Soft skills are personal attributes, typically linked to how we work and interact with others eg. Our ability to read others, communicate constructively and work as part of a team. The latest research advocates investing in soft skills training.
Regardless of how technical the jobs we do are, we all interact with people and therefore need soft skills.In a 2016 study from the assessment company Wonderlic,
“93% of employers said that soft skills are either an “essential” or “very important” factor in hiring decisions”.
General benefits of employees developing their soft skills include:
- Increased productivity
- Improved teamwork
- Reduced conflict
- Improved leadership
- Enriched performance
- Improved employee satisfaction and morale
- Enhanced customer service and satisfaction
- Elevated company reputation
- Increased workplace communication
- Lower absenteeism
- Increased innovation
Research also supports the idea that soft skills development increases ROI, for example, in a study conducted by Harvard University, Boston College and the University of Michigan, it was found that soft skills training delivered a 256% ROI
Read more about the study in the research paper The Skills to Pay the Bills, written in June 2017.
JEM Training’s clients tell us the most needed soft skills are:
- Workplace communication skills: Presentation skills, Conflict management and Dealing with different personalities.
- Leadership and Management skills: Engaging employees, Coaching and Emotional intelligence.
Studies show that two groups, millennials and women, crave more leadership training from their employers. In a 2016 Deloitte survey of millennials, 63% said their leadership skills were not being fully developed.
The soft skills that were important for success 10 years ago are different today. Specifically, principles of leadership are changing as workplace demographics shift and companies adopt more collaborative, team-based leadership models. As the authors of Deloitte’s 2017 Global Human Capital Trends report write, “90% of companies are redesigning their organizations to be more dynamic, team-centric, and connected.” This requires improved soft skills.
In order for the training to be effective it’s important to consider the following:
Design the right program for you
- Decide what soft skills are necessary
- Evaluate your current training programs and see if there are any gaps. Ask yourself:
- What training do we give new employees?
- What training is offered to all employees?
- How is this training carried out?
- What training resources are accessible to employees?
- What is the feedback on current training offered?
- What training is missing?
- What training will help achieve our company goals?
- Decide the right format of your training
- Mentoring
- In-house face to face training
- On-the-job learning
- 1:1 coaching
- Blended learning
- Make sure if you choose face to face training that it:
- keeps the participants engaged and involved in the learning.
- Involves peer-to-peer learning via group work and interaction.
- Is tailored to the specific content required for the attendees.
If you would like to experience the benefits of soft skill training contact jill@jemtraining.com.au or have a look at our website www.jemtraining.com.au
