The Soft Skills That Matter To Employers

Communication, problem-solving, and time management are the most desirable soft skills, current employees and managers say.

Business Name Generator’s ‘The Future of Soft Skills in the Workplace’ study surveyed over 1,000 U.S. employees to find out the skills employees and businesses value and how the integration of new technologies plays a role.

MOST IMPORTANT SOFT SKILLS

84% of employees and managers surveyed say it’s necessary for new employees to possess soft skills and demonstrate this in the hiring process. Soft skills are even more important at big companies (over 500 employees), with 90% saying soft skills are essential.

Communication was ranked as the most important soft skills nearly 25% of employees and mangers, followed by problem-solving (21%) and time management (19%).

C-level executives and senior management see creativity as the most essential skill, at 23% and 26%, respectively. Only 16% of C-suite executives thought communication was one of the most important skills.

Soft skill value differs from industry to industry. While communication is ranked most important across many, industries such as finance, sales, and marketing also value problem-solving skills.

TECHNOLOGY PLACES GREATER NEED FOR SOFT SKILLS

The rise of AI emphasizes an even greater needs for employees with strong soft skills. 71% of respondents say soft skills will be just as or more important in the future of work. Only 3% believe that AI will replace the need for soft skills in the workplace.

“The introduction of new technologies like AI has catalyzed the shift in demand for specific skills, requiring employees of all levels to deepen their existing skill sets or acquire new ones, including graduates looking for their first job,” Katrina Haggarty, a spokesperson from Business Name Generator, says. “Many of these will be soft skills, the personal attributes and non-technical skills that describe how people work and interact with others.”

Many experts agree. With the growth of virtual workspaces, soft skills are more important than ever before.

“In a virtual world, it’s really vital that you’re able to emotionally connect with people to understand their needs and their psychology,” Christine Menges, director of the MBA Career Center at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, says. “Emotional intelligence, empathy, and other soft skills are essential to that.”

METHODOLOGY

The data sample used by Business Name Generator was collected from July 26 to 31, 2023.

Business Name Generator surveyed 1,015 U.S. employees across 12 industries, to find out their thoughts on soft skills in the workplace, and the training being provided to them. The survey was overseen by the Census-wide research team.

Sources: Business Name Generator, mba.com

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