Employers seek applicants who bring soft skills - professional attitude, work ethic, critical thinking abilities - along with skills acquired through education and those gained through prior work experience. While soft skills apply to any occupation, other skills may be job-specific. For example, according to the data analytics company Burning Glass Technologies, employers seek recruitment or leadership skills when hiring HR managers. However, skills may be similar across an HR department regardless of your role. Top 10 Employer-Requested Skills for HR Managers Communication Employee relations HR management Teamwork and collaboration Performance management Onboarding Planning Problem solving Organizational Microsoft Excel