The Importance of Soft Skills

The Role of Soft Skills in the Workplace

Soft skills are the character traits and interpersonal skills that influence how well a person functions in the workplace or interacts with others. This broad term encompasses a range of skills like communication, teamwork, time management, empathy, and delegation. According to the World Economic Forum�s Future of Jobs report, these skills will become increasingly important in the labour market by 2025.

Soft Skills: Why are They Important?

We use soft skills off the clock and on the clock, in our careers and in our personal lives. Having strong soft skills can lead to real success and fulfilment, while a lack of them can be detrimental to our progress. Developing leadership, delegation, teamwork, and communication skills can help us lead projects, produce positive results, and create better relationships.

Real-World Examples of Soft Skills

• A survey by iCIMS Hiring Insights (2017) found that 94% of recruited professionals believe an employee with better soft skills has a better chance of being promoted than an employee with more experience. Having strong soft skills is essential for career progression.
• To survive and thrive in the modern workplace, active listening, collaboration, and presenting ideas are all essential qualities.
• In the age of technology, it�s more important than ever to display good communication and build human relationships with customers. This can make all the difference in a company�s success.
• Soft skills will become more and more important in the future. Automation and AI will require people to focus on their social skills, like emotional intelligence, which cannot be easily automated. Companies like VirtualSpeech are already using VR to improve soft skills.

Soft skills are pervasive and increasingly important in the workforce. To gain success in any area, it�s essential to grasp and embrace the importance of soft skills.

Soft Skills in the Labour Market

A paper written by a Harvard student in 2017 concluded that jobs requiring high levels of social interaction had grown by nearly 12%. According to LinkedIn, the most sought-after soft skills are communication, organisation, teamwork, critical thinking, social skills, creativity, interpersonal communication, and adaptability. The paper also noted that, since computers are not effective in replicating human interaction, social skills are still extremely important and should be developed, such as through volunteering or working on open source projects.

Soft Skills in Business

Soft skills are a must-have regardless of industry. Strong communication is necessary for any job, from being a nurse to a mechanic. Enhancing soft skills can bring many advantages - improved communication can lead to better employee interaction, improved time-management strengthens productivity, and more. The general benefits of improved soft skills for employees include increased productivity, improved teamwork, better retention rates, improved employee satisfaction and better leadership. Soft skills assist in customer service, job recruitment, and the success of a business. Working on communication and providing exemplary service can open up new opportunities.