In a tight labor market, finding the right people with the right skills can be challenging. But just what skills should employers be looking for?
 

While “hard skills,” or those often learned through education, specific training, or on the job, demonstrate the competency required to perform their job tasks, just as important today is an employee’s soft skills. That’s because soft skills like effective communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and adaptability can be indicators of strategic attributes that can contribute to your organization’s long-term success.

Since cultivating soft skills in employees requires a unique approach that depends on situational awareness and practice, here are seven steps employers can take to support the development of these abilities in workers. To determine what may work best, it’s a good idea to start by first taking the time to get to know your employees so you understand how they learn, what soft skills they want to develop, and how they see these skills supporting their own professional development goals.

1. Conduct a Skills Gap

A couple of different approaches exist to help you understand where to focus your soft skill development efforts. One is to ask employees to complete a self-assessment that can include questions about what soft skills they believe are required for their job and which ones align with the organization’s goals. Another is to ask for manager input about what competencies they feel their team lacks or could be strengthened to enhance their performance. The feedback can be useful in understanding what types of training could be most valuable.

2. Offer Soft Skills-Based Training

Review your current offerings to make sure they include practical soft skill development opportunities such as role-playing or other interactive exercises. Consider including emotional intelligence (EQ) training as well, which focuses on self-awareness, empathy, and understanding.

Adapt the opportunities for managers and employees since they may require different training. And tailor it based on employees’ different abilities. For example, some may have well-developed traits but need more help with others.

If you don’t have the resources internally to develop a program, consider partnering with an external training professional.

3. Develop a Coaching Program

Developing soft skills is about changing behavior. Since they’re interpersonal or social, this makes them well-suited to one-on-one coaching, which can be especially useful to reinforce any formal training. Coaching should focus on employees’ daily routines and habits, utilizing specific examples and real-life situations they’re currently facing when possible.

For example, while coaching can’t necessarily teach someone how to get along with others, a coach could use a customer service scenario to share better ways to practice active listening, show understanding when someone is upset, or problem-solve.

4. Give Continuous Feedback

Feedback is essential when it comes to changing behavior. When situations arise at work that could be better handled with a different approach, it’s helpful to provide personalized feedback so employees understand how they could change their response and steps to take in similar future situations.

Ask them to reflect on these situations and where they could still improve. In addition to discussing deficiencies you may have identified, it’s also important to let employees know when you’ve recognized improvement in their soft skills since this type of appreciation can encourage and motivate the employees to continue their progress.

5. Provide Practice Opportunities

Consider providing employees with assignments that will require them to apply and stretch their soft skills outside of their comfort zone. For example, if an employee wants to enhance their speaking skills, consider opportunities for them to take on a new role in a project that would require them to deliver a presentation. Offer the necessary resources and support for them to be successful and be sure to let them know they can raise their hand and ask for help at any time.

6. Lead by Example

Employees are more likely to mirror behaviors that they see leadership exhibiting. Encourage leaders to take part in soft skill development opportunities and demonstrate what they’ve learned in action by communicating clearly and actively listening. It’s also important for leaders to show that the company prioritizes soft skill development by supporting training resources and opportunities. In addition, allow time for employees to take advantage of them, which can also reinforce the company’s learning culture. To do this, be sure to get their buy-in early on in your strategy development.

7. Create a Learning Culture

An environment that encourages employees to learn and grow will make them more likely to want to continuously learn new skills and engage in activities to cultivate their soft skills. To develop a learning culture, make education part of employees’ long-term plans and be sure they understand the value of achieving their own goals and furthering the company objectives.

While you may sometimes choose a worker with more of one set of skills than the other based on your workplace, culture, and needs, in reality, you need both to succeed. The above tips can help your organization enhance soft skills to positively influence nearly every aspect of your business.

Author Bio

As Senior Director of HR Services, Karyn Rhodes, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, brings many years of senior-level experience in human resources best practices to isolved.

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