The shift towards flexible work, encouraged by the recent push to work from home, has presented new challenges to employers as workers are gravitating towards increasingly connected and emotional leadership. In 2022, soft skills are the bedrock for any successful organisation and the keys to protecting the workforce.

A new world

As several companies, even in Malta, have shifted to a hybrid model, it appears that an attractive office workspace and some common company perks are not going far enough when it comes to satisfying the desires of employees.  

To tackle this dilemma, team leads and those within the C-suite find themselves increasingly turning to soft skills – and rightly so. Whereas hard skills refer to qualifications and experience which are essential for employees to produce the best quality services for their clients, soft skills are those qualities relating to communication and emotional intelligence which allow for a sense of belonging and understanding between teammates and even clients. 

The rise of soft skills

Not so long ago, soft skills may have been overlooked when hiring new people or even promoting within but today, the success of a team depends on its leaders and those around it to possess a high degree of these skills. Soft skills are sometimes instinctive and rooted in a person’s personality, which means some find them easier to hone over time due to natural ability, but for the most part, soft skills take training, dedication and awareness to master, and with soft skills, bad habits die hard – very hard.

The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report has suggested there are five soft skills which will be increasingly important in the future of work: complex problem solving; critical thinking; creativity; people management; and emotional intelligence.

Some employment markets experts even tend to claim that 80 per cent of the job profile are a person’s soft skills and just 20 per cent are the knowledge-based skills. Their importance in today’s world is evident and, with Malta’s current skill shortage, these types of personal traits are even more sought after. 

This was seen during EY’s Work Reimagined research which found that there is an appetite for soft skills even in employees. In fact, over 36 per cent would like their employer to invest in upskilling workshops, including those on soft skills.

Soft skills have moved away from traditional knowledge and rely on the expression of personal and professional experiences which can bring on new perspectives. They are an essential element of change management. Better communication, better understanding and better diversity can lead to better questions that bring better answers.

Being able to access different people’s point of views in a safe space where no ideas are wrong means that team leaders can help moderate future solutions and lead drivers of change. 

Maybe you’re still not convinced? The ‘EY DNA of the CFO Survey’ identified three main takeaway points for CFOs to consider, one of which being: be smarter about the emotional intelligence that underpins collaborative leadership. 

Research by the world second- largest human resources provider, Adecco, found that team leaders that focus on soft skills could increase their team’s performance by 30 per cent, resulting in changes in both team morale and in profitable return. 

How EY can help

EY Connect Learning’s bespoke Soft Skill programme introduces a combination of skills relating to communicative leadership, integrity and inclusivity, in a course that is completely modular so that it can be tailored to your company’s needs.  The addition of soft skills to your team means higher morale, higher revenue, and ultimately, an even better working world.

Our approach to learning is grounded in specific experience of designing and implementing targeted learning solutions across all major business sectors, and our success is founded on delivering measurable, sustainable results. 

Our programme is led by EY trainers with deep experience, first-hand knowledge and an accomplished performance history. 

Ediana Guillaumier is EY Connect Learning Lead.

For more information on how your company can get ahead with soft skills training, contact the EY Connect Learning team: eyevents@mt.ey.com