soft skills

plural noun

1. desirable qualities for certain forms of employment that do not depend on acquired knowledge: they include common sense, the ability to deal with people, and a positive flexible attitude

Example Sentences

That could mean taking a new career path or starting a business, whether you have technical skills like being an expert coder or so-called soft skills like being empathetic or funny.

From Salon

“The soft skills are sometimes understated in cyber-security,” he says.

From BBC

“It would bring about a lot of soft skills you wouldn’t learn in schools,” she said.

From BBC

And Pursuit teaches “soft skills” like communication, teamwork and resilience.

From New York Times

“Correctional Industries jobs provide incarcerated individuals with marketable job skills, as well as soft skills, that help them land jobs when they leave our facilities. Steady work in turn lowers recidivism rates and creates better neighbors and safer communities.”

From Seattle Times

More About Soft Skills

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are traits that some employers look for that aren’t usually taught and are difficult to measure, such as how to communicate with coworkers in a respectful way.

Soft skills are traits that employees exhibit as a part of their character that could assist them and others in their career and day-to-day work. Soft skills aren’t usually taught in school. Instead, they are learned through discipline and interaction with others. Soft skills include time management, communication, team work, critical thinking, and decision-making.

By comparison, hard skills are skills you learn through training and that are measurable. When you are hired as a software developer, for example, your hard skills include knowing specific coding languages and the ability to write code that works. Your ability to work with other software developers, helping each other resolve problems in the code, would be a soft skill.

Example: Do you think I should include a section on my résumé for soft skills?

Where does the phrase soft skills come from?

The first records of soft skills come from around the 1950s. It was originally a military term that referred to skills that don’t require specialist training, such as completing paperwork. 

Over time, the meaning of skills associated with communication overtook the military meaning. Soft skills, sometimes called interpersonal skills, are sometimes seen as more important than hard skills once the employee has become comfortable with their workplace. Many of the most popular résumé templates include a section for soft skills, and employers may ask about soft skills during a job interview or survey.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to soft skills?

• soft skill (singular noun)

What are some synonyms for soft skills?

• interpersonal skills

What are some words that share a root or word element with soft skills? 

• soft
• skills

What are some words that often get used in discussing soft skills?

• communication
• leadership
• behavioral
• emotional

How is the phrase soft skills used in real life?

Hard skills get you in, soft skills get you far.

— Sahil Lavingia (@shl) May 18, 2021

How come schools don't have a whole year long course about how to interview for a job and on the soft skills that impress after you're hired. No employer cares about 99% of the stuff they teach you.

— Tai Lopez (@tailopez) November 19, 2017

The irony of "soft skills" is that they're often the hardest to master.

Leadership, communication, collaboration, creativity, and adaptability may not be technical, but they're increasingly vital.

Behavioral, social, and emotional skills are what make humans indispensable.

— Adam Grant (@AdamMGrant) August 12, 2021

Try using soft skills!

True or False?

Soft skills include knowing how to communicate respectfully with coworkers.