Global Soft Skills News

Australia and Global Soft Skills News 

Global Soft Skills News 

Soft skills are defined as driving collaboration, emotional intelligence and communication – the things that facilitate interactions between people. The single most important soft skill is communication.


Technical (hard) skills and knowledge are essential for a business to do its job well, but organisations are finally realising that soft skills drive performance. Soft skills are the new drivers of business performance and growth. Soft-skill-intensive occupations are expected to account for two-thirds (63%) of all jobs in Australia by 2030, yet there is a significant skills shortage in the Australian market.

LinkedIn's 2022 Workplace Learning Report

“It’s unsurprising that we see more and more progressive companies naming chief learning officers — as was the case with chief diversity officers when diversity was no longer an HR topic but a business advantage. Learning is not an HR topic; it’s a business topic.”

In 2022 leaders need empathy to drive positive digital transformation

Statistics by Asana reveal that across ANZ, nearly 8 in 10 employees have felt burnt out. A new Dell Technologies Breakthrough study confirms it: workers are exhausted. The pace of change within their organisations, combined with the ongoing struggle with the pandemic, has been a perfect recipe for burnout. 


Innovation starts with empathy. In 2022, true innovation begins with empathetic leadership and technology that frees people from unfulfilling tasks, allowing them to focus on work that leverages their unique skill sets. Empathy can break through employee resistance to encourage acceptance of change, putting companies on a sustainable path to technological advancement. Unfortunately, many Australian and New Zealand leaders appear to lack soft skills like empathy. In Australia, a 2021 survey by YouGov found that 65% of workers said their manager struggles with soft skills and reports that young workers are increasingly seeking employers that lead with empathy and emotional intelligence. In New Zealand, A hierarchical culture that undervalues consultation or makes employees feel like it’s too risky to speak up is a costly miscalculation that stunts employee development and hinders digital transformation efforts. 

Australia News

Younger workers the top beneficiaries of 2022 pay rises

Younger workers have been the largest beneficiaries of pay rises this year, while older generations are also being overlooked in other key ways, according to research released today...

Patients dying daily due to poor ‘soft skills’ among Australian surgeons, experts warn

More than 1,000 Australians die unnecessarily in hospital each year due to avoidable failures by surgeons, according to experts calling for a senate inquiry.

Six soft skills you need in your workforce

Soft skills are people skills and as workforces become increasingly diverse, employers are on the lookout for team members with strong people skills. Soft skills are integral for team cohesion and...

What skills make a ‘job ready’ public servant?

Demand for talent with soft skills

If you are a job-seeker gunning for a job in the public service, current market conditions are favourable but standing out as a candidate who best fits the bill will always help your...

Employers increasingly value soft skills: Hays 

Nearly all, or 96%, of employers in Australia consider soft skills to be either more important or equally important to a candidate’s hard or technical skills, according to research from Hays Australia.

Soft Skills for the Hybrid Age

The world is advancing, and the workforce is going hybrid. Do you have the skills needed to keep up? The COVID-pandemic and rapid digitalisation have flipped the way we work on its head. There’s no longer choosing between in-person or...

Soft skills for business success 

Soft skill-intensive occupations will account for two-thirds of all jobs by 2030. DeakinCo. asked Deloitte Access Economics to assess the importance of obtaining and measuring soft skills to better understand areas that need to be improved in the Australian workforce and businesses.

Global News

The Rise of Soft Skills in Asia-Pacific

Human Resources leaders in the APAC region are promoting the importance of soft skills, also known as behavioural skills, more than ever. The pandemic demonstrated that employees at every level...

These are the top 10 job skills of tomorrow – and how long it takes to learn them

50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025, as adoption of technology increases, according the the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report...

Six soft skills you need in the post-pandemic workplace

COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated the need for the new skills in the workforce, with social and emotional skills in high demand. There are lots of articles about the soft skills that employers are...

Why it’s time for HR to prioritize soft skills training

It’s no secret that today’s businesses are facing a variety of internal challenges. Leaders everywhere are attempting to inspire workforces as they face a continuing global...

Share by: