Faster Promotions with Soft Skills

Hard skills are specific and easy to measure, like tax prep, graphic design, or knowing a language. Soft skills, however, are harder to define and evaluate, like problem-solving or being organized.

Despite being harder to pin down, soft skills are crucial for career growth and business success. New data from LinkedIn shows that people with both hard and soft skills get promoted faster than those with just hard skills.

Key Findings:

• Faster Promotions: People with both types of skills get promoted 8% faster than those with only hard skills.
• Technology Pros: This trend is even more noticeable among tech workers, who often focus on hard skills.

Why It Matters:

Soft skills have a real, positive impact on career advancement. For hiring managers, this means soft skills should be a key part of hiring criteria. Companies should also invest in training employees in these skills.

Top Soft Skills for Promotions:

Some soft skills lead to even faster promotions:

• Organization, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, and Communication: Linked to 11% faster promotions.
• Leadership: Linked to 10% faster promotions.

Keep Updating Your Skills:

Regularly updating both hard and soft skills also helps you get promoted faster.

In summary, while hard skills are important, soft skills can significantly boost your career growth. Make sure to develop and highlight these skills to advance more quickly in your career.