The talent shortage that hit us hard a couple of years ago isn’t going away. According to our research, 70% of U.S. hiring managers report difficulty finding talent with the right skills. The skills in highest demand? IT and data skills — some degree of which are needed in almost every industry.
The Ongoing Skills Shortage
As technological advances continue to transform the workplace, the supply of candidates with tech skills has not kept pace. The World Economic Forum predicts that in the next five years, 23% of global jobs will change due to industry transformation, including through artificial intelligence and other text, image and voice processing technologies. Not only that, but over 1 billion jobs will be radically transformed by technology in the next decade. This clearly indicates an urgent need for reskilling.
Maybe it’s time to shift the focus from finding people with the right skills to finding the right people to reskill. And that’s where soft skills come in.
Why Soft Skills?
Soft skills are not a substitute for hard skills, but they can be a foundation. Skills like communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving enhance an individual's ability to learn and apply new hard skills.
In addition, these skills are increasingly recognized as critical to organizational success. The right soft skills can not only bridge the talent gap but also foster a more adaptable and resilient workforce.
The Benefits of Prioritizing Soft Skills
- Adaptability and Learning Agility: In a fast-paced business environment, the ability to adapt to change and learn new skills quickly is invaluable. Employees with strong soft skills are often more adaptable and open to continuous learning, making them ideal candidates for learning the types of skills your business needs, now and into the future.
- Enhanced Team Dynamics: Soft skills such as communication and empathy are crucial for effective collaboration and team cohesion. Employees who can work well with others contribute to a positive workplace culture and are more likely to drive collective success.
- Problem-Solving and Innovation: Critical thinking and creativity, both soft skills, are fundamental to problem-solving and innovation. By fostering these skills, organizations can cultivate a workforce capable of addressing complex challenges and generating innovative solutions.
Implementing a Soft Skills-Oriented Hiring Strategy
To effectively leverage soft skills in addressing the talent shortage, your organization should adopt a strategic approach to hiring. According to a LinkedIn study, 69% of hiring managers are prioritizing soft skills now. Here’s how to get started.
Step 1: Conduct a Skills Gap Analysis
First, it is important to identify the specific skills gaps within the organization. A comprehensive skills gap analysis can help you identify current and future skill requirements, providing a roadmap for targeted training and recruitment efforts.
Step 2: Redefine Job Descriptions
Traditional job descriptions often emphasize specific hard skills and qualifications. By redefining these descriptions to elevate the importance of soft skills, you can attract a broader pool of candidates who may possess the potential to grow into the role.
Measuring Soft Skills Effectively
Measuring soft skills can be challenging due to their intangible nature, but it's essential for building a strong, adaptable workforce. The following methods can be incorporated into the interview process and/or deployed on current employees.
- Behavioral Interviews
Behavioral interviews focus on past experiences and how candidates have handled various situations. Be sure to include questions like "Can you describe a time when you had to solve a difficult problem?" or "How do you handle conflict in a team?" These will help you assess skills such as problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.
- Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs)
SJTs present candidates with hypothetical scenarios and ask them to choose the best course of action. These tests are designed to evaluate decision-making, critical thinking, and other soft skills. They provide insight into how candidates might perform in real-world situations.
- Personality Assessments
Tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or the Big Five Personality Traits can help identify traits related to soft skills. For example, high scores in agreeableness and conscientiousness can indicate strong teamwork and reliability.
- 360-Degree Feedback
This method involves gathering feedback from your employee's peers, subordinates, and supervisors. It provides a comprehensive view of an individual's soft skills in various contexts. This feedback can highlight strengths and areas for improvement.
- Role-Playing Exercises
Role-playing exercises simulate real-life scenarios where participants must demonstrate their soft skills. For instance, a customer service role-play can assess communication, empathy, and problem-solving abilities.
- Work Sample Tests
These tests require candidates to perform tasks or projects that mirror the actual work they would do on the job. Observing how they approach and complete these tasks can reveal their soft skills in action.
- Self-Assessment and Reflection
Encouraging employees to self-assess their soft skills and reflect on their experiences can be valuable. Tools like self-assessment questionnaires and reflective journals help individuals identify their strengths and areas for growth.
- Peer Assessments
Peer assessments involve colleagues evaluating each other's soft skills. This method can provide insights into how employees interact and collaborate with their peers, offering a different perspective from supervisory evaluations.
- Gamification
Gamified assessments use game-like elements to evaluate soft skills. These can be engaging and provide a less formal way to assess skills like problem-solving, adaptability, and teamwork.
- Continuous Feedback and Development
Implementing a culture of continuous feedback helps employees develop their soft skills over time. Regular check-ins, coaching sessions, and development plans ensure ongoing improvement and adaptation.
Investing in Soft Skills Training
Before (or simultaneously with) training your current workforce in hard skills, consider comprehensive soft skill training. In addition to identifying individuals with potential for tech training, you’ll benefit from a more versatile and engaged workforce.
Here’s How
Explore available options: Workshops, mentorship, and coaching are all great choices for enhancing soft skills. Beyond this, there are many existing online and third-party learning programs offered by organizations, businesses and educational institutions. Manpower offers a wide variety of no-cost educational options to our associates to enhance both hard and soft skills.
Create your own curriculum: If you don’t find a suitable solution from a third-party source, you can create your own program, perhaps leveraging some online courses and blending them with workshops and hands-on learning.
Looking Ahead
A skills gap can have far-reaching consequences for businesses, affecting productivity, innovation, and overall competitiveness. Companies unable to find the right talent may experience project delays, increased training costs, and a reliance on external consultants. Moreover, the pressure to compete for scarce talent can lead to wage inflation and increased employee turnover.
As technology advances, the skills gap isn’t going away. However, as automation and artificial intelligence become more prevalent, the demand for uniquely human skills, such as emotional intelligence and creativity, will increase. Workers who excel in these areas will be essential for roles that require human interaction and complex decision-making.
Need workers trained in soft skills now? Talk to us!
