hiring part-time employees

Less invested in your company

If you’re not receiving paid time off, sick days, and education benefits, it’s a valid concern that part-time workers would feel less committed to the organization. For some, showing up, doing the work, and heading home without the added stress may be a benefit. For others, this may mean they are more inclined to job-hop because they don’t feel as valued as their full-time counterparts.

Consistency with your workloads

One con to consider is the struggle of full-time expectations. Those working a full 40-hour workweek may be carrying a heavier workload and can build resentment. A salaried employee is expected to work until the project is complete, whereas a part-time person may leave once they hit their weekly hours.

Lack of face time

It’s hard to ignore that part-time workers aren’t around as much as full-time employees. It can be challenging for managers to include everyone always if an emergency meeting is needed and schedules don’t allow everyone to be available to weigh in.

A strong manager needs to help the entire team feel supported and appreciated. Only working half-time may make part-timers feel less a part of the team and more detached. Consider scheduling meetings or team-building activities to accommodate everyone’s work schedule.

There is truly no wrong decision here. Both part-time and full-time employment options are tools in your arsenal as your business evolves and grows (or stagnates). Part-time employees offer flexibility and potential cost savings, and full-time employees offer more consistent staffing and support for your business needs.

How to Write a Job Description to Attract Top Tech Talent

May 9, 2022 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

As a Tech Talent Acquisition Agency – we understand the importance of having the right people. Over the decades of hiring great talent, we’ve learned that it starts with attracting great talent. A poorly written job description could lead to the wrong hire, which is costly.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average cost of a bad hire is up to 30% of the employee’s first-year earnings.

The first step to avoiding the wrong hire is to craft an engaging and compelling, inclusive tech job description.

The most promising job description combines some marketing, the reality of the role, necessary skills and competencies, qualifications, and your culture. In addition to your company mission, include any benefits it provides to employees. The goal is to provide enough information for candidates to determine if they’re qualified and entice them to apply.

Just how much weight does the description carry? According to an Indeed survey, 52% of job seekers say the quality of the job description is “very or extremely influential” in their decision to apply.

How To Write an Enticing Tech Job Description

Here’s how to do it:

1. Job Title
  
  Utilize industry-standard language and be specific about the role. Avoid internal jargon such as “VI” or weird titles like “DevOps Rockstar” that may confuse or put off the job seeker.
2. Job Summary
  
  Keep it engaging and short (one-to-four sentences). It should include a description, primary function, how it contributes to the larger company objectives, and why it’s essential to the company and society.
  For example, try answering the question, “How does this role contribute to making people’s lives better or solve existing business or social problems?” according to a whitepaper from the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT).
  Using invitational language, like, “Come join a creative team of ____ dedicated to_____,” is remarkably effective.Try not to use a one size fits all boilerplate language – for all the openings at your company. Technical professionals often have different job search criteria than their non-technical counterparts use the language they speak.
3. Responsibilities and Growth Development
  
  Outline a detailed and concise bulleted list of the core responsibilities. Like most professionals, technologists care about what they will be working on, how their contribution will impact the company and their potential for advancement.
  Avoid detailing every mundane task.
4. Skills and Qualifications
  
  Identify the must-have vs. nice-to-have skills. Here’s why: 63% of candidates in a recent survey said they chose not to apply for a job because they felt like they didn’t know the specific tools or skills listed in the job description.
  Try to emphasize any technologies that will be used that are hot in the marketplace and in demand as a skill. Skilled technologists consider their career marketability when choosing jobs and will favor positions where they can learn a new and valuable trick.
5. Salary and benefits
  
  “Competitive salary and benefits,” tells candidates nothing. High-level candidates look for opportunities that meet their salary needs and goals. Stand out from the crowd (only 30% of job listings include salary information) by adding a salary band to your job description to help attract top tech talent.
  
  Almost 1 in 4 job seekers say that compensation is the most important part of a job description. Highlight your top perks and how your overall package may differ from competitors. Hybrid working option, unlimited PTO, catered lunches, tuition reimbursement, dog-friendly office?

Examples of Tech Job Descriptions

Here are some examples to help you get started.

IT System Support

Principal Full Stack Engineer

Senior Data Engineer

Staff Data Scientist

Still, need help crafting a tech job description? Contact an INNOVA People specialist today to start!

How to Attract Top Talent as a Startup

February 15, 2022 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

Hiring tech-talent – chief technology officers, software engineers, dev-ops, data scientists, and related can be challenging in the current climate, especially when your business is in the early stages or on the small side. But it doesn’t have to be that hard as long as you create a company where people want to work.

Here are some tips from our experienced talent acquisition specialists for attracting (and retaining) tech talent.

Look Beyond Compensation

As an early-stage start-up, you may find it difficult to compete against other start-ups on compensation.

Look beyond compensation when recruiting. Companies are more effective at attracting and keeping talent by creating a work environment where people want to work, grow, develop, and do the things they genuinely love rather than focusing on compensation alone.

Start-up founders need to be prescriptive and intentional, paying attention to their company culture and each employee’s journey, which isn’t easy, especially in today’s world of remote work teams. With clarity on vision and values, a start-up can help candidates make the changes they want to see in the world through their job.

Show off What Makes you Unique

You’re competing for exceptional talent against larger companies with well-known brands and resources as a start-up. To stand out in the crowd, show candidates the unique elements of your team that they won’t find elsewhere.

Ways to do that, showcase what makes you unique, and have some fun with it! Maintain a blog and regularly post on social media about your team, office, company news, events, etc., to humanize yourself to potential future employees.

Your Employees are your Greatest Recruiter

The blurb on your company site about your work culture and mission doesn’t ultimately define you; the people do. Focus on finding the right fit for your company rather than just accepting the first person who you like during interviews. Evaluate potential candidates for shared values and aligned motivations.

At INNOVA People, by combining an AI platform, cutting-edge HR technology, and a people-first philosophy, we deliver faster, more accurate, and longer tenure employees.

So when a prospective employee meets with some of the talented folks you already have on board, they are more eager to join the team.

Great talent attracts great talent.

Let us know how we can serve you as your build your start-up and search for top talent.

Workforce Planning for 2022

November 17, 2021 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

As the final quarter of 2021 comes into focus, many organizations are in the process of assessing workforce needs for 2022.

Planning is challenging considering what the past two years have brought us: health and safety concerns from Covid-19, economic uncertainty, and an incredibly tight labor market. Strategic workforce planning that is flexible and resilient has never been more important for HR and talent acquisition teams.

Here are some factors leaders should be considering in their 2022 planning.

Assume the new normal

The “Great Resignation” doesn’t seem to be slowing down. For the second straight month, Americans quit their jobs at a record pace in September in many cases, for more money elsewhere as companies bump up pay and incentives to fill job openings that are close to an all-time high.

The Labor Department said that 4.4 million people quit their jobs in September or about 3% of the nation’s workforce.

Having a deep understanding of what workers value in a company and building a compelling brand that aligns with connection, progress, employee development, and provides appropriate incentive systems are most likely to retain and attract top talent.

If you need help in showcasing your company brand in your recruiting efforts, contact INNOVA People today.

Be flexible

If anything in the past 20-months has taught us, it’s to be flexible. Technology and hybrid work models are changing what employees and workers expect from firms and future jobs. The companies that lean into those values will reap the benefits.

Focus on worker’s well-being

Burnout is real and is widespread. Employee well-being was the area CEOs said their brands struggled with most amid the pandemic.

Here are some recent findings:

48% of employees report experiencing high to extreme stress over the past year—a 7% increase over the last two years.
96% of CEOs believe they are doing enough for employee mental health, but only 69% of employees feel the same.
80% of CEOs believe that poor employee mental health negatively impacts worker productivity.

Thus, it’s no surprise a focus on mental health and wellness — and being flexible to employees’ needs as it pertains to workers’ well-being — is now essential for all companies to thrive today.

Leaders need to guide their staff through what is — and could remain — a disruptive and uncertain climate in 2022.