A Tool for Grooming High Performing Employees Dr MR Parakandi Abu Dhabi University UAE amp Dr T Asokan Kannur University India Let me start by defining a few concepts ID: 143024
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Slide1
Soft Skills –A Tool for Grooming High Performing Employees
Dr.
M.R.
Parakandi, Abu Dhabi University ,
U.A.E.
&
Dr. T.
Asokan
, Kannur University, IndiaSlide2
Let me start by defining a few concepts!
The Key Words
A
skill
is the ability, talent or competence to perform a task well or better than average.
There are essentially two types of skills:
soft skills
and
hard skills
.
Hard skills are defined as
technical skills
while
soft skills
are
the
skills that make an individual smart in dealing with himself ,others and the situation. Soft skills are crucial to an employee’s ability to work better, smarter and more effectively.Slide3
What
was the attraction to go for this study?
The Context
The most important element in any organization is its human capital.
With the advent of globalization and the resultant competition, more and more corporations around the world are recognizing the fact that, in order to gain competitive advantage, in addition to the technical expertise, employees also required to possess `
soft skills
’.
In
an increasingly competitive world of business and industry, these skills are not optional but it is the skills that determine individual performance, leading to organizational excellence.
Candidates
who have both technical skills and soft
skills are becoming
a hot cake for recruiters and
organizations.
Increasing
importance of
soft skills
creates
the context for this study.Slide4
What are the studies done so far on this topic?
The
Literature
107
studies
closely related to this topic of research
were reviewed
.
Soft skills are crucial to a worker’s ability to work smarter. Business and industry representatives have expressed considerable dissatisfaction with the general level of preparedness of prospective entry-level employees. It was found that
more than half of young people leave school without the knowledge or foundation required to find and hold a good job
. (
Alpern
, 1997)
1
.
Employers have serious concerns about the non-technical abilities of graduates
because this deficiency reduces their performance at work and their ability to hold a job (
Wentling
1987)
3
87% of persons losing their jobs or failing to be promoted were found to have ‘improper work habits and attitudes’ rather than insufficient job skills or knowledge
. The special focus needs to be given to reinforcing the value of being able to refine their soft skills. (Beach , 1982)
4
Slide5
This study reveals that components of soft skills can be classified into three categories
such
as self management skills,
people skills
and
technology skills
.
Self management skills refer to the ability to manage one’s own intra personal features such as attitude, emotions, personality, perception, stress, etc for better personal effectiveness. Interpersonal skills mean the skill sets required to deal with other individuals and also the ability to influence people’s behavior and performance. Soft skills also include technical skills, which is now treated as an essential generic competency for most job situations. This include skills to handle technical gadgets like computers, mobile phone, multimedia presentation tools, etc.
What output has come out of the research work?
The OutputSlide6
What output has come out of the research work?
A. Self Management Skills
Conformity to work ethics
Self confidence
Self discipline
Presence of mind
Positive attitude
Time management and punctuality
Self esteemSelf awarenessAdaptability/ FlexibilityMotivating selfDecision making/ Problem solving
Acceptance
Initiative
Managing non-verbal behaviour
Stress management
Assertiveness
Conformity to trends/ norms
Emotional consciousness
Control over temper
Managing own perception
Managing non-verbal behaviourSlide7
Building trust and rapport
Creating
relationshipSocialising skill
Maintaining relationship
Impressive speaking skill
Presentation skills
Motivating others
Team player skill
Decision making (group)AgreeablenessLeadershipCourtesyListeningDelegation with respectGenerosity
Empathy
Forgiveness
Persuasiveness
Mentoring/ coaching skills
Negotiation skill
Promoting changeAppropriate use of powerAffectionateManaging expectationsCounselling skillsSensing other's non verbal behaviourManaging other's perceptionConflict managementManaging remote relationshipsTolerance to criticismSensitivity to diversity
What output has come out of the research work?
B. Interpersonal SkillsSlide8
Computer skillsMobile phonesEmail etiquettes
What output has come out of the research work?
C. Technology SkillsSlide9
The components of soft skills such as Self management skills, Interpersonal skills and technology skills are measured and then compared with performance index.
There is significant relationship between performance index and soft skills.
Findings of the study
Soft skills-Performance link
Attribute
Self management skills
People skills
Technology skillsPerformance
√
√
√
√ Association is significant
×
Association is not significant Slide10
ConclusionJob positions require
frequent use of soft
skillsSoft skills
can be classified into
three
broad categories
, namely,
self management skills
, Interpersonal skills, and technology skills. There is strong link between soft skills and performance. This is a gentle hint to the youth and educators to equip to ensure possession of soft-skills to increase the chances of better employment and better performance at work. Slide11
Future WorkThe results of this study are encouraging and we are extending our work to
study the factors
behind the development of soft-skills, training for developing soft skills, impact of soft-skills on the human relations at work.Slide12