According to some research, hiring managers these days are looking for people who have a combination of soft and hard skills. Ever since the influx of Covid-19 pandemic, people were put to many tests and challenges not only at work but in their lives as a whole. With the virtual hiring and working approach, people needed to adapt to the transition.

Here are the top 10 skills that recruiters should look for in candidates for 2022.

1. Adaptability

As earlier mentioned, the pandemic has caused many people and many companies to adapt to the changes in the way that they hire people. They have adapted to the remote hiring approach in order to keep the company going and keep up with competitors. In the same vein, job seekers and employees have learned to adapt to the transition. Recruiters should look for people who have overcome failures and challenges which further fueled their drive to succeed.

2. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is very important for many organizations as it determines employees’ ability to work under pressure and how to cope with it and their ability to work well with others. Recruiters can have an initial glimpse of the candidate’s EI during the interview.

3. Communication Skills

In a virtual environment work setting, communication skills are a must. The lack of personal interaction makes it more challenging to communicate. Employees need to utilize the available tools for them to communicate like email, virtual meeting tools as Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and even mobile phones. Hiring managers can measure a candidate’s communication skills by their resumes — how they clearly define each role that they held and highlight their accomplishments. The manner in which a candidate answers questions during the interview is also an effective measure.

4. Ability to Work in a Virtual Environment

Since remote work is currently getting more predominant, employers should find candidates who can work in this kind of setting. Some have already gained experience in this arena, but others haven’t but they are willing to try it given the opportunity. A clear understanding of technology is very important when looking for a candidate to hire remotely. Working in a remote environment can be tough and even isolating to some candidates but if you find people who are willing to break these barriers, you just might hit the jackpot.

5. Willingness to Learn

New innovations and advanced technology are the future of companies. Recruiters should look for people who are willing to learn the new tricks of the trade and add these skills to their portfolio. Their willingness to learn and grow their careers in the company is a big plus factor.

6. Leadership Abilities

Hiring managers want people with leadership qualities, even if they are not hiring for an executive position. This can come in handy when rank-level employees are tasked to manage or lead other teams to complete a project. This will motivate employees to become more productive and to take on more responsibilities and account for them. Some of the leadership abilities that hiring managers look for in candidates are ability to actively listen, ability to receive feedback in a positive manner, and being present all the time.

7. Decision Making

In every day of our lives, we make decisions; decisions that can make or break us. Assessing the situation is vital in the decision-making process as this will help us come to a decision that can bring the best result. Job seekers can emphasize this skill during the interview by citing examples on how their decision helped a project or the company as a whole.

8. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence software has become more popular in the job market and many organizations are looking for people who are well-versed on this.  Even if the next job that a candidate applies for isn’t directly related to AI, having a top-level knowledge of it can help someone do better at a company that works with AI tech.

9. Creativity

Sometimes, issues and problems are not getting solved if you are inside the box. Being creative and thinking outside the box often work. And candidates who have this ability are the ones wanted by recruiters.

10. Resilience

Difficulties in the workplace are inevitable. Pressure, disagreements, disappointments, and failures are some of these. Asking candidates how they will respond to a difficult situation can help assess their resiliency level in overcoming obstacles. Employees who handle challenges with much determination are great assets of the company.

Employees play a big role in an organization’s success. Without the right people, a company cannot flourish and meet its goals. So, when hiring people, make sure to look for the skills and abilities mentioned above and if you find them, do everything in your power to make them say YES.