Soft Skills

Title ‘Soft skill’ set Identification for an apparel industry worker. Objective To determine required soft skill set, for an apparel Industry worker and evaluate Its impact on the Individual and organization. Background Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an Individual’s Interactions, Job performance and career prospects. Soft skills refer to abllltles that make people better employees and open doors to opportunities, that aren’t directly related to the subject matter for their jobs.

In simpler language, soft skills refer to a person’s ability to relate to others, to get him or her organized, to communicate in written, spoken or other forms. According to psychologist Daniel Coleman, a combination of competencies that contribute to a person’s ability to manage his or herself and relate to other people-matters twice as much as IQ or technical skills in Job success. Results of a recent study on the importance of soft skills Indicated that the single most Important soft skill for a Job candidate to possess was Interpersonal skills, ollowed by written or verbal communication skills and the ability to work under pressure.

A constantly changing work environment – due to technology, customer-driven markets, an information-based economy and globalization that are currently impacting on the structure of the workplace and leading to an increased reliance on, and demand for, soft skills. It is evident that there has been a gradual shift in the way organizations do business. Entrepreneurs are inclining from the autocratic business models to the more recent contemporary business models which incorporate the uman element in the business practice.

Businesses can not afford to misconstrue man power as mere tools for production. For achieving phenomenal growth In the ever evolving fashion world, one has to tap the Immense reservoir of human resources to have an edge over others. Thus developing soft skills for blue collared Jobs have become vital for the growth of the Individual and the organization. Some soft skills can be broadly listed based on the profile of the apparel industry worker.

1. Basic literacy 2. Numeracy . Occupational safety and health 4. Hygiene 5. Basic labor rights 6. Team work 7. Confidence building 8. Work culture 9. Posltlve thinking 10. Time management 11. Communication skills 12. Body language 13. Crowd management 14. Tension management 15. Money management 16. Relationship handling 17. Psychological development 18. Reading pay slip 19. Understanding company’s work ethics These soft skills are specific to the problems faced by the operator in his/ her day to day activities and personal/ professional life.

Such soft skills do not only help in the overall personal development on the individual but also reflects a long time impact on the organization. Effects of above stated soft/life skills on the company: 1 . Attitude 2. Behavior 3. Security 4. Quality of work and work place Methodology Soft Skills are all the skills other than technical skills that are required for a successful career. Research states that technical skills account for only 15% and Soft Skills 85% of a person’s productivity especially in today’s environment.