Young Professional Pim Gielis: “Good soft skills are essential for HRIT consultants”
The Workday Traineeship at HRIT consultancy company SuccessDay focuses not only on technological and general consultancy courses. Training in soft skills and the development of personal skills are equally important. In this blog, young professional Pim Gielis explains why, and talks about how he experienced his first training course in this field.
SuccessDay’s Workday trainees – who started their training program earlier this year – recently followed their first soft skills training course. It was the first course given by an external party. “Of course, we have already followed various Workday training courses that have covered different modules. My colleagues have also given various other training courses. But for the soft skills they often enlist outside expertise”, explains Pim.
The first soft skills training session took place at the end of August, led by trainer Ted. The theme was giving and receiving feedback. After this kick-off, more soft skills training sessions will follow in the coming months. Pim enjoyed learning from an external expert. “We know each other quite well now as a group, and have a pretty good idea of our strengths and weaknesses. So it’s good to get a ‘third point of view’, that’s really an added bonus.”
The importance of soft skills
Soft skills are essential for HRIT consultants, who bridge the gap between Human Resources and Information Technology. They help them deal effectively with people and situations within the complex HRIT environment. Soft skills include the following:
- Communication skills
HRIT consultants must be able to communicate effectively with both HR professionals and IT specialists. They translate technical terms into understandable language for HR employees and vice versa. Soft skills training courses help them to develop clear, concise and convincing communication skills. Skills that are essential for successful collaboration and project implementation. - Problem-solving capabilities
HRIT consultants are often confronted with complex challenges when integrating technological solutions in HR processes. Training in soft skills can help improve their problem-solving capabilities. These courses also help you come up with creative solutions and to think strategically when solving bottlenecks. - Empathy and interpersonal skills
In the world of HR, everything is about people. So HRIT consultants must be able to show empathy, to listen to the needs and worries of employees and HR professionals and to build effective relationships. As well as empathy, teamwork and conflict management are crucial to building trust and creating a positive working environment. - Time management and stress management
The world of IT can be hectic and demanding. Training in soft skills can help HRIT consultants develop resistance to stress and learn effective time management. - Management and leadership development
Some HRIT consultants fulfill roles in which they must manage teams of professionals. Training in soft skills helps them develop their leadership style, inspire and lead others, and demonstrate decisiveness. - Customer focus
Customer and employee satisfaction are paramount at SuccessDay. Training in soft skills can help HRIT consultants to think in a customer focused way, to understand customers’ needs and to deliver solutions that meet these needs.
Interactive set-up
Pim lives and works in Norway and comes to the Netherlands for the training courses and the monthly SuccessDay days. “And whenever a project I’m working on demands it of course.” The training sessions usually take place after work, in the evenings. Pim expected it to be quite difficult to pay attention, but it wasn’t so bad. “The training session was interactive and well put together. The time flew by.”
The trainees were asked to share their experiences of the traineeship over the past months and were given feedback from the project team. They also had to present a short pitch about themselves to show how they want to present themselves to potential clients. Pim: “The other trainees were able to give feedback: What do you like or admire about this person? And which aspects should they work on? Finally, you had to give each trainee a tip for the future.”
Pim received the feedback that he is open and easy to get along with. And that he sometimes finds it difficult that he doesn’t know everything yet. “Very recognizable. I want to do things right and I get frustrated when things don’t work out. I need to have more confidence in the process of learning by doing. I am also very direct, and some people deal better with this than others. It can be a good idea to stop and reflect on how you communicate your message, and to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Some people can handle it, but others might lose sleep about something I said in the wrong way.”
Key to success
The importance of soft skills training for HRIT consultants should not be underestimated. Although technical skills form the basis of the work, soft skills are the key to building successful relationships, solving problems and effective project management. “These skills enable us not only implement technological solutions, but also to bring about positive change in the way in which an organization treats its people.”
Pim is looking forward to the next soft skills training sessions. He thinks it is also very important for HRIT consultants to be able to convey their story well. You can sometimes use storytelling for this, a training course that he and all his colleagues recently received from SuccessDay constultants David and Nina. “You can only make a first impression once, so make sure it’s a good one! Tell a clear, coherent story and make sure your narrative is original and entertaining.”
