Soft Skills : From Classrooms to

Career

A Sound Basics

Initiatives

Moments of Truth

• There is no point in giving any suggestion to my manager as he always sticks to his own decision.

• I feel there is a glass wall between me and my manager.

• My colleagues do not cooperate with me

• I should stick to my decision, otherwise I may appear weak

Young India Lacks Soft Skill Business Today April 2011

• The Young Indian is in danger of becoming a liability.• More than one-third of the millions that graduate

each year are unemployable.• A survey of 303 employers across the country by the

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

• majority of graduates lacked adequate "soft skills" to be employed in the industry.

• Only about one-third employers were satisfied with the communication ability of their employees and about 26 per cent with their employees' writing ability.

What Industry Says…

Technical skill ALONE does not make someone competitive in the job market

Communication skills

Team/interpersonal skills

Problem solving

Quantitative reasoning

Business process knowledge

Project management

What are Soft Skills ?

Desirable qualities for certain forms ofemployment that do not depend on

acquiredknowledge: they include common

sense, theability to deal with people, and a

positiveflexible attitude

Personal qualities +Interpersonal Skills

=Soft Skills

Taking a Hard Line on Soft Skills

Why Soft Skills are important for F&A professionals?

There was a recent survey conducted of 500 senior finance executives at

companiesacross many different industries. 

23%55% CFOs

Scenario I Little Soft Auditing

Scenario II Soft Skills Auditing

Soft Skills F&A

• Advanced written and oral communication • Detail oriented and meticulous• Common sense• Problem solving• Ability to work in a constantly changing dynamic

environment• Quick earner• Deadline driven• Ability to prioritize• Delivery driven• Technology savvy• Ability to analyze data

Soft Skills

We Know Our Students Need Them, But How Do We Teach Them?

Methodology

12 modules of 2hours eachInteractive learning Role plays Simulated exercisesVideosCase discussionsActivitiesMoments of Truth

Challenges …

Busy

Multi-taskers

Attention deficit

Get bored quickly

Language

Attendance

Does not see value

Measuring Soft Skills

“Hard skills” are technical or administrative procedures related to an organization’s core business.

“Soft skills” (also called “people skills”) are typically hard to observe, quantify and measure.

Measuring Soft Skills

• Self Assessment • Teacher assessment • Peer Assessment • Periodic Tests (MCQ,Situational,F-I-G)

Pat Sample

Self 6 Others

Strength Development

NeededGetting information, Making sense of it; Problem identification

1. Seeks information energetically. 2. Probes, digs beneath the surface, tests the validity of information. 3. Creates order out of large quantities of information. 4. Keen observer of people, events, things. 5. Defines problems effectively; gets to the heart of a problem. 6. Spots problems, opportunities, threats, trends early. 7. Logical, data-based, rational.

Communicating information, ideas

8. Adept at disseminating information to others. 9. Crisp, clear, articulate.10.Good public speaker; skilled at performing, being11. Makes his or her point effectively to a resistant audience. communicator on paper; good writing skills.

SYMBOL KEY= Strength= Development Needed= Boss’s Response= Number of Additional Responses

or( )

IMPORTANCE: Self: Others: 3 Boss: 1

SKILLSCOPE for Managers

®

IMPORTANCE: Self: 1 Others: 1 Boss:

It ‘s the hard skills that get you the interview but it’s the soft skills that get you the job

Human Resource

Changing the Client’s idea

HRO, the next big opportunity for India

HR OUTSOURCING

WHAT IT CAN DO FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM EMPLOYERS

The Pain Points

The average owner of a small business spends

between 20 percent and 40 percent of his or her

time on human resources, benefits employment

concerns, and government compliance

Average Salary

Human Resource Manager:

Rs 197,722 to Rs 1,207,546

Human Resource Generalist: Rs 99, 939 to Rs 467, 927

HR Tasks Frequency Skills Required

Manpower planning Once a year MBA HR

Policy development Once in 3-5 years MBA HR

Recruitment Daily/weekly/monthly SB Graduate

Performance Management Once a year MBA HR

Employee Joining and Induction

Regularly SB Graduate

Exit Interviews Regularly/periodically SB Graduate/MBA

Training and Development Regularly SB Graduate/MBA(non management)

Grievance handling Regularly SB Graduate

Disciplinary Action Periodically Personnel

Employee Relations Periodically SB Graduate

Statutory Regularly/Periodically SB Graduate

Payroll processing Regularly SB Graduate

Challenges Ahead

• A ‘buy in’ with companies • Getting dedicated personnel