DISCOVER SOFT SKILLS AND THEIR ROLE IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Over time, soft skills have become increasingly important in the workplace. These soft skills have become a very important part of the professional profile of employees in companies. According to some studies, such as ‘The Future of Jobs’ by Harvard University, “85% of professional success is due to the early acquisition of interpersonal skills, often directly referred to as soft skills, which are strongly linked to the social and emotional sphere”.
Measuring and determining the skills of candidates has become one of the most important points in recruitment processes. Creativity, persuasiveness, collaboration, resilience and time management are some of the most in-demand skills in 2021. These are under scrutiny in companies by the human resources department. If you are wondering what is the key point to develop soft skills, we tell you.
Education as a basis for skills development
The development of soft skills can start at an early age with the practice of social-emotional competences at school. Developing creativity or stress management at an early age can help the later development of other soft skills. It is just as important to acquire knowledge and achieve the best academic results as it is to develop soft skills for a future career. In this sense, education plays an essential role in schools, where the teaching of soft skills should already be explicitly included in the educational curriculum.
Soft skills are intrinsically embedded in academic activities, to be consciously applied and developed by students. The aim of working on these skills from a young age is to prepare students to be able to manage the speed of change with the social, emotional, cognitive and digital skills needed to face the challenges of the futur
The development of soft skills in employees
When we talk about ‘soft skills’ we refer to those skills that have to do with emotional intelligence, the ability to work in a team, leadership, conflict resolution… They are the attitudes and aptitudes of the employee to face their work. Why is it important to develop soft skills in the current context? There are two main reasons: they are skills that do not expire and generate benefits for the company and the employee.
Success in the workplace is obviously the result of a balanced combination of soft and hard skills; however, it is also true that when it comes to developing one or the other, we tend to pay attention to the latter. It is important to have professional training related to our area of work and, above all, to update our knowledge. But it is also true that we often forget how important it is to know how to speak in public, to develop leadership skills or to train our ability to work in a team.
These aspects, linked to people’s soft skills, are the ones that will allow us to overcome all the challenges we face in our present or future professional life. Soft skills are essential for any sector of the workplace, at any time and under any conditions. Soft skills will help employees and companies to become a unique and competitive profile in their environment.
One of the main skills we need to develop that we tend to overlook is the ability to learn. We are not talking about continually acquiring new knowledge, but about developing a capacity for growth and a willingness to keep learning over the years. It is this ability that will make the difference in your career.
Soft skills training as a business strategy
Teleworking has revealed many of the shortcomings of remote teamwork. Many groups have encountered problems and obstacles in maintaining active and constant communication. Therefore, there is a need for training adapted to the new needs of the current situation. What can companies do in this situation? Approach and promote training for its employees.
The benefits of soft skills training are numerous and can be reflected in results, both at a general and personal level. If employees are up to date with new developments in the sector and develop new skills, they will be more efficient in their work, they will promote innovation within the company, which can lead to new services or significant improvements to existing ones, and, above all, they will be more motivated and committed.
A commitment to training makes your company one of the most attractive in the sector and it will be much easier to attract, retain and attract talent. Today’s professionals, especially young people in the digital world, turn to video platforms or online courses to develop new skills naturally. But what if, instead of seeking it out on their own, they are offered it by the company?
Soft skills are essential for the good functioning of a company, that’s why it is important to be able to apply them and train employees to be in a continuous learning process. Contact us today and start improving Soft Skills in the whole company!
