In today's fast-paced and high-tech world, having technical skills (a.k.a. hard skills) alone is not enough to succeed. Soft skills have become equally important for professionals across all industries. Furthermore, as AI (Artificial Intelligence) is increasingly integrated into the workplace, soft skills will be more in demand since they are hard to automate.
Can soft skills be trained? Yes, to a certain degree. You hone it further through application and experiences.
Soft skills training has become an essential component of employee development programs, as it helps individuals improve their interpersonal skills, build better relationships with colleagues and clients and ultimately contribute to the success of their organisations.
So, let's dive in and understand why soft skills are like hidden superpowers that can boost your career and help organisations thrive.
Contents:
What are soft skills?
Generally, soft skills have been described as “personal attributes”, sometimes as “emotional intelligence”. I personally prefer the term “Power Skills” better because these skills help bring success to you in your workplace or business and in your personal life. Since they are so essential, especially to remain agile in a constant changing environment, calling them “Soft Skills” somehow doesn’t do it justice. But for the sake of convenience, we shall continue to use the term “soft skills” in this article.
To put it simply, hard skills are technical type skills, that are job specific, can be tested and are measurable. Soft skills, however, are human-centred, behaviour-based, not easy to evaluate or measure.
For example, a Coffee Barista would need a basic skill set that looks like this:
Hard Skills
* Use a coffee machine.
* Follow recipes for making cappuccino, latte, espresso, etc.
* Keep the coffee machine clean.
* Create latte art.
Soft Skills
* Communication.
* Customer Service.
* Creativity.
* Time management.
Top 10 most in-demand soft skills for 2023
The list of soft skills is endless but based on the latest data insights from LinkedIn, the 10 most in-demand soft skills for 2023 are:
1. Management
4. Leadership
5. Sales
7. Research
9. Marketing
10. Teamwork
This information helps you to prioritise which skills to focus on acquiring, and, they are relevant to a wide range of job roles, regardless of industry.
Click on any of the skills listed above to enrol in the online courses provided by LinkedIn Learning. You will need to log into your LinkedIn profile first.
Thanks to the rapid advancement of technology, similar online courses are also available on other platforms such as Udemy, Coursera, Knowledge Hut, etc.
Let’s explore further into the top 3 (non-leadership) most essential skills from the top 10 list above. Just by mastering Communication Skills, Customer Service Skills and Professional Sales Skills alone, you will already be able to experience most of the benefits of soft skills training. I consider these 3 skills as the foundation blocks towards greatness! Here’s why:
1. Supercharge Your Communication Skills:
In a world full of fancy words and confusing jargon, being able to communicate effectively is like having a secret weapon. Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful organisation.
Communication Skills training can help you express yourself clearly and with confidence, without making things overly complicated. You learn how to listen actively and adapt your communication style to different situations and audiences.
It's like finding the perfect balance between being professional and being yourself. When you can communicate well, you can build stronger relationships with colleagues, superiors and customers, resolve conflicts more easily and avoid misunderstandings that can lead to costly mistakes.
2. Customer Service: Putting Smiles on Faces
When it comes to building strong relationships with customers, customer service skills are key. Whether you're dealing with inquiries, complaints or providing assistance, soft skills training helps you deliver top-notch service with a smile.
You'll learn how to actively listen to customers, empathise with their concerns and find solutions that leave them feeling satisfied.
Customer service skills make a big difference in creating loyal customers who keep coming back for more. It's like being the friendly face that brightens someone's day and makes them feel valued.
3. Professional Sales: The Art of Persuasion
If you're in the world of sales, soft skills training can turn you into a persuasive superstar. Professional sales skills go beyond simply pushing products; they involve building trust, understanding customer needs and presenting solutions that truly benefit them.
Through soft skills training, you'll learn how to communicate the value of your product or service in a genuine and convincing manner.
It's like becoming a trusted advisor who guides customers towards making the right choices. With professional sales skills, you can close deals with confidence and build a successful sales career. Mastering the art of persuasion, you will also be good at winning negotiations, not just with customers, but with your peers and superiors too.
If you are interested in any or all of these 3 courses, click on the button below.
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Benefits of Soft Skills Training
Companies in Brunei are beginning to change their mindset about how important soft skills training is for the success of their business. Some have learned, the hard way, that having personnel who lack in these skills will result in performance issues and a loss of productivity because of the constant need for the leaders to put out fires and deal with interpersonal issues brought about by office politics, toxicity within teams, resistance to change and numerous other associated effects. Good staff will leave for better environments where they can thrive, leaving behind the company that continues to struggle to move forward.
When companies choose NOT to invest in personnel development training because of the cost involved, they will eventually realise that they are not saving any cost when they experience a loss of revenue as a result of mistakes and compensation to their customers. Not only does it cost more to acquire new customers, it will also become increasingly difficult to reduce staff turnover.
The good news is that there are more qualified local training facilitators in Brunei now. Previously, costs were higher because of having to engage overseas based trainers that incurred travel and lodging expenses.
Check out my LinkedIn profile for more information on my background and level of expertise. I am Brunei born and bred, with more than 10 years of international experience.
As more companies invest in staff development courses, over a period of time, the calibre of job applicants will rise steadily, thereby benefitting companies and the nation as a whole.
The benefits of soft skills training are extensive but here are the more obvious ones.
* Professionalism at work.
* Increased sales – win more business from new clients and from existing clients.
* Stronger professional relationships – with colleagues, vendors, clients, superiors.
* Smoother project executions – through teamwork, effective organisation and planning.
* Increased productivity.
* Improved customer service.
* Increased loyalty from customers.
* Increased self-confidence.
* Increased staff retention.
* Improved job satisfaction.
* Improved team dynamics.
* Greater ability to adapt.
* Positive and collaborative work environment.
* Accelerated career advancement.
* Reduced risks.
Advantages & disadvantages of Online vs Offline (face to face) Training Courses
With the abundant choices of courses now available for online learning, the opportunity for acquiring new skills has opened up to many more people, without restrictions to geographical locations, age or industry background.
There is no right or wrong choice in how you learn a new skill. It boils down to your personal preference. Below is an overview of pros and cons for both methods of learning that will help you decide what’s right for you. Bear in mind, the course topic is also a factor to be considered. For example, some courses can be done solo and online, while some would be more impactful when learning as a group, in a physical classroom setting.
Online Learning
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Offline Learning
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For offline learning opportunities, reach out to Doris Suresh Consulting.
Measuring the Success of Soft Skills Training
Measuring the success of soft skills training can be challenging, as it involves assessing intangible skills such as communication and teamwork. However, there are several ways to measure the effectiveness of soft skills training, including:
* Employee Feedback: Collecting feedback from employees who have participated in soft skills training can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the training. This can be done through surveys, focus groups or one-on-one interviews.
* Performance Metrics: Measuring performance metrics such as productivity, customer satisfaction and quality of work can provide an indication of the effectiveness of soft skills training.
* Observation: Observing employees in the workplace can provide insights into how well they are applying the skills they learned in soft skills training.
How do recruiters know what soft skills you have?
It is easy to just list down soft skills in your CV to match the job description for the position you are applying for. However, Honesty happens to be a soft skill that recruiters will rank highly, so you should always be truthful in your CV.
Recruiters have various means of recognising what soft skills you have, no matter what you say in your CV.
Below are some examples:
* How you describe your past job experiences and achievements.
* Your behaviour such as eye contact and body language during the interview.
* Your responses to structured / behavioural interview questions.
* Pre-employment personality test.
* Your description of work examples that demonstrate your soft skills.
* Your answer to how you would handle a job scenario that requires soft skills to solve.
* Reference checks with past employers and/or colleagues.
Conclusion
In a workplace that often prioritises hard skills and tangible achievements, it's easy to overlook the transformative power of soft skills training. Having soft skills is like a hidden treasure that can bring out the best in you. Now you see why I prefer the term “Power Skills” instead of “Soft Skills”.
By honing your abilities through training, not only can you communicate more effectively, you will also excel in providing exceptional customer service, leaving a lasting impression on customers and building their loyalty.
Moreover, if you're involved in sales, professional sales skills will help you effectively communicate the value of your offerings and successfully close deals.
So, embrace these skills, practise them with enthusiasm, and watch your career soar to new heights!
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