Hard skills are the technical skills necessary to get a job done. But executing the requirements of a position is only part of the endeavor. Like travel, there are many ways that can get you to the destination. How you get the job done is where soft skills come in. Soft skills can get the job done more efficiently, effectively and build great goodwill with customers.

Soft skills are those that are not technical in nature. Soft skills affect not the ability to get work done, but how work gets done. For example, a restaurant server can be technically competent and be able to efficiently take an order and deliver exactly what is ordered, but how they do it is a soft skill. To be an exceptional restaurant server, one should have communication skills, be able to listen, and show empathy. Those are soft skills. Thinking about what a server does, it is not just about the food and drink, it is the whole experience - the service. In general, soft skills center around the ability to work with others, to manage one’s work and environment, and the skills with which to solve challenges at hand.

Soft skills are varied. Top ones include leadership, team working, attention to detail, time management, critical thinking, problem solving, and of course, communication. Most people learn soft skills by taking a class. A good soft skills class will present the principles and provide examples and opportunities to apply them. Then it is up to you, to apply them in your professional and personal lives to become better at all you do.

Once you have acquired soft skills, you need to let people know that they are skill sets you bring to a position. Be sure to highlight them when you interview. The first task is to make a list of the soft skills you possess that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Once you have this list, add them to a skills section on your resume. Also, mention them in your cover letter.

Go back to the list of soft skills you prepared. Think through each of them and ask yourself:

• How am I a better professional because of this soft skill?
• How has it made a difference in my past/current position?

With these answers you are ready to wow the interviewer at the interview. Throughout the interview, be approachable and listen intently, as these are soft skills! So is the ability to demonstrate hospitality by being friendly and empathetic.

Soft skills are the differential factor in choosing candidates. Many job candidates look similar on paper; soft skills are what sets winners apart.

An option for soft skills training that brings the best practices of the hospitality industry, is CLIMB® from TISOH. After all, to learn soft skills and service, what industry is better known than hospitality? The CLIMB® Hospitality Professional Development program from TISOH is a complete library of self-paced e-learning programs, designed by and for hospitality professionals, that is usable across all connected devices and suited to a professional's busy lifestyle. Harnessing a range of learning artifacts, the targeted programming features interactive content leading to improved comprehension and learner engagement. CLIMB® users may choose to take the 60-min classes individually, or as a five-class Skill Series. Skills Series include: Guest Service, Communication, Essential Management, People Management, and Restaurant Management. Additionally, users may choose to take a 10-class Core Series to orient and increase the skill level of those in associate, supervisor, or manager levels.

Key program highlights of the CLIMB® e-learning system include: industry professional developers, 60-minute classes, the ability to learn from anywhere, 100% accessible on mobile, tablet, or computer, the ability to start and pick-up as needed, low cost, CEU records as documentation of learning, and a learning summary for each class.

The entire program is accredited by ACCET, the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training. TISOH is an accredited member of ACCET, a national institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U. S. Department of Education. TISOH is also listed in the American Council on Education’s Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education (AIPE) and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation’s (CHEA) website, which are widely used by government agencies, military services, corporations, and professional organizations for identifying credible education and training organizations relative to accepting CEU credits and establishing tuition reimbursement policies. 

For employers, CLIMB® provides for instant, turnkey hospitality training. Subscription-based, CLIMB® provides both value and a range of options for learners. Users have full control over their learning experience, while managers maintain supervisorial control of their subscribed learners.

For more information about the CLIMB® Hospitality Professional Development program from TISOH, visit hospitalityclimb.com.