Research on Soft Skills Gaps & Impacts

LinkedIn Identifies Soft Skills as the #1 Skills Gap in the US

The soft skills gap exists because workplace readiness is not a core part of higher education.

The expectation has always been that graduates will learn these skills through experience and maturity. And to be fair, a lot of these skills need everyday practice and reflection to truly sink in.

The result is that most of us entered the workplace missing critical skills to achieve our true potential.

Hiring these high potential graduates without offering training to fill this gap only compounds the problem.

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Higher Education Gaps: By the Numbers

LinkedIn Global Talent Trends 2019 Report

“75% of employers have a hard time finding graduates with soft skills they need, specifically problem-solving; critical thinking; innovation and creativity; the ability to deal with complexity and ambiguity; and communication.”

- SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

“Only 13% of Americans strongly agree that college grads are well-prepared for success in the workplace.”

- GALLUP

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  • “EMPLOYEES WHO SEE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN AND GROW ARE 2.9X MORE LIKELY TO BE ENGAGED.”

    HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

  • “76% OF GEN Z MOVING AROUND DURING THE GREAT RESHUFFLE WERE SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN.”

    LINKEDIN

  • “GEN Z VALUES ETHICAL SERVANT LEADERSHIP THAT SUPPORTS THEM AND HELPS THEM DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS. LEADING THROUGH EMPOWERMENT ALLOWS GEN Z TO DEVELOP THEIR SKILL SETS WHILE BUILDING TRUST ALONG THE WAY.”

    NATIONAL SOCIETY OF LEADERSHIP AND SUCCESS

  • “YEAR AFTER YEAR, THE ANNUAL SURVEY ON SKILLS COMPANY EXECUTIVES CONSIDER MOST VALUABLE IN COLLEGE GRADUATES AND THAT PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE WORKFORCE FINDS THAT SOFT SKILLS ARE THE BEST PREPARATION FOR LONG-TERM CAREER SUCCESS.”

    ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

  • AMONG A FEW KEY CHALLENGES TO TEACHING SOFT SKILLS ARE THAT THEY TAKE REPEATED EFFORT AND ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN PEOPLE’S PERSONALITIES, HABITS AND LIFE EXPERIENCES.

    TRAINING INDUSTRY

Learning & Development:
Looking Beyond Managers and Executives

The research is clear: investing in soft skills training offers improvement opportunities across performance, recruitment, retention and manager burnout.

And while most training companies are focused on managers and leaders, it’s important to remember that at every level of your company, professional development supports organizational success.

You’re already financially invested in every young team member within your organization. Why not maximize your return on that investment and build a young talent base that feels engaged, invested in and well equipped to succeed?