Research Paper on:
Interpersonal or Soft Skills v. Technical or Hard Skills

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
lack technical skills. Most disruptions in the workplace have to do with interpersonal skills. Roger Hill, an associate professor of occupational studies, asserted: "Technical skills are important but employers say  technical skills alone arent enough. Employers need employees that can communicate and work well in a team. Most importantly, they must be able to adapt to change, both in technology  and the workforce itself" (Career Currents, 2002). Technical skills, often referred to as hard skills, include ones training, education, experience, knowledge and abilities related to the job. These kinds of  skills differ according to the job one is doing. Interpersonal skills, often called soft skills or employability skills, relate to ones ability to communication, negotiate, work ethic, loyalty, respect, and  so on. Helen Hackett, who is the vice-president of development and training for the Life and Work Centre in Ottawa, commented: "The hard skills get you the interview, but youll  keep your job by having the soft skills" (Career Currents, 2002). Another way to differentiate between hard and soft skills is: hard skills refer to what a person does;  soft skills refers to how a person does their job (Washington, 2002). It is the what versus the how and the how is at least as important as the what  and more often than not, the how is more important than the what. Soft skills can be broken into four specific categories: 1. Interpersonal skills. These skills include such things  as the ability to communicate, being emotionally stable, being friendly, courteous and respectful, the ability to problem solve and resolve conflicts in a rational way, the ability to work well  in a team, and having a positive attitude (Career Currents, 2002). 2. Dependability. This category includes things such as reliability, honesty, integrity, and a willingness to follow directions. Dependability