No Soft Skills Training Spells Missed Opportunity For Many Organizations

New research from Wiley suggests soft skills training can positively impact job performance and retention, but many organizations are missing out on its advantages.

According to the latest Wiley Workplace Intelligence report, Soft Skills, Big Impact: Elevating Workplace Satisfaction, nearly three-fourths (74 per cent) of individuals surveyed said their organization offers professional development for their employees but only around a third (35 per cent) said it offers soft skills training. In fact, just half (49 per cent) reported that their employer offers opportunities for learning and development outside of mandatory training.

The findings suggest soft skills training is valued by employees and helpful to their work. Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of those who received soft skills training say it positively impacted their performance.

Overall, 48 per cent of those surveyed shared that their training positively impacted their professional growth. Training can also impact retention, as individual contributors and managers were most likely to say that access to professional development opportunities was one of their top three reasons for leaving their prior company.

“Soft skills are crucial for fostering effective communication, collaboration, and adaptability in the workplace,” said Dr. Mark Scullard, senior director of product innovation at Wiley. “Organizations that neglect to invest in these areas could hinder employee growth, diminish team dynamics, and potentially limit the organization's ability to thrive in an ever-changing business landscape.”

Soft skills, which are also known as interpersonal skills, cover areas such as communication, listening, empathy, teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and leadership, among others.

Respondents said their soft skills training is delivered through a variety of methods, including in-person (28 per cent), virtual with an instructor (20 per cent), virtual self-directed (20 per cent), and, most frequently, a hybrid of in-person and virtual (30 per cent). In-person training was rated most highly by respondents.

While many employees have access to learning and development opportunities, the research suggests they are spending little time on such training. The majority (60 per cent) of those surveyed say they spend two hours or less per month on professional development.

Methodology

The data in this report are based on surveys completed by 2,070 individuals in North America. Respondents work in a variety of roles across a range of industries, with 56 per cent having direct reports and 36 per cent being individual contributors.