The 5 Most-Needed Soft Skills for Operations Teams

Michelle Williams
10/8/2024

The global talent shortage was the topic of a recent survey by Manpower Group, a global staffing and recruitment company. The survey results identified the top hard and soft skill sets that employers report the most difficulty in finding. The distinction between hard skills and soft skills is fundamental in understanding the competencies required in the workplace. Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities or skill sets that are easy to quantify. They often refer to technical knowledge or expertise required to perform specific tasks or use certain tools or software. Examples of hard skills in a vacation rental operations department would include knowledge of cleaning techniques and the safe use of chemicals or the ability to use property management software.

Soft skills, however, are harder to quantify and assess, as they have more to do with personal attributes, personality traits, and communication abilities. They’re often evaluated in the context of behavior and interaction in complex and dynamic work situations. Soft skills are frequently shaped from one’s life experiences, personal reflection, and a willingness to learn and adapt. They are often developed over time through social interactions, experiences, and a variety of life roles.

“Soft skills rarely get the attention they deserve,” says Sue Jones of the human resources support services provider HR4VR, “but that doesn’t mean that they are not valuable to your team and to your business. More and more, businesses are recognizing the importance of soft skills and how they differentiate ‘great’ employees from good ones.”

The soft skills identified by Manpower as top five most-in-demand soft skills for 2024 are collaboration and teamwork; creativity and originality; critical thinking and analysis; reasoning and problem solving; and resilience and adaptability.

These skills are not only relevant but crucial for employees in the vacation rental industry, especially back-of-house staff like cleaners, maintenance technicians, and property inspectors. Here’s how these skills apply:

1. Collaboration and Teamwork

Back-of-house staff often work in teams and must coordinate with front-of-house staff, management, and sometimes directly with guests or owners. Clear communication and teamwork is essential when preparing a property for an imminent check-in. Operations team managers and team members often must share resources, and they rely on their colleagues to quickly and fully communicate their task statuses, equipment needs, property issues, and other priorities. Effective collaboration ensures that properties are maintained to high standards, guest issues are promptly addressed, and operations run smoothly.

2. Creativity and Originality

While not necessarily obvious in roles like cleaning or maintenance, creativity can play a significant part in problem-solving and improving efficiency. Finding original solutions to routine tasks or guest complaints can enhance guest satisfaction and operational effectiveness. The coordination of operations activities requires flexibility in when and how everything gets done, like assembling a large and complex puzzle. Having the ability to look at things in a different way can often make juggling all of the pieces easier.

3. Critical Thinking and Analysis

This skill allows employees to assess situations critically and make informed decisions. For back-of-house staff, this could mean identifying the root cause of issues, analyzing the best course of action for repairs, or evaluating the most effective cleaning methods for different situations. For example, a maintenance technician might use critical thinking to diagnose an appliance problem and decide whether a simple fix or a complete replacement is more cost-effective in the long term.

4. Reasoning and Problem Solving

Troubleshooting, assessing issues, and problem-solving are all part of the daily routine for back-of-house staff. Whether it’s dealing with unexpected damages, guest complaints about property conditions, or logistical challenges in scheduling, the ability to reason through problems and find effective solutions is invaluable.

5. Resilience and Adaptability

The vacation rental industry is dynamic, with high seasons, last-minute bookings, and unexpected changes being the norm. Back-of-house staff need resilience to handle the pressures of their roles and adaptability to swiftly adjust to new properties, guest needs, and operational challenges.

In any job role, including those in the vacation rental industry, a combination of both hard and soft skills is essential for success. Hard skills might get someone through the door, but soft skills are what enable them to navigate the workplace environment, collaborate effectively with colleagues, and adapt to changing circumstances. In many cases, soft skills can be the differentiator between two candidates who possess similar hard skills.

“We have found that the most common soft skill needed is adaptability, especially for our industry,” says Regan Whitlock from the recruiting firm Better Talent says. In addition, employers are also looking for a “culture/core value fit,” even though that is not often articulated on job descriptions. Whitlock notes that tools like the Predictive Index are useful in hiring because they “help identify many of these soft skills because soft skills are behavioral drives.”

Soft Skills Training Is Ongoing

Even after employees are hired, there is always room to bolster your team’s soft skills by incorporating them into training and development programs. “Employers of choice understand the value of soft skills and provide training on topics such as emotional Intelligence, interpersonal skills, leadership growth, and development,” Jones says. “Your management and supervisors should be trained on the value of emotional intelligence, communicating effectively, providing timely and effective feedback, setting SMART goals, and dealing with conflict. Remember, employees don’t leave companies; they leave bad managers.”

With the many challenges that vacation rental professionals navigate on a daily basis, soft skills are equally as important as technical know-how. Soft skills are crucial for optimizing resources, managing time effectively, and maintaining a high level of service quality, all of which are key to the operational efficiency of a vacation rental business. A back-of-house staff with a robust mix of hard and soft skills not only ensures strong individual job performance but also contributes to the guest experience and overall success of your vacation rental business.

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