Soft Skills 101: Adaptability

Adaptability in the workplace is all about how well you adjust to changing circumstances, such as a new position or workflow. It’s a key soft skill to have on your resume when searching for a job, as employers and hiring managers seek the adaptability soft skill amid industry shifts and advancing technology. But how do you develop this skill, and once you have it, how do you showcase it during the application and interview process? Keep reading to learn why employers look for adaptability soft skills, how to become more adaptable, and how to demonstrate your adaptability soft skills when applying to jobs.

Why Are Adaptability Soft Skills Important as a Candidate?

Employers seek candidates with tangible soft skills, such as adaptability, leadership, and communication. These attributes ensure the candidates will become dependable workers no matter how the workplace changes. With continuous industry shifts, specific skills such as technical training may quickly become outdated, whereas soft skills are universally applicable. 

Demonstrating your adaptability shows prospective employers that you can effectively keep up with all current and future circumstances without succumbing to stress or falling behind. Developing strong adaptability skills will make you a more desirable candidate, improve your workflow, and possibly put you in consideration for promotions.

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How to Develop Adaptability Skills

Outside of online training courses and other educational resources, how you develop your adaptability skills may be unique to you. New situations and experiences threaten our sense of control and naturally cause stress, which is one of the most significant factors that contribute to an inability to adapt.

To improve your adaptability, you should continuously identify what specifically causes stress for you during changing situations, such as a different routine or uncertainty about the future. Once you recognize how and why your emotions affect you during times of change, you can gauge your feelings more effectively and allow yourself to focus on adapting to the task at hand.

As every new situation is unique, the best way to prepare is by practicing stress-free adaptability skills in other circumstances. Consider the following strategies:

• Focus on how new situations help you grow rather than hold you back.
• Be aware of all changes in your workplace, even when they don't impact you directly.
• Set personal goals as you enter new situations. 
• Accept that the circumstances have already changed and focus on moving forward.
• Take on new opportunities and challenges frequently, even when not required.
• Ask supervisors and coworkers for constructive feedback to find opportunities for improvement.

How to Show You Are Adaptable on a Resume

To showcase your adaptability skills on your resume, cite any specific training or education you've received to develop this characteristic. Next, consider any transferable skills or situations where you had to adapt at previous jobs, such as adjusting to new software or switching to remote work during the 2020 lockdowns. Include these details under specific job descriptions. 

How to Demonstrate Adaptability in an Interview

Many interview prompts and questions already connect to adaptability, such as, "Describe a time you responded to a stressful situation" and, "Tell me about a scenario when you had to learn a new task for your job." How you answer these and describe your mindset will demonstrate how flexible you are as an employee. Before your interview, focus on multiple times you had to adjust to new situations and always remember to be honest. 

Soft Skills Resources

Adaptability as a soft skill is crucial amid ongoing workplace changes for both candidates and employers. Learn more about soft skills and how to adapt to the shifting recruitment market using iHire's job seeker resources.