Soft Skills Every Gen Zer Needs To Thrive In The Workplace
More than 70% of employers claim to prioritize hiring candidates with strong soft skills over hard skills. Your ability to connect, communicate, and collaborate could land you your dream job faster than any degree or certification you earn. The thing is, employers also believe that Gen Z lacks soft skills. This generation has a bad reputation for being too entitled and having unrealistic expectations about work. But the truth is that Gen Zers themselves believe that formal education never prepared them for the workplace. So, if you wonder what soft skills are and why you should care, you’re in the right place. Soft skills are valuable interpersonal abilities that can be applied to any job role. These skills include things like teamwork, leadership, communication, adaptability, problem solving, and emotional intelligence.
But are they so critical in the workplace? For starters, they bond teams. Imagine a group project where one person is super talented and skilled but can’t communicate or work with others. Soft skills like communication, empathy, and conflict resolution are essential for fostering collaboration. When everyone can share ideas openly and listen to each other, employees can come up with innovative solutions that no one person could have discovered alone. Soft skills also help you adapt to the changes happening in modern workplaces. Tech trends come and go fast, so the ability to embrace change is important. If you can’t move past what you already know or can’t accept feedback, you’ll find it hard to keep up in work environments that are all about growth and flexibility. So, if you want to stand out, you should start working on those soft skills. Below, we share the specific soft skills you need as a Gen Zer and how these help you succeed in the modern workplace.
7 Key Soft Skills For Gen Z
1. Communication Skills
Gen Z might be digital natives since they were born and raised in the age of technology, but that doesn’t mean they are communication pros. Sure, they can perfectly express themselves online, but what about the workplace? Strong verbal and written communication skills are much needed in any role, and how you communicate says a lot about you, whether it’s in a meeting or an email. Employers want professionalism. As a Gen Zer, you need to articulate your ideas, explain your thought process, and collaborate clearly without leaving room for misunderstanding. To ace the communication game, you should be concise, know your audience to adjust your tone, and always embrace feedback from your peers and managers.
2. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the power to understand the emotions of others, a soft skill much needed for Gen Z in the modern workplace. But to get in someone else’s shoes, you must first know yourself thoroughly by getting in touch with your strengths and weaknesses. Next, you need empathy. You must understand others’ positions and problems but not necessarily solve them. For example, if a coworker misses a deadline because of a health issue, it’s not the end of the world. By seeing the bigger picture, you build trust with your peers and collaborate better. Lastly, regulate your emotions. You should know when to keep calm and when to express yourself. This ability shows you can work well under pressure, which is a great asset in the workplace.
3. Adaptability And Flexibility
Workplaces and industries change fast due to emerging trends, so the point isn’t survival but thriving. How can you do that? With adaptability and flexibility. Being adaptable means that you can easily embrace uncertainty, like working from the office on Monday but working from home on Tuesday. Flexibility allows you to be open to changes but also new ideas and even criticism. It’s fine if you have been trained to do things a certain way, but when you’re asked to approach them differently, you should be able to change your methods. No one is perfect, even if they do their job for years, but if you’re willing to learn and adapt, then you’re already one step ahead.
4. Problem-Solving Skills
The ability to solve problems is vital nowadays. From troubleshooting to resolving conflicts among peers, problem-solving skills make you a much-wanted employee. So, how do you actually solve a problem? You need to combine your critical thinking with your creativity. Critical thinking helps you analyze all aspects of an issue, while creativity lets you come up with fresh solutions. But it’s not just about coming up with a solution—you need to do it calmly. First, when you face a problem, don’t panic. Try to understand the cause. Once you do, start bringing the ideas, even if they seem unconventional.
5. Public Speaking
Public speaking is one of the soft skills Gen Zers typically lack, and it’s not their fault. They’re used to communicating online, but at some point, they will have to speak in front of an audience at work. We’re not referring to conventions or big crowds; we’re talking about meetings or presentations in front of a team or the entire company. This includes expressing your opinion in a meeting, sharing your idea in a brainstorming session, and presenting a report in front of your manager or CEO. If you’re not an avid public speaker, you’re probably going to feel anxious the first time. But don’t worry; you will become more comfortable once you get the hang of it. Practice in front of the mirror, keep notes, and don’t mind how you sound to others. The key here is to be yourself and show your personality.
6. Negotiation
Negotiation is a must-have soft skill for Gen Zers who want to excel in their roles. Although you might wonder why you need them if you don’t deal with important clients or if you’re not a lawyer. Well, negotiation isn’t just about closing business deals; it’s about day-to-day interactions. It’s what helps you manage your workload when they keep handing you tasks or what gives you an advantage during performance reviews and meetings with your manager. To negotiate well, you need confidence, preparation in order to present facts, and lastly, you need empathy. Understanding the other person’s perspective gives you leverage. It’s much easier to get what you want when you’ve shown that you understand where the other party is coming from.
7. Time Management Skills
Time management isn’t just about scheduling your day; it’s about not letting your tasks control you. The most important thing is prioritization. You can’t do everything at once, even though you might think you can. You’ve got to learn to evaluate which task on your to-do list is important versus what’s just urgent. The truth is that not everything urgent is important. Being experienced at this will help you get things done efficiently without overworking yourself. Your worst enemy here is procrastination. It’s really easy to push things for later or another day, but deadlines are still there, so you must address them. However, be careful and keep a balance. You don’t have to stay at work after hours. If you manage your time effectively, you’ll have time for everything, including yourself.
Conclusion
Now that you know which soft skills are crucial for you, the Gen Zer, it’s time to take action. Whether it’s through online courses, attending workshops, or even asking for feedback from colleagues, every step you take to improve will help you grow. Developing these skills might take time, but with persistence and an open mind, you’ll find yourself excelling in any workplace. Every small win makes you more confident, so commit to that and see yourself succeed in every way possible.