Communication really is key in the workplace

Communication’ is the most sought after soft skill by employers

Communication is the most sought-after soft skill when it comes to employers searching for new staff.

New data from job search engine Adzuna has revealed that 10.9 per cent of ads mention the word.

That equates to 116,261 mentions across the 1.1million job adverts analysed, closely followed up ‘Organised’, mentioned 87,747 times (8.7%), and ‘Planning’, mentioned 83,322 times (7.8%), rounding off the top three most sought after soft skills for employment in the UK.

Top five soft skills

Featured in the top ten soft skills were ‘Focused’, ‘Confidence’, ‘Customer service’, ‘Initiative’ and ‘Independent’: illustrating the range and variety of personable qualities that are in demand by employers. 

The research discovered that Accounting and Finance, Healthcare and Nursing, and Teaching industries all have particular emphasises on specific soft skills.

Communication is particularly sought-after in Accounting and Finance roles – 17% of job ads mention the term, compared to 10.9% of job ads across all industries.

Furthermore, 14.9% of Healthcare and Nursing jobs require ‘Flexibility’, and 13.7% of Teaching jobs mention ‘Planning’, compared to only 7.8% across UK jobs in general.

Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said: “For job seekers, highlighting your soft skills alongside your hard skills will put you at an advantage when attempting to impress potential future employers. Hard skills give the technical elements for proficiency in a role and assist in meeting vocational requirements, however soft skills can often be more highly regarded than ticking the boxes of certain qualifications and workplace experiences. Companies are not just looking for a candidate who can do the job, but someone who will harmonise with the business and its pre-existing staff.

Within a job ad these sought after soft skills showcase not only a demand in what is required within the role, but can also be indicative to the company’s culture; of course be sure to showcase you can satisfy the qualifications for the role, but don’t overlook your ability and desire to fulfil the soft skills required too.”