The Importance of Implementing Soft Skills into the Process of Social Work

The aim is to determine which soft skills are used by the social workers in their work and what is their importance within their profession. We have used semi-structured interview to collect the data. The research set consisted of social workers from Slovakia and the Czech Republic, who work with various target groups. Soft skills present an irreplaceable part of professional identity of the social worker and are taken as the basic preconditions of quality social work. The portfolio of soft skills important for the performance of social work is quite extensive. It includes empathy, communication skills, ability of active listening, assertiveness, ability to manage stress, patience, self-reflection, time management, ability to solve conflicts, manage emotions, ability to work in a team, cultural sensitivity, flexibility and the ability to react to changes, the ability to work with the client without prejudice and the ability to build trust and respect the client’s life experiences. Soft skills are necessary throughout the process of work with the client, but their specific form and intensity may change. Soft skills are equally important as hard skills, but they also complement each other, because professional skills should be supported by quality soft skills.