In today’s evolving job environment, employers are looking for employees who possess more than qualifications and experience to fill the different positions being interviewed for. Hence individuals need to have employability skills on top of the qualifications and experience they have so that they stand out from the rest thus they have an advantage over the rest. Employability skills, therefore, are important skills, personality traits and qualities, and values which an individual possesses which helps them to adjust to a new job or workplace easily. These skills are mostly referred to as foundational skills and are soft skills which are transferable qualities that an individual has that make them employable especially in the eyes of a potential employer(Mason & Williams, 2006) . Even if an individual has technical skills and experience required for a job, employability skills still play an important role in determining whether they get the job.
There are various employability skills that individuals can possess to help them be above the rest of the competition. First is good communication and interpersonal skills which are a quality that the majority of employers rank as the most important foundational skill for an individual to possess. It is the ability of an individual to listen effectively to their managers and coworkers and then communicate with them appropriately after which they act on what has been communicated appropriately (Ju, Zhang, & Pacha, 2012). Also, it is the ability of an individual to explain what they mean in a clear and easy manner through both verbal and written communication.
Problem-solving and critical thinking is another foundational skill that is important for individuals to have. It is where an individual can look at a problem understand it by breaking it down, analyze it deeply and then identify the solutions to the problem. Therefore the individual can apply this skill in the various areas involved in solving a problem. Employees need to be able to think logically in any situation and then come up with reasoned judgments and conclusions. Next is self-motivation and initiative are where an individual has the ability to come up with creative ideas and also think up improvements to the way things are in a company. When the individual comes up with this creative idea this skill also enables them to implement them on their own and not waiting to be told what to do (Miller, Biggart, & Newton, 2013).
Another skill is teamwork which is very important in any workplace situation. It is where an individual is good at working with other people both with those in the workplace and also other people whom you come in contact with while working at your company. Most projects in different companies require people to work together for it to be completed therefore one needs to possess this skill as they are bound to work in a group at some point of their employment. Ethics is another important foundational skill and it is a broad term which covers an individual’s values and principles (Wilton, 2011). Therefore, it is the ability of an individual to follow all the rules set at the company that employs them, be honest and also act in a professional and responsible manner.
Flexibility is another skill. It is the ability of a person to not get flustered when things at work do not go the way it is supposed to but to adapt to the situation and make the best of it. Next is organizational skills. It is the ability to be methodical and organized while carrying out their duties at work. The individual is able to plan their duties well so that they meet set deadlines and targets (Rosenberg, Heimler, & Morote, 2012). Therefore, this skill allows the individual to find out what is required of them, make a plan on how to go about completing it and then execute the set plan effectively.
Technology skills is another one that is important to an employee. In today’s workplace, it is important for all workers to have general technological skills since most work today is done using some sort of technology like emails and using photocopiers, therefore by possessing this skill, the employee will have an easier time doing their job. Another important skill is the ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines. This ability allows the employee to handle and manage any kind of stress that accompanies the pressure set by tight deadlines at work and thus they will be able to do their duties well no matter the situation they are in. Finally is a willingness to learn. This skill is where the person is happy to learn new things without having being forced. Nobody is perfect thus this ability shows that the employee is willing to get new knowledge about their job when the opportunity presents itself and they can also pick up new things quickly (“Top ten employability skills”, 2018).
With the ever-evolving workplace and environment, employers are increasingly looking for employees who possess generic employability skills in addition to technical skills. Possessing these employability skills are important for a variety of reasons. First, the labor market is now getting competitive therefore individuals need to possess these soft skills so that they can stand above the rest. As employers peruse through resumes, potential employees with these skills will stand out and thus will have a better chance of getting the job as shown in a current study that showed employers preferred employees with foundational skills (Lumley & Wilkinson, 2014). Next, since these skills are transferable, it helps individuals transition to new job duties whenever they get assigned to them. Therefore, this means individuals who possess these employability skills can easily get promoted in the workplace since these skills allow them to be flexible and thus excel in anything they undertake.
Another importance is that a skill like communication is used in everyday activities in the workplace. Therefore it allows employees to work well together since they can pass on information about the different tasks given effectively and thus set deadlines and targets will be met. When this happens it ensures that the company remains profitable. Next, a skill like teamwork is used regularly in the workplace when there are huge projects which require different people to pitch in so that it can get completed. Thus these skills help these teams to work effectively ensuring that the projects get completed in time without any hitches (Clarke, 2008).
Next, employers view this as a service you give to the company as an employee. Since employees are required to do everything their power to help with the success of a company, possessing these skills help achieve this goal. Organisational skills help employees plan their duties well and execute them well while problem-solving skills allow them to come up with solutions to problems that might come up. Therefore when employees apply these and more employability skills it ensures the growth and profitability of a company. Another one is that these foundational skills aid employers by acting as performance indicators. These skills help employers measure whether cognitively an employee will perform well when they get the position (Husain, Mokhtar, Ahmad, & Mustapha, 2010). Even if one has the necessary technical qualifications and experience lack of employability skills will be a flaw in the performance.
Next, employees who have these skills save the company a lot of money. They do so since employers do not have to organize seminars to teach them these skills. Such skills are important in the workplace since they help employees tackle their duties easily such as adapting to any situation no matter how difficult it is and also handling and managing any stress that comes with the job. Therefore as they are desirable skills to possess employers to require their employees to have them and if not they have to train them and thus if the employees already have them there will be no need to use the money to organize such seminars. Finally, in today’s competitive workplace, employers both in private and public sector are looking for employees who have the ability to be flexible, take charge, be creative and have the ability to undertake the different task and ensure they complete them well (Lowden, Hall, Elliot, & Lewin, 2011). Such employees ensure the success of the company in the long run.
In conclusion, the world’s economy is now shifting from production to a service-led economy and employability skills are among the things that such an economy requires from employees. Therefore it is essential for employees to possess them as they are quite beneficial. the skills are transferable hence an individual can easily transition from one workplace to another without having to relearn these skills. The good thing about these foundational skills is that like technical or hard skills, they can be learned through training and thus this means individuals can learn this and they will remain relevant in the workplace. More and more employers continue to prefer employees who possess these skills and thus this means that it is important for graduates or new potential employees to possess them to ensure that they remain on top of the competition. However, more research needs to be done on this subject to ensure that individuals have the necessary information on it.
References
Clarke, M. (2008). Understanding and managing employability in changing career contexts. Journal of European Industrial Training, 32(4), 258-284.
Husain, M. Y., Mokhtar, S. B., Ahmad, A. A., & Mustapha, R. (2010). Importance of employability skills from employers’ perspective. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 7, 430-438.
Ju, S., Zhang, D., & Pacha, J. (2012). Employability skills valued by employers as important for entry-level employees with and without disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 35(1), 29-38.
Lowden, K., Hall, S., Elliot, D., & Lewin, J. (2011). Employers’ perceptions of the employability skills of new graduates. London: Edge Foundation.
Lumley, M., & Wilkinson, J. 2014. Developing employability for business. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mason, G., & Williams, G. 2006. Employability Skills Initiatives in Higher Education. London: National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
Miller, L., Biggart, A., & Newton, B. (2013). Basic and employability skills. International Journal of Training and Development, 17(3), 173-175.
Rosenberg, S., Heimler, R., & Morote, E. S. (2012). Basic employability skills: a triangular design approach. Education+ Training, 54(1), 7-20.
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