Searching for soft skills in future hires
by Erin Elks When Applicants Lack Experience
The past few years have been challenging try- ing to find the right people to fit open roles in most organizations. You may have looked under rocks and explored creative ways to find that purple unicorn, while possibly overlooking someone who could be a great fit and grow into a leadership role. We have trained our hiring managers to
invest time in reviewing applicants who apply for our organization. While not all applicants look great on paper, why not try to connect anyway with someone who is showing initiative and interest in applying for your position? Oſten, a candidate’s soſt skills, course work,
sports experience and other relatable experience could transfer to a role you’re trying to fill. Te YMCA of Greater Charlotte hires 16- to 24-year-olds for most of our frontline youth development roles. Looking at applications from this age demographic, we know that we could be their first employer. Tey may have limited (or no) work experience and no resume to submit. If you come across an application that does
not have a resume or show the experience you’re looking for, it’s still worthwhile to reach out to that candidate to conduct a phone interview. This allows you to get a good feel for their interest level. Do they seem eager to learn? Do they like working with children?
Are they passionate about Christian camping, outdoor education or your ministry’s mission? Do they have great energy? Do they sound like a team player? Are they adaptable? When an applicant has limited experience on
their resume, look at what is on the resume. Do they have leadership qualities or work well as part of a team? If they’ve participated in sports teams or school clubs, they’ve likely had experience working through personal or team challenges and dealing with differences of opinion. Are they taking honors courses? Students who are in honors or AP courses oſten have high organi- zational skills and can stay committed through tough situations. All these experiences can offer useful, transferable skills that can help someone be successful in most roles.
your best resource Next time you receive an application that
doesn’t immediately shout, “a perfect hire,” consider digging in a little deeper to see what attributes and experiences the applicant has that could make them into a great team member.
Erin Elks is the director of talent acquisition with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte in North Carolina. An experienced HR professional adept in talent acquisition with a master’s in corporate and organizational communication from West Virginia University, Elks is a committed part-time community college instructor teaching public speaking and interpersonal communication. She is a passionate mentor while balancing the roles of devoted wife and mother.
September/October 2024
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