Soft skills are often overlooked in the workplace. Developers may focus more on hard skills, which are technical abilities; because they believe that these will get them to the place where they are wanted at work. Soft skills indeed have less obvious immediate rewards than hard skills do. For example, deciding when to reach out for help with a computer program may seem much easier when one knows how to use corporate skills development services without help already. However, many of these types of discussions can be addressed with training and development programs in the workplace. Here are some ways in which companies can develop their employees’ soft skills so that they can reap the rewards in return:
– Involvement – Employees who feel involved will show good soft skills if given opportunities to do so. This can be as simple as involving employees in the decision-making process that affects them. It also means making sure that those at the top of the organizational chart remember to be available for those who are lower down on the chart if they need advice or guidance about their work. Employees will show loyalty and better soft skills when they feel involved with what is going on around them, and this will give them an opportunity to thrive professionally and learn new skills as a result.
– Encouragement – When employers encourage employees to try new things, this shows an interest in their development and allows their natural talents to flourish over time, whether it is researching a particular issue, trying out a new piece of technology, or learning more about an aspect of the company’s business. Employees who are encouraged to try new things will show an interest in doing so, and this is often rewarded with greater job satisfaction over time.
– Mentoring – If employees are allowed to be mentors to others, it shows that they are valued within the workplace. This also gives them opportunities for new skills development because they can pass on what they have learned already to others who might need their advice or guidance about particular issues. People who mentor others typically enjoy what they do; they may not realize it but having the chance to help out other people while learning something new is a win-win situation all around.
– Accountability – When employees are held accountable for their actions from the beginning, they will be more likely to take on new responsibilities and show new skills as a result. When accountability is shown early on, employees learn that they have to pay attention to what they do to get ahead at work. If this is done properly, it can teach them how accountability works and help them grow professionally over time.
– Feedback – It seems like a no-brainer to say that if an employee gives feedback about their own performance, this shows good soft skills because they are being objective about the job instead of complaining about it from a subjective perspective. However, many people do not give themselves enough credit for showing these types of soft skills. This is a good point for employers to start from when trying to develop them in their employees.
Employers should ensure that skill development companies’ training and development programs incorporate soft skills and hard ones.
