Traditionally, hiring managers and recruiters prioritized applicants’ and employees’ proficiency in hard skills related directly to their roles, whether that’s sales, accounting, or marketing. Soft skills, however, have recently emerged as a crucial factor in academic and professional success, particularly in roles that require several competencies. 

These have become increasingly essential as companies and organizations move into remote-based work arrangements in light of the pandemic. Many people have invested in online training to boost their soft skills, whether it’s through communication strategy online courses or basic organizational management courses.

As remote work continues to evolve, soft skills continue to rise in demand. Here are the most valuable soft skills in the post-pandemic world:

• Communication Skills

Many organizations experienced an overnight transition from face-to-face meetings to Zoom calls for their teams. 

Companies that have already previously transitioned from traditional work settings to more flexible arrangements, with benefits like remote work and shifting schedules, may have adjusted more easily—but for many, it was a dramatic shift. Not only do companies rely on their network infrastructure and safe communication platforms so much more, but they also depend on the communication skills of their employees for better work efficiency. 

So many factors can get in the way of effective communication, including technical difficulties and the challenge of adjusting to a virtual setup. It becomes imperative for employees to learn good communication skills that involve clear, concise, effective language, and practice good habits on communication platforms. By capitalizing on this skill, teams can accomplish more, even while working from home.

• Time Management and Self-Motivation Skills

Working from home full-time presents a new set of challenges, with the blurring of professional and personal boundaries foremost among them. Perhaps having your desk close to the bed makes it more difficult to get up on time, or several distractions become more apparent now that your living space is the same as your working space. As a result, self-motivation becomes a struggle, and managing your time for work requires more effort. 

Setting clear and firm boundaries can help you maintain a sense of work-life balance, especially as organizations move beyond traditional working hours. Figure out what times and settings make you most productive to ensure tasks are done before the deadline without compromising precious time with your family. 

• Emotional Intelligence Skills 

During a widespread crisis resulting from the global pandemic, companies will encounter employees who are facing many more problems than before. Some may have lost loved ones to the virus, while others have gone bankrupt, been displaced, or lost their jobs. Others are suffering from anxiety and poor mental health because of social-distancing, quarantine measures, and uncertainty. Not everybody will be in tip-top shape to perform their best like they did pre-pandemic. 

Honing your empathic skills and practicing emotional intelligence is a requirement for dealing with your employees or interacting with your coworkers. These may include being more flexible and understanding with some circumstances or social skills like “reading the room.”

Knowing how to empathize will not only make you a better teammate but a more decent human being overall. Caring about your colleague’s wellbeing beyond the work that you produce together will allow the entire team to remain strong throughout the pandemic and emerge a better team on the other side. 

Some struggle with expressing emotions and showing just how much they can empathize. Taking advantage of something like a social and emotional competencies online course may help in that regard.

Conclusion

Work is not only a productive endeavor but a social one, and doing well professionally includes building meaningful relationships with your colleagues. When daily interactions are limited to digital channels, communicating well, empathizing with others, and being self-motivated are three crucial skills that must be mastered. By showing initiative and taking online courses, you’ll be able to shape your soft skills for the benefit of yourself and others. 

Training platforms that offer business leadership online courses and others are valuable for your development as a manager. Here at Skill Builder Pro, we offer soft skills, job skills, and personal development courses to everyone that needs it. To access one of our 300 online courses, visit our site today!