Hard skills describe teachable or technical abilities that are learned in an educational institution, book, or in the workplace. Soft skills, on the other hand, are those that are used to interact with other people. For this reason, they are sometimes referred to as interpersonal skills or people skills.
Aspect
Hard Skills
Soft Skills
Definition
Specific, teachable abilities or knowledge related to a particular job or task.
Personal attributes and interpersonal skills that enhance one’s interactions, relationships, and work effectiveness.
Tangibility
Tangible and quantifiable; can be measured and tested objectively.
Intangible and harder to quantify; assessed subjectively through behavior and interactions.
Acquisition
Typically acquired through education, training, and practice.
Developed over time through experiences, self-awareness, and interactions with others.
Examples
Technical skills, data analysis, coding, accounting, language proficiency.
Hard skills describe the technical abilities an interview candidate may list on their resume. These skills demonstrate competency in a specific job, career, or industry and must be learned in a formal or informal education setting. In other words, no one is born with hard skills.
For example, a restaurant worker will need to possess formal barista and point-of-sale system training as part of their role. An international sales representative may need to be fluent in the language of the country where their most important clients reside.
Hard skills tend to be measurable, easily quantified, and can be described using numerical or yes/no criteria. Examples include:
With business now dominated by technology, it can be easy to assume that most roles emphasize hard skills and technical proficiency. However, there are some skills that technology cannot reproduce. We will take a look at these in the next section.
Understanding soft skills
Soft skills are harder to quantify than hard skills because they refer to how we interact with others. Many of these skills are innate to our personalities, but we can also learn soft skills to bolster our job prospects or improve the quality of our relationships with others.
In the workplace, soft skills are desirable because they can be used in any context irrespective of the industry or the organization itself. What’s more, employers look for candidates with soft skills because they are essential to creating a harmonious and positive company culture.
Some positions may also place a greater emphasis on soft skills than on hard skills. For example, it is more important for a human resources manager to be empathetic and a great communicator than it is for them to be able to analyze data or use specialized software.
Examples of soft skills include:
Communication.
Collaboration.
Problem-solving.
Leadership.
Active listening.
Critical thinking.
A willingness to learn.
Self-motivation or organization.
Creativity.
Dependability.
Key takeaways:
Hard skills describe teachable or technical abilities that are learned in an educational institution, book, or in the workplace. Conversely, soft skills are those that are used to interact with other people and can be more difficult to quantify.
Hard skills are increasingly important in many technology-based roles where technical proficiency is key. Examples include coding, blockchain, and forklift operation.
Many individuals possess innate soft skills that allow them to relate to others positively, but the good news is that most soft skills can be learned to bolster a resume. Examples include communication, creativity, critical thinking, leadership, and active listening.
Similarities between Hard Skills and Soft Skills:
Skills: Both hard skills and soft skills are types of skills possessed by individuals that contribute to their overall competency and effectiveness in various roles.
Learned and Developed: Both hard skills and soft skills can be learned, developed, and improved over time through education, training, and practice.
Relevance in the Workplace: Both types of skills are relevant in the workplace and contribute to an individual’s success and performance in their job or career.
Differences between Hard Skills and Soft Skills:
Nature of Skills:
Hard Skills are teachable and technical abilities that are specific and measurable, often acquired through formal education, training programs, or on-the-job experience.
Soft Skills are interpersonal and behavioral attributes that influence how individuals interact with others, communicate, and work in a team.
Tangibility:
Hard Skills are tangible and can be easily quantified, described using numerical or yes/no criteria, and listed on a resume or CV.
Soft Skills are less tangible and more subjective, making them harder to measure or quantify, but they are equally essential for success in various job roles.
Examples:
Examples of hard skills include technical abilities like SEO marketing, user interface design, statistical analysis, database management, coding, and blockchain proficiency.
Examples of soft skills include communication, collaboration, problem-solving, leadership, active listening, critical thinking, creativity, and dependability.
Application in Specific Roles:
Hard Skills are often role-specific and directly related to a particular job or industry, demonstrating competency in a specific area.
Soft Skills are more versatile and can be applied across various roles, industries, and job contexts, making them valuable in any professional setting.
Acquisition:
Hard Skills are typically learned through formal education, training courses, certifications, or on-the-job experience.
Soft Skills can be inherent traits or personality characteristics, but they can also be developed and improved through practice, self-awareness, and learning.
Importance in Different Roles:
In some roles, such as technology-based positions, hard skills may be emphasized more, as technical proficiency is crucial for success.
In other roles, especially those involving leadership, communication, and teamwork, soft skills may be considered more important for creating a positive work environment and building relationships.
Assessment and Measurement:
Hard Skills can be easily assessed and measured through tests, certifications, or demonstrations of specific abilities.
Soft Skills are more challenging to assess objectively and may be evaluated through behavioral interviews, situational assessments, and feedback from colleagues.
Impact on Company Culture:
Soft Skills, such as collaboration, empathy, and communication, are crucial for fostering a positive company culture and a productive work environment.
While hard skills are essential for specific job tasks, soft skills contribute to effective teamwork, employee satisfaction, and overall organizational success.
Case Studies
Hard Skills:
Technical abilities learned through formal/informal education or experience.
Not innate, but acquired.
Measurable and quantifiable.
Examples:
SEO Marketing: Enhancing website visibility on search engines.
User Interface Design: Crafting user-friendly digital interfaces.
Statistical Analysis: Interpreting data to make informed decisions.
Database Management: Organizing and managing electronic data.
Forklift Operation: Maneuvering and operating a forklift.
Phlebotomy: Drawing blood for medical tests or donations.
Blockchain: Understanding and implementing decentralized digital records.
Cash Flow Management: Monitoring, analyzing, and optimizing financial inflows and outflows.
Coding: Writing software or website code.
Soft Skills:
Interpersonal skills utilized in interactions with others.
Can be innate or learned.
Difficult to quantify but essential for work environments.
Examples:
Communication: Effectively conveying and receiving information.
Collaboration: Working well in team settings.
Problem-solving: Finding solutions to challenges.
Leadership: Guiding and inspiring teams or individuals.
Active Listening: Fully concentrating on the speaker.
Critical Thinking: Analyzing and evaluating information objectively.
Willingness to Learn: Being open to acquiring new knowledge or skills.
Self-motivation: Driving oneself to achieve goals without external push.
In a functional organizational structure, groups and teams are organized based on function. Therefore, this organization follows a top-down structure, where most decision flows from top management to bottom. Thus, the bottom of the organization mostly follows the strategy detailed by the top of the organization.
In a flat organizational structure, there is little to no middle management between employees and executives. Therefore it reduces the space between employees and executives to enable an effective communication flow within the organization, thus being faster and leaner.
Project portfolio management (PPM) is a systematic approach to selecting and managing a collection of projects aligned with organizational objectives. That is a business process of managing multiple projects which can be identified, prioritized, and managed within the organization. PPM helps organizations optimize their investments by allocating resources efficiently across all initiatives.
Harvard Business School professor Dr. John Kotter has been a thought-leader on organizational change, and he developed Kotter’s 8-step change model, which helps business managers deal with organizational change. Kotter created the 8-step model to drive organizational transformation.
The Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model was created by David Nadler and Michael Tushman at Columbia University. The Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model is a diagnostic tool that identifies problem areas within a company. In the context of business, congruence occurs when the goals of different people or interest groups coincide.
McKinsey’s Seven Degrees of Freedom for Growth is a strategy tool. Developed by partners at McKinsey and Company, the tool helps businesses understand which opportunities will contribute to expansion, and therefore it helps to prioritize those initiatives.
Mintzberg’s 5Ps of Strategy is a strategy development model that examines five different perspectives (plan, ploy, pattern, position, perspective) to develop a successful business strategy. A sixth perspective has been developed over the years, called Practice, which was created to help businesses execute their strategies.
The COSO framework is a means of designing, implementing, and evaluating control within an organization. The COSO framework’s five components are control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring activities. As a fraud risk management tool, businesses can design, implement, and evaluate internal control procedures.
The TOWS Matrix is an acronym for Threats, Opportunities, Weaknesses, and Strengths. The matrix is a variation on the SWOT Analysis, and it seeks to address criticisms of the SWOT Analysis regarding its inability to show relationships between the various categories.
Lewin’s change management model helps businesses manage the uncertainty and resistance associated with change. Kurt Lewin, one of the first academics to focus his research on group dynamics, developed a three-stage model. He proposed that the behavior of individuals happened as a function of group behavior.
Airbnb follows a holacracy model, or a sort of flat organizational structure, where teams are organized for projects, to move quickly and iterate fast, thus keeping a lean and flexible approach. Airbnb also moved to a hybrid model where employees can work from anywhere and meet on a quarterly basis to plan ahead, and connect to each other.
eBay was until recently a multi-divisional (M-form) organization with semi-autonomous units grouped according to the services they provided. Today, eBay has a single division called Marketplace, which includes eBay and its international iterations.
IBM has an organizational structure characterized by product-based divisions, enabling its strategy to develop innovative and competitive products in multiple markets. IBM is also characterized by function-based segments that support product development and innovation for each product-based division, which include Global Markets, Integrated Supply Chain, Research, Development, and Intellectual Property.
Sony has a matrix organizational structure primarily based on function-based groups and product/business divisions. The structure also incorporates geographical divisions. In 2021, Sony announced the overhauling of its organizational structure, changing its name from Sony Corporation to Sony Group Corporation to better identify itself as the headquarters of the Sony group of companies skewing the company toward product divisions.
Facebook is characterized by a multi-faceted matrix organizational structure. The company utilizes a flat organizational structure in combination with corporate function-based teams and product-based or geographic divisions. The flat organization structure is organized around the leadership of Mark Zuckerberg, and the key executives around him. On the other hand, the function-based teams based on the main corporate functions (like HR, product management, investor relations, and so on).
Google (Alphabet) has a cross-functional (team-based) organizational structure known as a matrix structure with some degree of flatness. Over the years, as the company scaled and it became a tech giant, its organizational structure is morphing more into a centralized organization.
Tesla is characterized by a functional organizational structure with aspects of a hierarchical structure. Tesla does employ functional centers that cover all business activities, including finance, sales, marketing, technology, engineering, design, and the offices of the CEO and chairperson. Tesla’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, decide the strategic direction of the company, with international operations given little autonomy.
McDonald’s has a divisional organizational structure where each division – based on geographical location – is assigned operational responsibilities and strategic objectives. The main geographical divisions are the US, internationally operated markets, and international developmental licensed markets. And on the other hand, the hierarchical leadership structure is organized around regional and functional divisions.
Walmart has a hybrid hierarchical-functional organizational structure, otherwise referred to as a matrix structure that combines multiple approaches. On the one hand, Walmart follows a hierarchical structure, where the current CEO Doug McMillon is the only employee without a direct superior, and directives are sent from top-level management. On the other hand, the function-based structure of Walmart is used to categorize employees according to their particular skills and experience.
Microsoft has a product-type divisional organizational structure based on functions and engineering groups. As the company scaled over time it also became more hierarchical, however still keeping its hybrid approach between functions, engineering groups, and management.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
