Short on Soft Skills

Anthony LoPinto

Since the “great recession” of 2008 the bar has been raised in hiring executives, and the rigor surrounding the evaluation of track record, skills and future potential have been stepped-up in a big way. The Wall Street Journal recently focused on this issue reporting that companies have had difficulty spotting and evaluating critically important “soft skills”: the ability to take initiative, solve problems, engage and get along with co-workers. Employers also want to know how candidates think and what their learning agility is. These are skills that are tough to evaluate yet are critical in the new economy that requires workers at all levels to stretch and broaden their responsibilities that require critical thinking, empathy and an assortment of other hidden traits that will have a major bearing on his or her effectiveness and ultimate success in the role.  In order to evaluate these characteristics,  recruiters and hiring managers are increasingly turning to psychological assessment tools that provide a view into those otherwise hidden drivers that will likely determine one’s success. We incorporate these assessments in our executive search process and have found that the results provide an important deeper-dive into the candidate evaluation process.  Employers have clearly moved well beyond checking whether a candidate has shined his or her shoes.

Job Listings

LINCOLN PROPERTY COMPANY CORPORATE SERVICES GROUP Property Manager (SAN JOSE, CA)  The Senior Property Manager will be accountable for the overall management and operation of a commercial medical office building portfolio and for effectively administering policies and procedures that promote well-managed, well-maintained buildings and grounds. (Sponsored Job) CIM GROUP Tenant Coordinator (Retail) (LOS ANGELES, CA)  Tenant Coordinator will provide project assistance, over-site project management for capital and tenant improvement projects and assist the project manager within the various construction phases of the project. Tenant Coordinator will also be responsible for one or more properties or functional areas (e.g. Property Operations, Leasing, Development, and Construction). (Sponsored Job) USAA REAL ESTATE COMPANY Director, Investor Due Diligence (SAN ANTONIO, TX)  Position will be responsible for managing the Request for Proposals, Request for Information, Due Diligence Questionnaires and investor request processes, producing high quality responses, which accurately and favorably represent USAA Real Estate Company’s (“RealCo”) investment capabilities and value proposition to existing and perspective clients and consultants. (Sponsored Job) TISHMAN SPEYER Assistant Property Manager (CHICAGO, IL)  Manager will work closely with the property manager to maintain, enhance, and create value for the 2.3 million square foot asset during the investment cycle; manage relationships with vendor community and tenants, and TSP management as necessary to ensure the assets achieve maximum value; and work closely with third-party service providers to ensure that assets are managed to yield optimal returns. (Sponsored Job) THE SHIDLER GROUP Senior Analyst (HONOLULU, HI)  The Senior Analyst will work directly with the Partners to underwrite and evaluate commercial real estate acquisitions in major U.S. markets and assist in the efforts necessary to finance and close the transactions. Work will include the development of finished research and marketing materials to support acquisition financing. (Sponsored Job) TRANSWESTERN Sustainability Advisor II/Analyst (MILWAUKEE, WI)  Duties include: collecting necessary information to create Building Operation Plans, Systems Narrative, Sequence of Operation and Preventative Maintenance Plans; reviewing building information input into the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager; writing Preliminary Energy Use Analysis reports; and writing Walk-Through Analysis reports. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDEReal Estate Officer 3 (RIVERSIDE, CA)  Real Estate Officer will deliver and develop a variety of complex financial analyses for a variety of real estate scenarios (i.e. acquisitions, dispositions and development). Additionally, officer will facilitate complex negotiations in commercial real estate leasing and licensing transactions on behalf of the University. DIVERSIFIED PROPERTY FUND Vice President – Retail Construction Management (DENVER, CO)  Position will perform a variety of project management functions on assigned capital projects for a national retail portfolio currently consisting of approximately 3 million square feet (25 multi-tenant shopping centers), located in approximately 10 distinct geographic regions.