Key Soft Skills in the Orientation Process and Level of Employability

Abstract

We understand soft skills as an integrated set of knowledge, skills and values that facilitate the effective, affective and efficient development of a skill or activity. The objective of this study was to identify the soft skills that are most often used in the orientation process and those that improve employability, according to Spanish counselors. A qualitative methodology was used. The participants (n = 57) were orientation professionals. A total of 273 interviews were conducted over five years. The results and conclusions show that communication and decision-making are the most important competencies in the orientation process and at the level of employability, followed by intrapersonal skills, skills in interpersonal relationships, teamwork, problem solving, adaptation to new situations, creativity and leadership.

Exploring the soft shades of sustainability: evidence from Italian companies

“…Because sustainability can be considered a socially constructed paradigm, its soft dimension shed further light on it “as learned, negotiated and agreed upon” (Röling, 1997, p. 250) or as an “an outcome of human activity grounded in institutions, policies, culture, and power” (Röling, 1997, p. 251). In this sense, business organizations can bring sustainability a step forward also investing in human resources management, development and, therefore, in the promotion of personal and social well-being (Rodriguez Martinez et al. , 2021a).…”

“…Most of these themes explicitly or implicitly highlight the influence that all stakeholders' groups can have on sustainability the soft dimension of sustainability (Staniškienė and Stankevičiūtė, 2018). Drawing on the extant literature (Colantonio, 2009; Landorf, 2011; Staniškienė and Stankevičiūtė, 2018; Chams and García-Blandón, 2019; Rodríguez Martínez et al. , 2021b) some drivers of sustainability soft dimension have been recognized and classified (Table 1).…”

“…, 2021b) some drivers of sustainability soft dimension have been recognized and classified (Table 1). In doing so, three main categories have been applied (1) instrumental, (2) personal and (3) systemic (Rodríguez Martínez et al. , 2021b).…”

“…Instrumental drivers are related to specific and professional competencies and skills, strictly related to the other two (personal and systemic) because they boost their exploitation and practical application. These drivers are mainly related to the ability that an organization or a company demonstrated in terms of organization and planning, related to proactivity as well as to problem-solving and decision-making ability, but also to its communicative abilities and disposition towards technology (Rodríguez Martínez et al. , 2021b).…”

Counselor-Perceived Teacher Actions Needed to Carry out Educational and Vocational Guidance in Secondary Schools in Spain

“…Additionally, the gap between the relevance that students attach to vocational guidance during high school and the low satisfaction with the work done by their tutors and school counselors is substantial (Rodríguez et al, 2018). On the other hand, professional counselors state that adolescents who develop and participate in personal and teacher-led projects acquire transversal skills that improve their level of employability (Rodríguez et al, 2021).…”