Soft Skills and Hard Skills their Impact on Employment in Urban and Rural Areas

Abstract

Purpose: This paper discusses the concepts of hard skills and soft skills and their importance for future development. The article intends to study the influence of hard skills and soft skills in employment in urban areas and rural areas and to explore the differences in employment policies in those areas. Case of Albania.
 
 Theoretical framework: The literature review is done to create the base for our research. It is so important to understand the impact of soft skills and hard skills on both areas in urban and rural ones in a developing country.
 
 Method: Based on the literature review the questionnaire is set up. It is filled out by managers and by those who are involved in recruiting employees. Data was collected from a random sample of 182 respondents in the rural area and a total sample of 179 respondents in the urban area. Statistical analysis is done by using SPSS. Regression analysis is used to empirically evaluate the hypothesis by using SPSS, version 23.
 
 Findings, result and conclusion: The results of the empirical research conducted by the authors are presented in this paper. Findings highlighted that in the urban area and rural areas, hard skills and soft skills are both important, and have a great impact on employment, but soft skills have a greater influence in recruiting employees. In urban areas, this influence is obviously higher than in rural areas. Those skills are influential not only to find a job but also to stay in the market labor force. However, in rural areas is given priority to diplomas. According to the conclusion of this study, education represents a fundamental tool, and it represents a great opportunity to find a job, but to remain in the labor market you need to have soft skills.
 
 Implications of research: This paper will be of value to all those who are directly involved in the recruitment process. This study is beneficial to employers and employees.
 
 Originality/value: The originality of this paper is employment practices in urban areas and rural areas. Bringing here, the experience of Albania, as a developing country.