The Importance Of Soft Skills In The Workplace

There are a great number of people entering the workforce that lack soft skills. These necessary skills are lacking in many people that are just graduating college and taking on professional jobs. Why is this a problem and what can we as employers do about it?
What Are The Soft Skills That Employees Lack?

Soft skills include relationship building, motivation, attitude, character, and anything to do with emotional development. These skills have nothing to do with an employee’s trade abilities. Soft skills are learned by interacting in society and part of a social upbringing. It is the ability to interact with others in an effective and productive way.

Why Are Soft Skill Lacking in The Upcoming Generation of Employees?

We are definitely living in a disconnected society. Not only do the younger generations have a problem with soft skills, but employees of all ages have not spent enough time developing these skills.

In a day and age where we do drive by chats and digital communication, it has taken away the need for small talk. We get in and get out with the bit of information we are seeking. All the while, personal relationships are lacking.

How Do We Help Our Employees Develop These Necessary Skills?

As leaders in a company, it is our job to help employees gain the necessary skills to do the job. It is difficult when it comes to teaching soft skills. There are some training courses you can look for that will help with some of these skills. Other than that, it will take some real creativity to help develop these skills. Here are some things you can try.

• Lead by example- it is very important that you set the tone for your office culture. Show employees what soft skills you value. You can’t be an (inside the office) office manager. Instead, you must be out with the team members actively engaging them.
• Have office get togethers- to help build a team, you need to have times you meet outside of work. Figure out what works best for your staff and put together outings or parties for the staff to mingle.
• Pair people in teams- in some jobs, pairing people up on tasks will give your staff the chance to work with someone else and build soft skills in the process.
• Meet regularly and address issues- it is important to meet with your team on a regular basis. This gives you a chance to address issues. Be sure you talk about soft skills that you want your team to exhibit. If there seems to be problems with customer relations, address the issues and state specifically how they should be resolved.

Building soft skills in our team is an important part of a successful business. It will take time and determination, but it will happen if you make it a priority.

We would love to hear your comments! Contact Otis & Tina Bishop today!

We would love to hear your comments! Contact Otis & Tina Bishop today!

Thanks for your readership.

Sincerely, Otis & Tina Bishop

Bishop Placement Services

150 Uptown Square suite D Murfreesboro, TN 37129

http://www.bishopplacement.com ~ otis@bishopplacement.com ~ 615-367-6177