Recruiters value soft skills the most

81% of Panamanian human resources experts believe that soft skills are the most valued when hiring talent, while 19% prefer hard skills according to the study “The most valued skills and abilities on the labor market until 2024” by Konzerte and the study “Aptitudes” by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Panama.

Furthermore, 97% of Panamanian experts take into account skills and abilities when selecting new talents for the organization, while 3% do not consider it necessary.

Recruiters mentioned skills such as teamwork 17%, communication 14%, punctuality and responsibility another 14%, proactivity and autonomy 13%, problem solving 12%, sensitivity and adaptability to change 12%, emotional intelligence 10% and empathy 8%.

What are the most valued hard skills? For human resources specialists, it is important that talents know how to use software or computer programs (29%), use or know about new technologies (26%), coordinate or lead teams (17%), speak a foreign language (15%) and practice math opinion (13%).

“The needs of companies change with time, with innovation and new technologies. That’s why talent must constantly work to develop not only the most valued technical skills, but also the soft skills that enhance their professional profile,” explains Jeff Morales, head of marketing at Konzerta.com.

On the other hand, 65% of HR professionals state that a probationary period is the ideal time to assess whether a talent has the skills needed for the position, while 35% state that during a job interview they can determine whether the talent
nto is suitable.

In this context, 86% of HR professionals state that it is important for talents to highlight in their resume those soft skills that are most aligned with the position they want to perform.

How is the development of skills perceived according to age?

The study also explored how professionals perceive the development of gifted skills according to their age. 48% state that talents between 31 and 40 years old have better developed skills, 23% state that those between 41 and 50 years old, 22% say that the youngest (between 20 and 30 years old), and only 7% state that they would be older than 51 years old.

“As a trade union that promotes, connects and defends private companies for the national good, we believe that it is urgently necessary to update the curriculum design, considering that topics related to soft skills, communication skills, critical and analytical thinking, ethics should also be entrepreneurship, so that those people who leave the Panamanian education system can develop these skills from an early age,” said Adolfo Fábrega, president of CCIAP.