LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report believes social and emotional skills or “soft skills” are essential to the future of work, more than any other trend changing the nature of workplaces. Furthermore, 80 percent of employers said these skills are increasingly important to company success.
SEL teaches students critical soft skills, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. But how do these same skills help students stand out in today’s workplace? Join us as we discuss how SEL skills learned in the high school classroom can help solidify a successful career. We also list tips for educators on how they can use specific exercises to effectively foster the soft skills employers seek.
How Important are Soft Skills in the Workplace?
HR Executive suggests that hard skills, often technical ones, typically only have a shelf life of two to three years. Ben Brooks, co-founder of the coaching platform PILOT, states, “As the workplace becomes more complex and competitive, employees increasingly need to be self-directed. They need to be empowered, critical thinkers who push forward through the fog of uncertainty and ambiguity.” In other words, soft skills are in high demand. Brooks adds, “What good are technical skills if we lack influence, emotional intelligence, effective communication, and the ability to navigate conflict?”
The U.S. Department of Education states successful careers are built on solid personal and interpersonal skills. According to their “Employability Skills Framework,” these necessary skills are divided into categories, including Effective Relationships and Workplace Skills. For example, according to the framework, the abilities needed for productive workplace relationships include:
-
Understanding teamwork
-
Respecting individual differences
-
Exercising leadership
-
Knowing how to negotiate to resolve conflict
These soft skills and abilities are the hallmarks of SEL. However, the next question is, “How can educators build these SEL skills in high school to prepare their students for the future?” It begins with knowing which soft skills are in most demand in today’s’ workforce.
Self-Management
According to Glassdoor, self-management is a critical soft skill in the workplace. And a new report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Future of Jobs highlights the need for self-management and critical thinking skills to usher in new careers that take advantage of automation, human creativity, and adaptability. This vital skill is also directly connected to the core foundations of SEL. According to CASEL, self-management is the ability to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations.
Why is self-management important in the workplace? Glassdoor suggests these skills are an essential part of showing that a person is a reliable employee. Those without these abilities may be unpredictable, which makes employers worried and apprehensive. For example, when someone has difficulty controlling their emotions or self-regulation, they could say something hurtful to another employee or snap at a customer. When educators instill the SEL skill of self-regulation in the classroom, they prepare their students to be able to calm intense emotions and thoughts in the workplace. These skills can lead to smarter decisions and actions.
Glassdoor proposes that self-management skills allow employees to be more successful because they help them stay productive and embrace their independence. Glassdoor gives some examples of key self-management skills in the workplace:
-
Adaptability – In times of change, an employee can control your discomfort and roll with it.
-
Reliability – When an employee makes a promise, they follow through, and they can always be counted on.
-
Time management – An employee can prioritize tasks and get things done on time. They can stay motivated and sidestep procrastination.
-
Stress management: In high-pressure situations, an employee can remain calm and collected and find creative ways to solve stressful problems.
Teachers can take these self-management skills needed in today’s workforce and directly apply them to their SEL curriculum. For example, CASEL states that teaching self-management techniques and skills helps students:
-
Exhibit self-discipline and self-motivation
-
Managing one’s emotions
-
Identify and use stress and time management strategies
-
Set personal and collective goals
-
Use planning and organizational skills
-
Demonstrating personal and collective agency (includes reliability and adaptability)
Social Intelligence
Edemetum and Forbes discuss how workplace skills like social intelligence, also known as emotional intelligence (EI), is directly correlated to SEL skills. For example, social intelligence includes core SEL skills such as knowing oneself and emotional regulation. It also includes the practice of relationship and decision-making skills and social awareness.
More concretely, social intelligence can translate into receiving feedback, listening, communicating with others, taking a different perspective, and apologizing when wrong. To build social intelligence, Edemetum suggests educators can create opportunities for students to name their emotions and debrief the effect that the emotions have on a response, situation, or outcome. The following is a sample activity that helps students build empathy for those around them:
-
Ask students what’s been going on in their world and how others might be feeling.
-
Have students talk about why they feel or think a particular way, and if they notice different perspectives.
-
Ask students to create suggestions for what they might change to address their own needs and others around them.
The dynamics between employers and employees is fundamentally changing, and educators need to instill the necessary skills so their students can flourish in this new normal. These SEL skills are not only essential for students to thrive in high school and beyond – but they are the keys to a successful transition into the workplace.
