How soft skills can improve employee retention

If you’re in a leadership position at your company, one thing that’s probably always on your mind is employee retention. Employment patterns are always changing, with people switching jobs more than ever before. The Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that a person changes jobs 12 times over the course of their career. That number has significantly increased over the years – and it might strike fear in managers.

People change careers for several reasons: salary increase, unsatisfactory leadership, moral conflicts… the list goes on. But how do you prevent employees from leaving? That’s where the manager comes in. A report by the HR company, Humu, found that 95 percent of respondents said “bad managers” make work worse than it already is.

And that’s where soft skills come in. These are the fundamental tools that can differentiate a good manager from a bad one. Soft skills are the less technical skills that are more social and emotional. Some examples are active listening, collaboration, and business etiquette.

These skills are critical for a manager and can help retain employees for years.

Active listening

But what do they mean? What does it mean to be an active listener – and how does it make you a better manager? First, being an active listener means hearing your employees’ concerns, asking essential questions to better understand what they’re going through, and putting yourself in their shoes. This helps you establish a common ground with employees and shows that you care about them.

Collaboration

Collaboration is the key to success as a manager. Learning good collaborative skills means knowing what a collaborative environment looks like, as well as knowing how to create one. This type of environment makes your employees feel more valued and appreciated. It tells them they’re not on their own and that there’s a team ready to help. Understanding this skill is extremely important because you’ll be able to pass it on to employees, which will change your work’s entire environment.

Business Etiquette

This is one we all have heard of, but do we know – and understand – what it means? Learning proper business etiquette allows you to know the appropriate behavior for an office environment. Once you know this, you can set an example at the top that shows your employees how to act. This also lets them know that they are working in a space that is based on respect.

Obtaining these Skills

So, how do we learn these important skills? Phoenix TS offers comprehensive, instructor-led online soft skills training courses that break down each skill and teach you them inside and out. These courses teach you skills like problem management, communication, problem-solving, diversity, and more.

These courses are taught by world-class instructors that engage with students and help them through the process. Why are instructor-taught classes better? Well, they’re more engaging than asynchronous classes that only provide information and do not provide students with an understanding of these skills. Our instructor-led courses allow students to ask questions to ensure they fully understand what they’re learning.

If you’re trying to improve your management team’s soft skills to boost morale or increase employee retention, contact Phoenix TS for more information.