Prominent soft skills for the future of learning and work

High school and college graduates are not prepared to enter the workforce. Why? Because they have not been taught or been able to develop soft skills — the intangible but impactful abilities that allow an individual to execute effectively in today’s collaborative and distributed workplace.

Soft skills have always been significant — but now they are urgent

To be fair and to be clear: The emphasis on interpersonal or soft skills as central to job-preparedness is not new. For decades, employers have noted how impactful communication, collaboration, creative and strategic thinking are to an employee’s performance. Soft skills have always been significant, but the pandemic’s impact on where we work and how we work have now made the development of soft skills urgent. Deloitte has projected that soft skill intensive occupations will account for two-thirds of all jobs by 2030.

Soft skills allow employees to master themselves, build relationships with their colleagues and solve complex problems. These non-technical skills are the nucleus of a company’s people operations and productivity, but they must also be acknowledged as the most important interconnection between education and employability. Where we work and how we work has changed, and therefore, how we measure students’ preparedness for work should change too (GPA, I’m looking at you).

Helping entry-level employees decode job descriptions

Entry-level job descriptions emphasize soft skills. Terms like coachable, continuous learner, self-starter, excellent communicator and team player are used to signal the importance of interpersonal skills to potential applicants. However, by themselves, these terms fail to clearly connect how soft skills directly impact an individual’s ability to complete the tasks associated with their job.

Recently, I had a conversation with an HR professional who highlighted the disconnect between employers’ expectations and the abilities of current entry level talent: “Entry-level employees need better communication skills — they need the ownership, the imbuing confidence, the leading with presence. These are the skills that save time and shorten the time frame from supervised to independent.”

Connecting the future of learning and the future of work through employability skills

Below, I unpack five of the most common soft skill terms found in entry-level job descriptions and provide a clear link to how each soft skill enables learners to be more productive on the job, and how to practice soft skills in learning environments.

A continuous learner is also called “coachable.” This means having an attitude or mindset that’s focused on continuous improvement.

How this soft skill connects to the future of work: In a quick-changing workforce and fast-moving workplace, entry-level employees are expected to seek information about how they  can strengthen their performance. 

How this soft skill connects to the future of learning: To become coachable, learners must complete projects that require them to stretch outside their comfort zone. These experiences will allow them to practice:

• Seeking feedback. 
• Asking for help. 
• Demonstrating curiosity and flexibility when faced with obstacles.

Being proactive is also called a “self-starter.” This means taking initiative when given a new task or presented with a problem.

How this soft skill connects to the future of work: Today’s workplace requires and rewards autonomy and ownership. Therefore, entry-level employees are expected to use their knowledge and resources to problem solve instead of always waiting for guidance.

How this soft skill connects to the future of learning: To become a self-starter, learners must take responsibility for doing more than the minimum. These  experiences that allow them to practice: 

• Assuming ownership.
• Self-motivation.
• Persistence.

Collaborative also means “being a team player.” This means awareness of how an individual’s actions contribute to the success of a team outcome or goal.

How this soft skill connects to the future of work: In a project-based collaborative workplace, entry-level employees are expected to have the self-awareness and attitude necessary to cooperate and complete tasks with others. 

How This soft skill connects to the future of learning: To become a team player, learners must recognize that success in groups depends on each person’s specific and unique contribution and that individuals benefit from working together. These experiences allow them to practice:

• Being accountable to others and their word. 
• Conflict resolution. 
• Influencing others.

Being a strategic thinker is also called being “solutions-oriented.” This means once a problem has been identified you are determined to develop and provide answers or solutions. 

How this soft skill connects to the future of work: Organizations exist to solve problems for their customers and employees exist to solve problems for the business. Entry-level employees are expected to think creatively in the face of obstacles instead of accepting that there’s nothing that can be done. 

How this soft skill connects to the future of learning: To become solutions-oriented, learners must complete projects where they have a stake in the problem and develop a growth mindset that emphasizes various paths to resolution. These experiences allow them to practice:  

• Deductive reasoning.
• Creative thinking and brainstorming.
• Adaptability. 

Having good communication and presentation skills is also called being a “strong communicator.” This means the ability to clearly and concisely express an idea or information to a colleague, customer or listener in a manner they can readily understand. 

How this soft skill connects to the future of work: There is no agreement, implementation, instruction or execution without clear communication. Entry-level professionals will communicate frequently — at client meetings, during conference calls, during staff meetings, when providing service to customers — and the expectation is that they also communicate effectively.

How this soft skill connects to the future of learning: To become a strong communicator, learners must have opportunities to organize, express and engage others verbally and written. These experiences will allow them to practice:  

• Speaking with confidence.
• Persuasiveness.
• Empathy.

Final thoughts

Transitioning students from education to employment relies on how much practice graduates have had in developing their soft or interpersonal skills. Entry-level employees need learning experiences where they can build awareness of their individual communication, motivation and conflict styles, practice strategic and creative thinking skills, develop leadership capabilities and discuss and debrief difficult decisions.

The future of learning is about teaching learners skills that are in-demand, and the future of work is about mastering skills that cannot yet be automated. Soft skills are the only skills that meet both those needs.