Soft skills and hard skills are two groups of competencies that should be highlighted in a recruitment application. Mentioning both in your CV will enhance your credibility and prove your added value.

This article provides a detailed overview of each type of skill and the differences between them. You’ll also find out which skills recruiters prefer, whether soft skills or hard skills, in various fields.

Soft skills

Soft skills are related to personality and character traits. They relate to the specific qualities of each individual, and are generally indispensable for occupying certain corporate positions.

These skills can be rated more highly than technical skills when recruiters use a sourcing solution modern. Here’s what you need to know about them.

Concept definition

Soft skills are non-technical competencies that come under the heading of savoir-être and savoir-vivre. They are a set of faculties that make up a person’s intrinsic personality and ability to manage certain situations.

These skills can also be defined as aptitudes that are not acquired through training or an academic curriculum.

They are generally developed in everyday situations. They are cross-disciplinary competencies in the same way as emotional and relational faculties and behavioral tendencies.

Importance of soft skills

Soft skills are indispensable assets for a successful personal life and professional career. They are useful in a variety of fields and can be exploited in all spheres of human life.

In practice, these skills enable :

  • Improve interpersonal relations;
  • A better quality of life;
  • Effectively resolve common problems, such as conflict, adaptation or organizational difficulties.

Soft skills are also essential for effectively assuming the responsibilities associated with certain positions. They help to manage the emotional and human aspects of the job, such as stress, conflict with customers, the need for collaboration, etc.

For example, a human resources manager will need to combine soft and hard skills, empathy and open-mindedness in order to succeed in his or her mission.

Another interesting point is that there’s no risk of them becoming obsolete. In fact, some companies make a point of keeping their attracting talent who have the soft skills we’re looking for.

Examples of the most sought-after soft skills

There are many soft skills that recruiters are looking for. Here are the ones that are most valued in recruitment processes, across all sectors:

  • Team spirit: This soft skill translates into the ability to collaborate harmoniously with colleagues to achieve common goals. It is required, for example, for project and team management positions;
  • Communication: the ability to convey ideas and facilitate mutual understanding. It is regularly in demand in the corporate world, especially when it comes to becoming a communications or marketing manager;
  • Adaptability: this soft skill enables you to evolve rapidly and adapt to changes or crises. It is often sought after by senior executives, marketing professionals, project managers or software developers;
  • Emotional intelligence: this characterizes people who easily understand their own emotions, as well as those of others, while demonstrating empathy. Emotional intelligence is essential for working in the fields of negotiation, psychology and social work;
  • Leadership: leadership is about managing people, teams and projects. It translates into the ability to motivate those around you, to lead and to make key decisions.

Hard skills

Unlike soft skills, hard skills are the skills most often highlighted on CVs. They are also the most well-known.

Concept definition

Hard skills are the technical competencies required to master an activity or work tool. They refer to a person’s know-how in a specific field. They are sometimes referred to as business skills.

These are skills learned at school, university, vocational training or through practical experience. They are skills that can be measured with a diploma, certificate or title.

Their scope of application is restricted to the professional context and field of practice concerned. It should be borne in mind that they are indispensable for carrying out the technical tasks of a job.

The importance of hard skills

Hard skills are generally the first skills assessed by recruiters, especially for technical or manual positions. They demonstrate a candidate’s qualifications and ability to carry out the tasks associated with the position to be filled.

They represent the basis of professional expertise, and are therefore the first criterion for differentiating between candidates when recruiting. For example, a candidate with a Master’s degree and proven experience may be favored over one with only a Bachelor’s degree.

Candidates need to develop their hard skills. Continuous training allows you to reinforce and diversify your skills, so you can remain competitive on the job market.

Examples of the most sought-after hard skills

Although they differ depending on the field of expertise, there are some hard skills that are in abundant demand. Here are just a few, presented according to the sector concerned:

  • Marketing: the most sought-after skills here are marketing campaign management, writing creative and engaging briefs, content marketing skills and digital advertising;
  • Finance: the most popular hardskills here are bookkeeping, financial modelling, accounting and financial management, and auditing;
  • Computer science: this field generally requires mastery of programming languages, computer and network security, database administration, or expertise in cloud computing;
  • Product development: this includes mastering go-to-market strategies, UX design, market and user research, and developing marketing strategies;
  • Data analysis: this field requires a good command of data creation and management software, as well as expertise in data visualization, statistical analysis and risk assessment.

The main differences between soft and hard skills

Soft skills and hard skills differ in many ways. Starting from their definition, here are 4 points of difference to remember between these two types of skills:

  • Type of skills ;
  • Acquisition and development methods ;
  • Valuation methods ;
  • Scope of application.

You may be predisposed to developing both soft and hard skills, but the acquisition process varies according to the nature of the skill.

Soft skills are cross-functional, interpersonal and behavioral competencies, while hard skills are domain-specific.

The former are acquired through specific life experiences or personal development training. The latter are learned through vocational training, academic studies and/or practical experience.

Secondly, the assessment of soft skills requires interviews, role-playing and scenario analysis with the individual’s reaction. In contrast, hard skills can already be assessed on the basis of a practical test, certification or diploma.

Another notable difference between soft skills and hard skills is that the former are rather difficult to measure. They depend on the character of each individual and are not easy to apprehend, whereas the latter are easily quantifiable and measurable.

Finally, soft skills are applicable in most sectors, unlike hard skills, which are confined to their original domains. Only a few apply to several functions, such as mastery of a language or popular software.

Are soft skills more important than hard skills?

The value of soft skills or hard skills varies according to context and need. In a professional context, it’s important to remember that neither is sufficient to recruit a person or fully assume the responsibilities of a position.

However, hard skills take on greater importance when limited to the technical aspect of a job. They are a priority in any job. What’s more, they are the easiest skills to find, acquire and develop.

However, soft skills will be favored by the company and the individual in search of better, lasting performance. For example, an employee needs to develop them if he or she is to make a difference and improve efficiency at work.

In a recruitment process for a managerial position, soft skills are a factor in identifying candidates who are optimally suited to the position.

However, this does not obviate the need toevaluate skills for the company, and to interview each candidate to assess his or her know-how.

What skills do recruiters tend to prioritize?

Most recruiters see soft skills and hard skills as complementary and inseparable. Today, however, cross-disciplinary skills are an important asset when it comes to landing a job. They clearly make the difference.

Recruiters consider these skills to be essential for adapting to changes in the business and overcoming corporate crises.

They are looking for employees who contribute to maintaining a good working environment. They need both soft and hard skills to make them more effective in the long term.

Recruiters then focus on soft skills to differentiate between two candidates with the same technical skills, whether through a cognitive test or any other method.

Job offers are proof of the particular importance attached to these skills. In fact, more than 60% of eligibility criteria concern soft skills, not hard skills.

What can we learn from the differences between soft and hard skills?

Soft skills and hard skills are remarkably different. Soft skills refer to competencies linked to “savoir-être” and “savoir-vivre”, while hard skills refer to “savoir faire”.

Soft skills are necessary for a job, but must be combined with hard skills for lasting efficiency. We must always bear in mind that recruiters may prefer soft skills to hard skills, depending on their needs and objectives.

So the right approach is to use soft skills and hard skills in a balanced way to get the best results, whether you’re a company or a recruitment candidate. Soft skills and hard skills are complementary in all areas.