Answer: 92% say soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills

Questions:

• What is the difference between a hard skill and a soft skill?
• Why do you think it is important for employees to have strong soft skills?
• How can you develop your own soft skills in preparation for your future career?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (LinkedIn):

"A programmer needs coding skills and a translator needs language skills to succeed at the most basic level of their jobs. But since there are often clear, consistent ways to evaluate these hard skills, there’s less of a chance that someone without them could slip by and get hired.

Identifying poor soft skills, however, is much harder, which is why they’re often discovered too late, after a hire has been made. As the data to the right shows, bad hires are almost never a matter of hard skills alone. Talent professionals know this, which is why they prioritize soft skills alongside hard skills during the hiring process. "

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Bring a variety of activities to your students to strengthen their soft skills! We have many Soft Skills activities in the NGPF curriculum.

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About the Author

Mason Butts

After graduating from UCLA with a Master's in Education, Mason spent 5 years as a science educator in a South Los Angeles public high school. He is committed to supporting the holistic growth of all students and empowering them to live a life of relational, academic, and financial success. Now settled in the Bay Area, Mason enjoys facilitating professional developments and partnering with educators as they prepare students for a bright financial future. When Mason is not building curriculum or planning a training, he can be found cycling, trying new foods, and exploring the outdoors.