08/2022
Bridging the Gap – Why Closing the Soft Skills Gap Is Becoming Increasingly Important
The world is saying change. Whether in technology or in society, our progressive thinking requires new skills from our workers. The demand for hard skills is still there but is falling as many tasks can be easily completed by computers or robots. Nowadays, skills such as communication, leadership, creativity, adaptability and problem-solving ability are more in demand — in particular soft skills: skills that cannot be automated. However, most workers are insufficiently prepared for this change. That can be problematic.
A lack of soft skills can be expensive.
Anyone who does not invest in a learning and continuing education culture today will pay for performance losses over the next few years. According to a study conducted by Step Stone and the Kienbaum Institute, Overall performance of a company is rated 23% better if the company has sufficient competencies. The study also highlights the importance of becoming aware of competencies relevant to the future.
75% of employers are unable to find talent with soft skills
Building soft skills is not just up to companies, but must also be implemented throughout the education system and taught from an early age. Applicants with critical thinking skills are particularly difficult for employers to find.
However, this is of far-reaching importance, especially in senior management, in order to develop and implement new strategies. Employees who think and question critically can use the information they draw from their environment to make more informed judgments and decisions.
Lack of skills leads to more unemployment
Soft skills won't be just a nice-to-have for much longer. Experts believe that up to 400 million workers could be forced to look for a new job by 2030 because their current job has disappeared due to automation. This means that a great many people face potential unemployment. Both employees and employers must find a way to adapt and minimize risk.
65% of schoolchildren will work in jobs that do not yet exist
This fact may sound terrifying, especially for the young generation who are currently entering the job market, but it doesn't have to be. Because the change is of course not exclusively due to the fact that only professions with an extremely high demand for soft skills are in demand, but primarily due to technological progress, which creates new jobs and at the same time banishes old ones. It all happens slowly, don't worry. Nevertheless, soft skills are becoming increasingly important in order to be part of the job market in the future.
From phrase to reality
Lifelong learning is no longer just a buzzword, but is now a prerequisite for modern workers. Constant change requires a high degree of adaptability on our part and the associated will and ability to learn and reinvent ourselves. In this way, every working day not only offers the opportunity to perform at your best personally, but also an opportunity to develop and educate yourself in order to be able to maintain your performance at a consistently high level.
The first step is up to managers
Managers set an example. It is therefore very important that they promote continuing education and corporate learning among employees and thus bring the company closer to new skills. In my current position, I'm doing the same thing. I am not only interested in giving my employees a lot on a professional level, but also reaching an emotional level and thus growing together.