Les professional skills employees are essential for the good development of a company. From SEO techniques, to stress management, to knowing regulations: what is a”skill”? And how will skills boost business performance? What is the connection with vocational training ? Beedeez decrypts for you!
What is professional competence?
A professional skill is the skilful mix between know-how (Hard Skills) and interpersonal skills (soft skills). Its role is crucial for your teams: it gives them the tools to approach and manage their missions with confidence.
The different types of professional skills
In the HR field, there is a tendency to use the term “professional competence” to encompass a body of knowledge. Except that in reality, there are different categories to know:
- Knowledge, or theoretical knowledge
It is the theoretical and academic knowledge acquired during a school course, studies or specific training.
- Know-how (hard skills), or technical skills
Know-how are technical skills specific to a job or mission. They are acquired through formal education: training, diploma or certification. Hard skills, which are tangible and evaluable, include, for example, mastering programming languages, SEO rules, etc.
- Interpersonal skills (soft skills), or behavioral skills
Les Soft Skills are skills that are increasingly sought after by HR directors during interviews or skills assessments. We speak of soft skills to refer to all behavioral and relational skills. Contrary to Hard Skills, these skills are often linked to emotional, social and relational aspects. For example, we talk about stress management, team spirit or creativity.
Blending the different types of professional skills
In this case, is a 100% technical profile more interesting than an employee without knowledge who will adapt easily? Yes... and no!
The winning combination is a perfect blend of these two types of skills:
- An employee who knows his subject inside out is ideal.
- But an employee who knows his subject, and who knows how to transmit his ideas in meetings, delegates his tasks and manages his daily stress is a real rare find!
Having solid technical knowledge is an asset for a company, but adaptability has become a fundamental criterion to stay up to date.
In short, don't limit yourself to Hard Skills Or at Soft Skills : cultivate both!
What professional skills are essential?
For the performance of your business to be assured, it is essential to cultivate the skills development of your teams. So what skills should you focus on when training your teams?
- Professional skills to keep your business up to date
With the resurgence of social networks, the emergence of AI and new technologies, businesses can quickly be overwhelmed. So, rely on professional skills such asagility of your teams, on their ability to learn continuously and on their appetite for innovation.
- Professional skills for your business to be competitive
A lot of start-ups and start-ups have emerged recently. This is an ideal time to train your teams on commercial skills! Negotiation, communication, closing... Don't overlook these essential skills!
- Professional skills for your business to be successful
If you want to develop a successful team, focus on developing skills related to leadership. Your role is to inspire, motivate and guide your employees towards the achievement of common goals. Empathize, identify individual talent, and encourage a positive work culture.
How to assess and list the professional skills of your teams?
Now you know what “skills” are and you know the difference between Knowledges, knowhow and Know-how. Alright, but How to assess these skills within your teams ? We give you simple methods to set up!
Skills assessment methods
The good news is that there are a multitude of ways to assess the professional skills of your employees. It's up to you to find the one that suits you the most.
- Self-assessment: let your teams take a step back from their professional skills and improvements. This assessment format will make them approach the professional interview more calmly.
- Peer review: an employee will act differently with his colleagues and with his hierarchy (this is normal). Give your employees the opportunity to assess each other to obtain an honest assessment of their skills.
- External evaluation: call on an external specialist to have an objective analysis of the skills of your teams.
- Assessment tools: Today, there are a multitude of tools to assess the skills of your employees. Quizzes, practical tests: there is no shortage of possibilities!
List the skills of your teams
To support your teams in developing their professional skills, list together the skills specific to their job.
Be careful to take into account their technical and behavioral skills. Remember: it is the combination of these two areas of expertise that will increase the performance of your company tenfold!
Once the list is complete, align yourself with training goals with your employee to develop professional skills. It can be a number of hours of training, personal development exercises, modules to be completed...
And above all: co-build! If your employee is not aligned with the training methods you present to them, it's a waste of time.
For a company to stay up to date and be competitive, it must rely on the professional skills of its teams. Hard skills, soft skills or transversal skills: it is their synergy that will make all the difference! Moreover, it is essential to promote their development. And for that, nothing is more beneficial than adapted training!
