5 reasons why soft skills development is essential for the organization’s success

In the ever-changing workplace, the expectation to do more with less is a predominant phenomenon and a measurable component for organizational success. Given the climate of chatbots in conjunction with the growing uncertainty that organizations strive to withstand, the demand for more professionalism and transferable skills often takes precedence over professional experience.    

As a professional, if you are not more than your expertise in your specialty, particularly with specific personality-driven traits that work well with team players in the workplace, it’s likely that you are having soft skills gap that isn’t just nice enough to succeed as part of the team. In today’s workplace, the ability to build relationships and collaborate with peers and cross-functional teams is need-to-have rather than nice-to-have. To outthink the competitors, it’s a prerequisite to acquire or develop the soft skills to fill up the proficiency gap for the success of an organization.

What is soft skills gap?

As per a recent survey from corporate India and research institutes more than 70% of Indian youth that enter the workforce every year are not job-ready owing to the soft skill gap.

The term soft skills gap refers to the gap between the qualities, personal attributes, and abilities of the candidates that organizations prefer than those that are available to workers looking for a job.

One major reason that most people fail miserably in the workplace is the soft skills gap. The core workplace behavioral skills such as ability, adaptability, creativity, communication, and promptness are missing within most employees that deter them from driving their career forward.  And it’s not surprising why employers are on a headhunt for people with strong soft skills. 

It is true when they say that interpersonal attributes or soft skills that sound soft often leave an impact or rather never die. Well, they may sound soft, but as a matter of fact, who can deny that every skill whether it is communication, teamwork or problem-solving gets documented for unfaltering ability to resolve complexity while operating a positive attitude, a power of adaptability demonstrates great potential while climbing up the corporate ladder of success.

The more you climb the corporate ladder, the more should you use soft skills

In the era of 100% candidate-driven employment market, the increasing demand for soft skill superheroes who are proficient in resolving conflicts, providing excellent customer service, solving problems is a dire need for organizations that strive to become more dynamic, interconnected and successful. Not only that, soft skills play a crucial role in retaining clients, win new clients and establish strategic partnerships in the business world. Apart from making a positive impact on communication, relationship and interaction with others, soft skills is an invaluable trait to gain confidence over others.  

So, still wondering? What’s the magic glue that makes soft skills in the workplace so important within the professional environment? Check out the most valued soft skills that future workplace relies on:

•       Customer service
•       Negotiation skills
•       Communication proficiency
•       Conflict resolution
•       Problem-solving
•       Teamwork
•       Working under pressure

As per Deloitte’s (2016) report, more than 90% of executives have rated soft skills as a priority for employees. 57% of senior leaders today consider soft skills as more important than hard skills. Upgrading yourself with soft skill capabilities will not only prove valuable for your personality development in a team environment but will also unlock more career-oriented opportunities.

Why not take a look at the 5 most important reasons to develop soft skills for your professional growth and expertise?

1.     Businesses today demand soft skill sets

It’s a no-brainer that during interviews, candidates today are characterized by soft skill attributes such as communication skills, ‘can-do’ attitude, positive attitude, social skills, courtesy, integrity, flexibility, teamwork, work ethics and promptness in understanding instructions and carrying out them accordingly. The more you display soft skills the more employable you are and the higher you score in the relevant recruiting metrics today.

Given the importance of entry-level success on soft skills, it is highly important to shape up and tailor your behavioral approach as businesses rely more on interpersonal skills and personal qualities.

2.     Modern workforce lack soft skills

With a wide new range of jobs available, what is missing in the modern workplace is collaborative problem-solving. Most organizations today focus on building teams that integrate group achievements contributed by team members with idiosyncratic knowledge. If you are not joining this workforce with competing demands of personal skill set, chances are your skills shortage might land you out of the job.

3.     Strategic decision makers in the world of automation are emerging

The number of jobs lost to automation is increasing; so are the growing demands of working styles complemented by personal attributes to accomplish the task. Softer skills such as creativity, leadership, communication, positivity, promptness, emotional intelligence have many takers in the employment world. Such skills are believed to significantly reduce the number of jobs at risk from the shackles of automation.   

4.     No networking, no opportunities

Communication, adaptability, patience, strong work ethic, discipline, process improvement is the gift of the gab, especially when you are looking for jobs, internships or networking opportunities. To tap the networking opportunities, why not start with social networking and expand your knowledge on relevant topics. Unlock your potential by developing character traits and personal attributes that can help you build meaningful connections and pave the way to new career opportunities.

5.     Changing nature of work

Jobs are changing fast so is the nature of work. The demand for new ways of working, management practices, organizational changes have resulted in new forms of work styles, working conditions, and work settings. To stay relevant to the future job demands, it’s a pivotal point to fine-tune the set of skill sets and personality traits that make it easier to work harmoniously within the team. Such teamwork can go a long way in building rapport and positive relationships in context with the workplace and also in terms of job growth and success.

Struggling to find a soft skills training platform for your organization?

Soft skills are critical for any individual. Hence, choosing the right soft skills training platform is key to the attainment of realistic goals. Let Skillstridetraining quickly equip you with a variety of more than hundreds of soft skill courses and make you job-ready for the future opportunities!