Three Reasons to Take a Hands-On Approach to Soft Skills Training
By: Global Trainers Academy
Tags: Skills Development, People, Skills, Soft Skills

Traditional training is impactful and has its place in the Learning and Development industry but certain things can’t be taught using traditional methods. Soft skills like leadership, communication skills, teamwork, accountability, and conflict management do involve knowledge but require a practical approach. The best way to master is to practice and learn. There is a great saying “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember and I do and I understand” Having a hands-on approach for soft skills is extremely important because they can engage themselves in soft-skills learning. It allows them to experiment with trial and error, and identify the potential gap between the coworkers and working pace.

What are soft skills?

Soft skill is a combination of people skills. It includes any skills that deal with personality traits or character. LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends report concluded that among the trends transforming today’s workplace, 91 percent of survey respondents agree that soft skills are very important to the future of recruiting and HR. Interpersonal skills and communication skills are the main elements of soft skills.

Hard skills, on the other hand, are the technical skills that are job-specific and emerge from training, education, and work experience. Hard skills can be developed over time but soft skills are tougher and difficult to be measured. According to a LinkedIn survey, 92% of respondents say soft skills are more important than technical skills and 89% told us that bad hires typically lack soft skills.

Many organizations consider hard skills as their top priority while hiring i.e they examine candidates who have specific skills to perform a particular job, however, soft skills are equally important as well. What if in any scenario your top qualified and educated employee is not able to work with the team?

According to research, 46 percent of new employees fail within 18 months and of these, 89 percent fail because of a lack of soft skills, such as professionalism or the ability to get along with others.

A hands-on approach is one method incorporated in the training industry that helps employees to get real-world experience. It allows them to handle situations directly and also creates a sense of empowerment for them.

Here are three reasons to take a hands-on approach to soft skills training.

More effective communication:

Workplace communication involves corporate writing, presentation skills, conflict management, and effective communication. With the hands-on approach to soft skill training, organizations can empower and improve the employee’s communication style. 89% of people believe that effective communication is essential; 8 out of 10 people rate their own business’ communication as either average or poor. A hands-on approach will boost employees’ confidence and empower them to communicate effectively and work productively. Interactive or practical communication training will hone employees’ verbal and written skills.

Enhanced creativity and critical thinking:

Employees are stimulated by the plan of improving their skills. During hand-on training, employees interconnect with trainers, share their ideas and vision, critical thinking and discussing, practice different modules, and interact with colleagues. Innovation and creativity are only possible during a hands-on approach as it gives a platform to the workforce to demonstrate their ideas and views regarding their work, and feel that they are being heard and valued. 80 percent of organizations believe soft skills are increasingly important to company success.

Higher retention rates:

A 2017 joint study from Boston College, Harvard, and the University of Michigan suggested that soft skills training in areas like problem-solving and communication increases productivity and retention by 12 percent, with a 250 percent ROI. When the hands-on soft-skills training is incorporated by the organization, the employees’ retention rate increases eventually because of the practical training, interactions, and one-on-one conversations with trainers that boost their abilities, stimulate them to perform better and clear all the misconceptions about the workforce and organization

Hands-on training is the №1 learning method for both men and women, men 56% were significantly more likely than women 47% to say hands-on training works best for them. The hands-on approach is a powerful way to train employees for soft skills as it allows experiencing and learning, gives a better understanding, and them can practice new skills in a safe environment. Global Trainers Academy provides Hands-on soft-skill training through presentations, recorded videos, live interactive sessions to make necessary employees’ personality improvements, increases learning retention rate, and makes an immediate impact on employees’ behavior and performance.