5 benefits of focusing on soft skills in your organization
“With the newest wave of technology, work will become more, not less, human.” - Forbes
Soft skills, also known as interpersonal skills or people skills, are becoming increasingly important in the future of work. Yes, technology is leading to more overall automation in business. But soft skills are distinctly essential to tasks that require a human touch and connection – specifically in events and hospitality. These skillsets are even more desirable and valued in the industry today given the global talent shortage we are all facing.
Organizations that focus on soft skills will “future-proof” their success – for several reasons. Here are five ways that focusing on interpersonal skills can benefit your business now and long term.
Benefits of soft skills
1) Automation and technology
As automation and technology continue to reshape the workforce, soft skills are becoming more valuable because they cannot be replicated by machines. Skills such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and communication are human traits that are critical to building relationships, collaborating with others, and solving complex problems. While machines may provide us with more opportunities and advancements in certain ways, genuine connection is irreplaceable to meaningful events.
For example, our partners at Cvent do great work to train event professionals on the latest event tech AND how to provide an exceptional attendee experience. While certain automation and efficiencies allow remote and hybrid events to run smoothly, it is essential for event professionals to be well-versed in how to go beyond technology to provide a quality human experience.
2) Remote work
The ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with others is increasingly important with more teams being remote. It is easier than ever for companies to plug freelancers in to supplement their teams – whether they work fully remotely or in a hybrid setting. The flexibility of a remote work environment also allows companies to find the right people to fit their exact needs. Soft skills such as effective communication, time management, resilience, and the ability to work effectively in a virtual environment are critical to success in a remote work setting, and thus for overall success.
3) Agile and cross-functional teams
The rise of agile and cross-functional teams in the workplace means that workers must be able to work effectively with people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and specialties. Soft skills such as: 1) empathy, emotional intelligence 2) collaboration, conflict resolution 3) interpersonal skills are critical to success in events.
Here's a real-world example: we focused on matching soft skills to successfully develop a multigenerational team for a company seeking registration support for its annual signature event. To meet the budget and needs of the company, we paired a young professional eager to jump into the industry (with transferable skills) with a pro freelancer equipped with the skill set to train and guide them – without the client being involved.
4) Employee engagement/retention
Engagement and retention are currently a worldwide problem in the events industry. This was a hot topic at the 2023 SITE Global conference we just attended. Soft skills are often the distinction between who can do a job and who can do it well within an organization, particularly in events. Workers who have strong interpersonal skills are more likely to be engaged and motivated because, put simply, they enjoy work.
Collaboration and communication are just a few soft skills important to ensuring a productive working environment. When team members are the right culture fit, they are more likely to have personal career growth and feel more fulfilled at work. This can lead to better retention rates.
5) Innovation
Teams that work well together can go further together. Soft skills are essential to create and sustain innovative environments. According to a study by Mckinsey, the top three missing areas of soft skills among job candidates are:
Problem-solving, critical thinking, innovation, and creativity (37%)
Ability to deal with complexity and ambiguity (32%)
Communication (31%).
Incorporating freelancers into an organization’s talent strategy is a great way to supplement missing skills and increase the speed of innovation.
A Harvard Business School study surveyed 700 business leaders about the future of work and found that 40% reported that “accessing highly skilled workers through new digital talent platforms helped improve speed to market, boost productivity, and increase innovation.”
How to lean in
Overall, soft skills are becoming increasingly important in the future of work as the workforce evolves and new challenges emerge. Companies that invest in developing their employees' soft skills will be better positioned to succeed in a rapidly changing business environment.
At Soundings we know that people make or break projects, teams, and organizations. That’s why we prioritize genuine connection and thoughtfully match talent with companies based on expertise and soft skills to drive results and innovation. In fact, soft skills are one of the first things we evaluate when matching our talent pool of 2,000+ event professionals with specific roles.
If you’re unsure how to optimize your organization's soft skills, we’re here to help! Contact us to learn more.