OK, so I was kind of worked up in my last post about the demise of “soft” skills training over the years.  The good news is that it’s making a comeback.  And it’s starting at entry level.

I recently heard from a colleague who works at the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board that they are including elements of soft skills training in their career planning workshops.  The content addresses basic skills, such as showing up to work on time, communication and customer service skills, etc.

Why the change?  Because industry is asking for it.  There’s a renewed emphasis on hiring people who are “nice.”  Customers are also asking for this, as are shareholders & stakeholders who benefit from the customer satisfaction-loyalty-profitability link.

So I see this return to soft skills training as a good thing … starting with entry level staff and, hopefully, spreading to supervisory and middle management.