Introduction
In today’s dynamic and ever-changing business environment, technical know-how and expertise are not enough for any job role. Employers have now started embracing the importance of soft skills and they are looking an extended edge or a competitive edge while hiring an individual. Whichever job role an individual belongs to, when they possess Soft Skills, they have better prospects to tackle and deal with the uncertainties and challenges coming up every now and then in the complex business environment. In this article, we will try to understand the relevance and important role of soft skills in enhancing an individual’s employability skills and overall professional development.
Research conducted by Harvard University has concluded that 85% of job success comes from having well developed soft and people skills, and only 15% of job success comes from hard technical skills.
Soft Skills
Before talking about Soft Skills Training, let’s understand the meaning of Soft Skills.
Soft skills refer to a set of personal characteristics, qualities and abilities that helps an individual to effectively to communicate and deal with others. Soft skills are considered as a complement to technical skills which are industry specific, whereas soft skills are mostly common across different job roles or industries.
Employers are looking for people who have Technical & Soft skills balanced well in their personalities.
In one of the surveys done by LinkedIn in 2022, 91% of recruitment professionals agreed that soft skills are very important to the future of recruitment and HR.
Technical skills are acquired through formal education, trainings & certifications and to develop soft skills, there are different tailor-made Soft Skills training programs conducted by Specialist Soft Skills Trainer and it can be learned through semi-formal or informal sessions and interactions. To develop soft skills, one must have an open mindset and should accept the feedbacks positively and make necessary efforts to change his/her behavior.
“Soft Skills gets little respect, but can make or break your career” – Peggy Klaus
According to LinkedIn, 92% of talent professionals and hiring managers said that soft skills matter as much or more in recruitment than hard skills. 89% say that bad hires typically lack the right soft skills.
Different Soft Skills
Communication – this includes developing active listening, effective speaking skills, writing skills and developing positive body language.
Inter-personal Skills – this includes all the people or behavioral skills like teamwork, leadership, Empathy required to be able to work effectively in co-ordination with others.
Self-management – this includes all the skills required to manage self like Time management, Stress Management, Self-Discipline, Money management, Self-Confidence, Self-esteem, Self-motivation.
Adaptability and Flexibility – it includes the skills required to remain flexible and adaptive towards the dynamic work environment to be able to stay updated with the latest trends and developments.
Cognitive Skills – includes the ability to evaluate different circumstances logically and rationally and to come up with unique approaches and ideas to deal with different challenges. Also includes the ability to solve problems and arrive at appropriate decisions.
A survey by LinkedIn found that the top five most in-demand soft skills are creativity, persuasion, collaboration, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.
People management – includes negotiation skills, convincing skills and ability to resolve conflict assertively.
There are many other skills as a part of soft skills like Sales Training, Customer service training, Managerial development, Grooming and so on.
What is Soft Skills Training
Soft Skills Training is imparting training to individuals on developing Self-awareness, Emotional Intelligence, improving Communication skills, team abilities, leadership qualities.
It is the intentional development and enhancement of soft skills through various training programs, workshops, coaching, seminars, Simulation techniques. Soft Skills training addresses specific areas of development and tries to provide the necessary resources, tools and methodologies required to improve on Soft Skills. It can be done through one-on-one interactions, face-to-face interactions in group and even virtually.
Soft skills training is usually done through various engaging activities, role plays, case study analysis, group discussions, simulation techniques.
Importance of Soft Skills Training
Soft skills development holds a very significant stake in every individual’s personality in today’s world. There are many benefits of Soft Skills Training:
Enhances employability – For the college students and job seekers, these skills can increase their chances of tapping the employment opportunities as employers everywhere are giving too much weightage to Soft Skills.
Personal growth and well-being – Soft skills not just helps us in the Professional endeavors, but also improves our Personal lives by enhancing our relationships, improving on physical and mental health and can help us in maintaining work-life balance.
Improved Relationships – Soft skills training can help us strengthen our professional relationships by working effectively in teams, displaying leadership qualities and communicating assertively.
Effective Management – With leadership skills and effective communication skills, managers will be able to deal positively with their workforce and hence will be able to manage teams well.
Improves performance – At individual level, one can perform well individually as well as in teams and hence can contribute effectively towards the organization’s overall performance.
Overall personal development – Soft skills training are as such aimed at enhancing one’s personality. The training can make people more confident, more positive, self-driven and more presentable.
Conclusion
Soft skills training is no more an option available; it is now a very vital and core ingredient for individuals in any kind of job role. With different Soft Skills Training, Individuals can sustain themselves in the complex and competitive work environment. The modern workplace needs a lot of smartness which can be cultivated through the wonderful intervention of Soft Skills Training.
Whether a student, job seeker or a working professional, if you invest your time, efforts, energy and money in soft skills training, will be able to perform better in their personal lives and also will be able to contribute efficiently and effectively in their professional lives.
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