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December 19, 2024
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The latest panic regarding Gen Z is all about the decline of their human skills. Human skills, or soft skills, can be a constant struggle for some people, especially as they aren’t as easily qualified as hard or technical skills. Nobody is going to be giving out empathy certifications that apply every time, unlike a PhotoShop or Excel diploma.
Gen Z, millennials, and other generations in the workforce have had to adapt to a constantly moving environment in the last few years, which has shifted workplace expectations and reality. So what can they do? Read this short blog to find the perspective of top publications.
When the Forbes Technology Council Expert Panel publishes an article, something must be happening. This time, it’s all about the rise of AI and the need for human skills in the workplace.
As a hot new trend, companies are betting a lot on AI, but cracks are beginning to show in its role as a search engine and content generator. As such, it is important that companies and workers begin understanding and valuing the skills that can’t be replicated by artificial intelligence.
“High-demand, wholly human skills that are in more demand than ever in the age of AI, as well as essential traits and expertise that industries need as the use of AI spreads.”
The Forbes Technology Council Expert Panel came up with 19 office skills that workers can improve in themselves to have a leg up against the AI revolution. Five of the most important are below:
1. Motivation and drive
2. Critical thinking
3. Reasoning and scientific thinking
4. Curiosity
5. Communication
No matter which skill they’re talking about, the experts agree that ChatGPT and other AI generators are just tools. Even if they can do things in a few minutes, it doesn’t mean that these things are right or that they grasp the full context, intentions, and scope of tasks without further guidance. People can do all these things through lived experience, empathy, and curiosity. That is why the humanity in office skills shouldn’t decline, even if technical skills are quicker through AI.
Abbey Lewis goes a bit back on her piece for the Harvard Business Publishing blog, as she answers “what are human skills” simply with “soft skills.” Soft or human skills are those that can’t be easily quantified, but they are critical in forming connections with others.
“This ultimately serves as a strong foundation for positive workplace performance in terms of innovation, adaptive thinking, collaboration, and more.”
Now, Lewis theorizes that the perception of Gen Z lacking soft skills comes from how they began their office life: remotely or hybrid. People learn certain unspoken norms along the way, but as things have changed since the pandemic, this information isn’t being passed down. Not only that, work arrangements are not the same, meaning that some things expected by older workers are just simply undoable. As such, teams have reported that new hires feel disconnected during onboarding, teams are disengaged with less face-to-face time, and there is a rise in burnout.
These findings might lead companies to think that a return to the office is the solution, but things aren’t so black and white. In some studies, workers have expressed anxiety and a distaste that might lead to quitting if a return to the office is forced.
As such, they list five human skills that people can work on to build better teams: empathy, communication, adaptability, coaching, and trust building. These soft skills can be improved in person and remotely but must be done as a team and individually for them to work.
Sarah Lynch offers her perspective in an article for Inc. that looks at Deloitte’s most recent survey. In this survey, they found that there is a big disconnect between what employers look for and what employees value more—technical vs human skills.
“Technical and human skills are symbiotic, which is why leaders should take a ‘Yes and’ approach for the investments they make in tech skills.”
The findings reveal not only this disconnect but also the fact that the workers are aware of it. 52% believe that their company valued those with human skills more than those with technical skills, but 87% believe that adaptability, leadership, and communication are “integral for development.”
A big pitfall of companies is that they often believe that technology is more widely accepted than it actually is, with AI being a current issue. Companies tend to jump the gun and push for their employees to learn how to use these innovations just for them to fall out of use, 70% of employees report. This has people worried, as pushing for fleeting skills instead of interpersonal training like mentorship and shadowing can have unforeseen consequences for new generations.
As AI and other technologies take hold in the office landscape, human skills that can’t be replicated will become more important for companies and employees. Not everything can be replicated by AI, from empathy, communication, and critical thinking. Employees already believe that soft skills are critical for advancing their careers, but they worry that companies’ preference for hard skills can be detrimental to Gen Z, leading to a further decline in their human skills, as their office life has looked very different thanks to hybrid and remote work.
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