Author: Chantelle van den Heever
Technical skills might get employees hired, but soft skills determine how far they go. Yet, many businesses are struggling to find and develop the human-centred skills that drive collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving.
As automation takes over routine tasks, soft skills are becoming more valuable. The problem? They’re often undervalued and underdeveloped.
So, where’s the gap—and how do you fix it?
Why Soft Skills Are Lacking
Soft skills are critical for workplace success. But they’re not being prioritised in hiring, training, or ongoing development. Here’s why:
🔹 Overemphasis on Technical Skills – Organisations assume soft skills will develop naturally, but without structured investment, they don’t. The result? Communication breakdowns, leadership struggles, and teams that don’t collaborate effectively.
🔹 Remote and Hybrid Work – Less face-to-face interaction means fewer organic opportunities to develop interpersonal skills. Employees are navigating digital-first workplaces with little guidance on how to communicate and collaborate effectively.
🔹 Education and Training Gaps – Traditional education prioritises academic achievement over workplace skills. Many employees start their careers underprepared for real-world dynamics and don’t get the training to catch up.
🔹 The Rise of AI and Automation – As technology handles technical tasks, human skills like adaptability, critical thinking, and leadership are more important than ever. But training hasn’t caught up to reflect this shift.
Without a clear strategy to close these gaps, businesses risk building technically proficient teams that can’t lead, innovate, or work together effectively.
📌 What are soft skills?
The Business Impact of Soft Skills Deficiencies
A workforce that lacks soft skills isn’t just an HR issue—it’s a business risk.
Traditional training often focuses on technical skills, expecting communication, leadership, and adaptability to develop on their own. That approach no longer works. Soft skills need to be built intentionally and embedded into daily workflows.
This means:
✔️ Leaders modelling strong interpersonal behaviours.
✔️ Creating open, feedback-driven cultures.
✔️ Giving employees structured opportunities to practise soft skills in real business scenarios.
Soft skills training isn’t theoretical. It’s measurable. Organisations that track communication, collaboration, and leadership performance can refine their strategies to ensure real impact.
📌 Soft skills that matter most
Not all soft skills carry equal weight. The most critical include:
These skills drive business performance. Without them, even the most technically skilled teams will struggle.
Closing the Soft Skills Gap—A Strategic Approach
Developing soft skills isn’t a one-time training initiative. It’s an ongoing process that needs to be built into business operations.
Here’s how to make it work:
📍 Integrate Soft Skills into Learning & Development – Don’t separate technical and soft skills training. Embed communication, leadership, and problem-solving exercises into onboarding, upskilling programs, and performance reviews.
📍 Leverage Coaching & Mentorship – Employees develop best through real-world guidance. Pairing team members with mentors or leadership coaches helps reinforce emotional intelligence, adaptability, and decision-making.
📍 Prioritise Experiential Learning – Traditional workshops won’t cut it. Organisations should use scenario-based learning, role-playing exercises, and real-time simulations to build soft skills through practice.
📍 Measure Growth & Reinforce Learning – Soft skills can be assessed through peer feedback, behavioural assessments, and leadership evaluations. Track progress, identify gaps, and refine training strategies accordingly.
📌 How to close the soft skills gap
Build a Workforce That’s Ready for the Future
Technical expertise alone isn’t enough. Businesses that make soft skills a core part of their strategy will see stronger collaboration, innovation, and leadership at every level.
At VSLS Africa, we help businesses close the soft skills gap with practical, real-world learning solutions that deliver measurable impact.
**Get in touch with Chantelle van den Heever at chantelle@vsls.com to build a workforce that’s ready for the future.
