4 Things Corporate Leaders Need to Do to Grow “Soft” Skills

As hiring and retention continue to shift and evolve, traditional job skills feel as outdated as a floppy disk. Employers are no longer solely fishing for candidates with degrees from revered institutions. They’re looking to hook folks who possess so-called “soft skills,” knowing these are oftentimes harder to learn and apply than the tactical/technical ones. As workplaces test new ways of working, skills such as emotional intelligence, empathetic communication, and adaptive problem-solving have become the need-to-have building blocks of a thriving and adaptable workforce. 

SHRM found that 77 percent of organizations place a premium on hiring for these soft skills, to cater to the multifaceted needs of today’s labor force. And Microsoft’s CEO has said empathy is the “most formidable skill of them all.” As we wade through the sea of change within treasury, finance, and business writ large, the mandate for companies is becoming crystal clear: Fostering an environment that nurtures and cultivates the invaluable soft skills is the key to sustainable hiring and retention.  

Here are four things employers need to give their employees in order for soft skills to grow:

1. Alignment: What’s in it for me? What’s in it for all?

It’s not just about the company having a higher purpose; it’s about every single person within the organization being able to identify their higher purpose and find alignment between their individual purpose and the organization’s greater mission. Playing to each person’s strengths—and mapping those strengths to the person’s goals and needs—brings autonomy and freedom.

Alignment can be applied to everyday operations as well—for example, navigating remote, hybrid, and in-person work requirements or a four-day workweek. Some of these requirements may not work for everyone, but they might be a good fit for most. Testing new work models, explaining the ‘why’ behind them, and knowing that responsibilities can be fulfilled, regardless of when and where work gets done, can make the corporate policy work for all.  

Airbnb is a great example of this because every aspect of the company, from hiring to writing emails, is done in alignment with the company’s values and purpose. Airbnb aims to “create a world where anyone can belong anywhere.” For a company to live out its purpose, everyone in the organization must believe that there’s something in it for them which ladders up to a benefit for all. 

2. Belonging: Freedom to dance. 

True belonging happens when everyone feels welcome; trust is high; and there is freedom to be curious, courageous, and bold without judgment. Embracing tensions and having real talks about difficult topics are crucial, because we’ll never get to the best ways of working and the best solutions without a sense of belonging. 

It’s also worth noting that belonging can’t happen without diversity. What needs to happen first is communicating what you mean when using these words. A memorable way to think of it: Diversity is being asked to the dance, inclusion is being asked to dance, equity is having your turn to play the music, and belonging is dancing any way you want. By defining these terms, an organization is able to implement change in a more intentional way, building a plan to test new practices in hopes of achieving a better outcome. 

We can look to Simone Biles’ choice to step away from competition at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games as proof. Experiencing extreme pressure, she said ‘no’ in order to protect her body and mind. But instead of wallowing in her hotel room or taking the first flight back home, she shifted her role to that of cheerleader, fulfilling another of her team’s needs. What this teaches us about belonging is that we can flow, shift, and dance however we want as we recognize and respect one another.   

3. Accountability: Individual and shared ownership.

Leaders are responsible for taking care of people, and people are responsible for getting their job done. Knowing that mistakes will happen, we can reframe this dynamic by instilling values to learn and grow from our mistakes. When everyone in the organization “walks the talk” by getting rewarded and recognized for living these values, talk becomes actionable because everyone will do what they say. 

For decades, sustainability has been a core value at Patagonia, but in 2022, the company put its money (rather, its equity) where its mouth was. Instead of going public, Patagonia chose “going purpose” by transferring 100 percent of voting and nonvoting shares to protect its values and fight the environmental crisis. Going forward, any profits not reinvested in the company are put toward protecting the planet, ensuring that Patagonia employees are secure and the organization’s values stay intact while making its purpose, the earth, a stakeholder. 

4. Commitment: Investment in long-term growth, not short-term gains.

Successful teams are those in which members share a commitment to one another at every level, including the individual and organizational levels, and to their collective long-term goals. Trust is high, and each person’s individual sensibilities and skills are leveraged to discover innovations, find solutions, and accomplish work in the most effective, efficient ways. Companies that double down on their people actually outperform all the others in the S&P 500, even in economic downturns. 

Northwell Health, New York’s largest healthcare provider, understands that people are assets and not an expense line in the budget. At the pandemic’s epicenter, Northwell’s workplace became a warzone; employees were literally facing life and death each day. However, over the course of this great uncertainty and chaos, Northwell went from number 93 to number 19 on Fortune’s list of “Best Companies to Work For” across all industries. Northwell was committed to the idea of putting patients first and accomplished this by prioritizing its employees. 

When things in the pandemic started to hit the fan, Northwell’s CEO, with a commitment to his teams, insisted on walking the halls, being with his people, and letting them know that they were all in it together. The company created tents for employees to get nourished and hydrated, and it provided therapists and specialists to meet their needs throughout the high-anxiety situation. Northwell prioritized people and culture in the most volatile of conditions, based on the commitment the management team had made years earlier, before the pandemic tested their will to live their purpose.

From: BenefitsPRO