New Survey Results: Most Important Hard and Soft Skills

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 9, 2016) - Express Employment Professionals today released new survey results revealing the most important hard and soft skills a job applicant should have.

The findings come from a survey of 134 Express franchisees across North America.

Respondents were asked, "What are the 5 most important soft skills an applicant should have?"

At the top of the list, for the third year in a row, was "dependability/reliability" at 72%, followed by motivation (48%), verbal communication (44%), team work (39%), and commitment (39%).

Respondents were also asked, "What are the 3 most important hard skills an applicant should have?"

Experience topped the list with 95%, followed by technical ability (67%) and training (60%). Education came in fourth at 34%.

Full results are below.

"While we've seen some fluctuation year to year in the skills ranking, it's clear that the best job applicant is one who can show experience and demonstrate dependability," said Bob Funk, CEO of Express. "After all, if an employer can't depend on you, then nothing else matters.

"On the hard skills side, it's always noteworthy to see that education doesn't make the top three. That's not to say education doesn't matter, but it is an important reminder that when looking for a job, an applicant should connect his or her education with the real-world skills and talents the specific employer needs."

To view the survey results, please visit the following links:

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The survey of 134 Express Employment Professionals franchisees was conducted in July 2015.

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bob Funk to discuss this topic, please contact Kellie Major at (613) 222-7488.

About Robert A. Funk

Robert A. "Bob" Funk is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. Under his leadership, Express has put more than 5 million people to work worldwide. Funk served as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and was also the Chairman of the Conference of Chairmen of the Federal Reserve.

About Express Employment Professionals and Express in Canada

Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $3.02 billion in sales and employed a record 500,002 people in 2015. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. Express launched in Canada in July 1996, with a franchise in London, Ontario, and since then, has expanded and grown across Canada significantly. There are currently 37 Express franchises in Canada - six in British Columbia, five in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan, 23 in Ontario and one in Nova Scotia.