soft skills — people skills
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
Abilities that help you work well with others, like communicating clearly, solving problems, and being a good team member.
Say it like a native
Textbook Employers increasingly value non-technical interpersonal abilities.
Native Employers really value soft skills now.
'Soft skills' is the standard term; spelling it out is clunky.
Pattern: soft skills (plural noun)
In use
- Employers often look for candidates with strong soft skills, such as teamwork and good communication.work
- In my opinion, soft skills like time management and adaptability are just as important as technical knowledge in most jobs.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Communication is a soft skill ability.
✓ Communication is a soft skill.
A 'soft skill' is already an ability — don't add 'ability'.
Common collocations
soft skills— develop, value, like communication, versus
Don't confuse it
Soft skills are different from 'hard skills', which are specific technical abilities or knowledge.