Strategies for Embedding and Nurturing Soft Skills in a Global Workforce

In this exclusive UNLEASH webinar, we look at the challenges of identifying soft skills, the impact they have on talent development, and the role AI plays in business to capture employee sentiments, with Workhuman and Rolls Royce. 

UNLEASH is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDC) for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification activities.

For businesses to thrive, leaders need to ensure that employees have the right skills – more than just technical expertise and knowledge.  

Although hard skills are invaluable, they can often be taught, assisted, or automated. Soft skills, on the other hand, tend to be more challenging to upskill. Yet soft skills are at risk of being overlooked in development plans, especially as organizations begin to work formalized skills taxonomies into their strategy, processes, and systems. 

That’s why, in this 60-minute UNLEASH webinar, Niamh Graham, Senior Vice President of Global Human Experience at Workhuman, and Mary Glowacka, Global Head of Learning Innovation & Leadership at Rolls Royce, came together to discuss these challenges, with a focus on: 

• Learning and development: How to learn actionable strategies for nurturing a culture of continuous learning and adaptability.
• Preparing for the future: Hear real-world examples and best practices in upskilling and reskilling initiatives.
• Utilizing technology: Discover how to identify the challenges of embedding soft skills, as well as the role AI has to play in capturing employee sentiments.
• Culture first: Understand how to position your organization for success in the age of digital disruption by prioritizing culture and employees.

Utilizing AI, upskilling and planning for the future

To begin the session, both Graham and Glowacka share how, in their experiences, soft skills have evolved over the course of their careers.  

“Let’s just take a look at a very specific example,” Glowacka begins. “I am currently leading some small risk projects as part of Rolls Royce’s transformation agenda, looking at how we can best leverage the opportunities that generative AI presents, such as enabling better and faster ways of communicating and removing some of the mundane tasks from people’s day to day so they can focus on more value activities.  

“This a very vibrant conversation, and we of course need to talk about how it impacts the day-to-day. These are power skills, so we need to understand how they will come into more prominence when we think about a reality where we, as humans, are augmented with that type of technology.” 

Glowacka continues to explain that a big part of this conversation is critical thinking, highlighting the importance of this soft skill, particularly in terms of auditing AI. 

The question was also posed to the audience through a poll, to gain a comprehensive understanding of what soft skills are believed to be the most important. Communication skills (27%), were voted as the most important soft skills for employees to have, followed by adaptability and flexibility (25%), teamwork and collaboration (25%), problem-solving skills (21%), and time management (21%). 

Naturally, the conversation progressed to a wider discussion about technology, with Graham explaining how AI tools – such as NLP – can help HR leaders analyze the words and interactions within the workforce to identify soft skills.  

“There are obviously some nuances associated with NLP, but there are some great benefits as well,” she said. “At Workhuman, we’ve included NPL in our technology, which has proven to be hugely popular with our clients as it shows whether there’s gender bias – even if it’s unconscious – so it can be prevented before the user proceeds with a message. 

“This brings so many benefits, especially in terms of DEI and being fully inclusive from a race and gender perspective, so it’s critically important and a very exciting new technology.” 

Glowacka reiterates Graham’s point, highlighting how identifying and nurturing soft skills within an organization is a vital step in talent development, yet upskilling and reskilling can be challenging.  

“Soft skills, as in behavioral skills, are often really difficult to acquire,” she says. “Part of this difficulty comes from the time it takes to learn and build on these soft skills as it can take years – and some people simply just don’t get there.” 

In true UNLEASH style, both Graham and Glowacka were asked to share their top takeaways from the webinar.  

“You’ve got to be a game changer and a changer maker in this new age of HR,” Graham says. “It’s also incredibly important to put your people and company culture at the center of everything you do, while also really knowing your audience, as of course, your audience is a multigenerational workforce.” 

Likewise, Glowacka concludes: “Keep learning – it’s the biggest gift you can give to yourself. Likewise, we spoke about augmented skills, which, in my mind, will only come closer to the forefront for businesses. That’s why I think it’s important to find low-risk areas of improvement within a company and go for it, ensuring you’re engaging the right people early on.  

“Finally, I’d say be bold and brave, and join us for future sessions here at UNLEASH.”