Technical and role-related skills will always be vital. However if employers want to set their workforce, and their business up for long-term success, soft skills should be an essential part of training programs.
Because of the main focus on technical or “hard” skills of colleges and businesses, many young employees and seasoned workers alike are getting into the workforce unprepared and unarmed with the soft skills that may future-proof their careers.
Businesses need to switch their focus away from black owned training in the hard and technical skills. And instead, invest in the future of their employees and the longevity of their company by providing training and development programs that will allow their staff to enhance their soft skills. So, what are the soft skills that will allow us to work along with technology instead of against it?
Let’s look at 5 of the most important soft skills of the future.
- Wellness skills build a healthy foundation
Eighty-nine percent of employees who participated in wellness programs say it had an impact on their overall health and well-being. But in 2020, the pandemic highlighted the importance of wellness skills like stress management.
Investing in wellness skills gives employees the tools that will help them adapt and thrive, even in times of stress and uncertainty.
- Communication skills keep the remote workplace running
In today’s new paradigm, flexibility, strong communication skills, and the ability to adapt as working conditions evolve are the most important qualities a candidate must have.
In the remote setting, one of the biggest downsides of remote work is the loss of face-to-face communication. As companies turn more heavily toward low-bandwidth communication methods like email and chat.
Whether employees work remotely or in an office, communication skills are the key to collaboration and company success.
- Leadership skills promote organizational strength and agility
Leadership skills are for everyone, not just those who consider themselves leaders. We need people taking leader-like actions so that they can react in a way that allows more voices to be heard to handle some of their company’s complexity and ambiguity.
Developing leadership skills gives all employees the confidence to make decisions and act in the best interest of the business.
- Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving
Recent studies have discovered that critical thinking skills including creative problem-solving and adaptability, will be essential to the future of work. Meaning businesses must invest in the development of soft skills such as critical thinking, NOW!
No matter how advanced our technology may become, humans will always need to be present to make critical decisions and brainstorm new and innovative solutions. Many law firms today use AI to help search through and identify relevant documents in legal cases. Nonetheless, a human judge and a jury of people will still make the ultimate decisions in court.
Companies are beginning to recognize the importance of soft skills, such as critical thinking and creative problem-solving. The same study finds that hiring managers are nearly twice as likely to value problem-solving skills compared to digital or technical skills.
- Imagination, Innovation, and Vision
With all the technological advancement over the past few decades, we tend to forget who is behind all that innovation. People with vision! Innovative people have and always will dream up the visions that shape our future, one thing a computer lacks is imagination. Companies in every industry will benefit from encouraging inspiration and innovation by providing employees the opportunity to develop their skills to grow within or outside of their roles.
Kick-start the soft skills revolution in your company
Job-related skills will always be important — engineers will still need to code and marketers will continue creating campaigns using the latest tools.
All the while, employees need to be encouraged and empowered to develop soft skills. Whether it’s promoting wellbeing, communication, or leadership. Soft skills training leads to personal career achievements, fosters better relationships with co-workers, and results in long-term benefits for the company.
Want to dig deeper into the soft skills revolution and what it means for your organization?
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