Here's What Global Talent Professionals (And A Tech Leader) Say Is Vital For Career Success

Recently, LinkedIn released its annual Global Talent Trends 2019 report, which explores the four big trends fueling the future of the workplace. Topping the list was something that's often discounted, yet vitally important for career success: "soft skills."

Soft skills—like awareness, empathy, and the ability to connect—refer to personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people; hard skills refer to occupational expertise like engineering, graphic design, or accounting. Said another way, if hard skills are about specific knowledge and technical tasks, soft skills are about the way you do those things.

According to the report, 92% of talent professionals say soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills when they hire, and 80% say they’re increasingly important to company success.

Professional success depends on your ability to master both, yet traditionally, soft skills have gotten a bad rap, dismissed as less valuable and viewed as secondary to hard skills.

Challenging this assumption is Scott Hartley, a venture capitalist who previously worked at Silicon Valley tech giants Google and Facebook. In his book, The Fuzzy and The Techie: Why the Liberal Arts Will Rule the Digital World, Hartley makes the case that the business world is heavily reliant on the human touch that soft skills bring, even—and especially—with its increasing focus on technology.

"If machines keep getting better — and they will — humans must become better versions of themselves," says Hartley. "The rise of the robots, which has been persuasively heralded, will impel a greater need for our very basic humanity, and our need for empathy and the soft skills. Automation will take away repetitive human tasks that do not require higher-level problem solving. Being a techie is not the antidote to redundancy in tomorrow’s economy; being more human is."

So how can you inject more humanity into your workplace? Consider brushing up on these five soft skills, cited in LinkedIn's report as the most in-demand by employers:

1. Creativity

Worried that you're not an artist and therefore not creative? Rest assured, creativity in the workplace isn't limited to those with design degrees. Every role at every level can use this soft skill to solve problems in innovative ways. It simply requires adjusting your mindset to see the possibilities and allowing your curiosity to take over.

2. Persuasion

Think persuasion is relegated to the sales department? Think again. Your ability to defend your ideas and convince others that they matter can make or break your career. When you can rally support around an initiative, you also build your reputation as an effective communicator and leader.

3. Collaboration

With the proliferation of global and remote offices, today's employers rely on their employees' ability to collaborate with colleagues and customers across time zones. When you can effectively connect with others and become a bridge to continued progress, your value multiplies.

4. Adaptability

In the business world, change happens. A lot. Between mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, and changes in management, those who remain flexible hold the key to career success. Maintaining the ability to adapt your thinking and actions to handle unforeseen circumstances can help position you as an indispensable member of the team who can roll with the punches.

5. Time Management

Your ability to prioritize and focus your attention to tackle work projects is crucial. How and with whom you spend your time, and your productivity while doing so, demonstrate your focus and commitment to what—and who—matters most.

These soft skills underscore a fundamental truth: At its core, business is about relationships. No matter your job function or title, to succeed, you must interact with other people. And those who find a way to combine their hard skills with soft skills—more aptly titled human skills—create environments that empower and ignite their teams, delight their customers and fuel sustainable growth.

This article was first published on Forbes.com.

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Amy Blaschka is a ghostwriter who helps leaders communicate effectively and focus on what—and who—matters most.

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