Is a lack of soft skills hurting Millennials' IT careers?

Having grown up in the information age, Millennials are considered to be the most tech-savvy generation the world has ever known. As a result, an ever-increasing proportion of the young workforce is choosing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) careers. Many have portfolios of impressive technical skills - a fact that can belie their young age.

However, when it comes to so-called soft skills – i.e. social skills – millennials have very little to show for themselves. This can often be frustrating for employers. According to a McKinsey study conducted in 2017, 40% of employers find it difficult to fill positions because younger workers lack important soft skills, such as B. Communication skills, teamwork and punctuality. A PayScale survey conducted in 2016 came to similar conclusions: Managers mainly criticize millennials for their lack of leadership and personal responsibility.

Soft skills are often ignored in the tech industry because of the emphasis on keeping technical skills up-to-date and completing massive IT projects in tight timescales. But if younger employees could also demonstrate the skills to communicate, lead and collaborate with others, then they could be of great benefit in the workplace.

So why do millennials lack such skills and how can they develop them? Here we take a closer look at the problem.

Why do millennials lack social skills?

The greatest strength of the younger generation is partly responsible for this weakness. Because Millennials are so tech savvy and dependent, many of them haven't been able to properly develop other skills apart from activities on digital devices.

"With the rise of technology, they're spending their time on the phone or behind a screen, so they don't have to socialize like other generations," says Jill Jacinto, a millennial careers expert. “Modern technology has completely transformed the workplace. It is now easier to communicate with people by networking. However, “real” communication has become more difficult because you don’t meet face-to-face.”

Some studies have shown that social anxiety in face-to-face interactions increases proportionally the more time one spends online.

Beyond all technology-related causes, there may be another, simpler factor: age. Danny Nelms, President of The Work Institute, suggests that every generation struggled with soft skills in the early stages of their careers.

"I think we're stereotyping the millennial generation too much without having done proper and empirical research that confirms to us that there's something unique about this particular generation," says Nelms. “I think all young workers have had their problems with social skills. And I don't think millennials are that different from other, previous generations."

The role of firms in the development of social skills

Irrespective of why young employees lack social skills, companies must react to this. Closing these deficits in the workplace means that training and development must be tailored to specific needs.

Nelms believes that companies must support their young workforce to develop in line with their skills. Generation X, for example, felt more comfortable with personal coaching, while younger employees prefer group classes.

"It is important that companies recognize the effectiveness of certain approaches and methods used in order to actually develop social skills in their younger workforce," says Nelms. "We have to ask ourselves how we can identify the preferences of the younger generation and develop training programs designed to give them exactly the skills they lack."

How do you acquire soft skills?

So how can tech workers develop soft skills? For example, you can move in environments where you can use and develop these new skills.

Jacinto suggests joining professional organizations and attending networking events where you need to interact with others, or local networking groups on Meetup.com. Participating in projects from these organizations helps to develop teamwork, personal responsibility and communication skills.

Companies often look for employees who are self-starters. It can therefore be worth taking the initiative and independently developing and showing social skills. Whether you're supervising a side project, taking on a leadership role, or even speaking up in meetings, it's a sign of self-motivation and shows that you're an all-round professional and your position isn't limited to just technical skills.

"It's about constantly working on yourself, including soft skills," says Jacinto. “The best way to do this is through hands-on practice. The hardest part is motivating yourself to tackle these changes.”