Commitment: Why This Soft Skill of Your Employees is Important for Your Business

There is a recognised shortage of employee soft skills across the workplace, at all levels. Business leaders are expressing concern that communication, adaptability and many others are being lost. A report released last year only reinforced this critical shortage. In order to produce the business leaders of the future, we need to inspire leadership skills such as commitment and initiative. There is a simple and effective solution to this problem. 

The Commitment Gap

A lack of job commitment in your employees is costing you money. The same study found that a good general level of employees’ soft skills contributes a net £88bn to the UK economy. By 2020, there will be a distinct shortage and the economic value will rise to around £109bn.

Across the developed world, business leaders increasingly feel that the education system is inadequate to impart these skills to future employees. Leadership skills may once have been required only of graduates, high-flyers and those with ambition. This is no longer the case.

A more flexible workforce requires and demands initiative, job commitment, and a willingness to lead and take control. Even employees who have nobody reporting to them require leadership and commitment skills.

• To know what to do to identify problems
• To have the confidence to tackle said problems
• To be willing to step up and tackle problems, staying behind after hours if necessary
• To be willing to organise and help others experiencing difficulty
• Can follow instructions and give them when asked for advice

The last on this list is a more traditional view of leadership and commitment as a soft skill, but all come under the same umbrella.

The Importance of Leadership and Commitment

Employee soft skills such as leadership and commitment are increasingly difficult to identify. The reason is that prospective employees either fail to recognise their value or don’t think the prospective employer will value them. Yet commitment is one of the best drivers of leadership, and leadership is vital to any organisation.

Commitment helps effect change. A business that is not driving forward, experiencing trial and error or trying new things will not succeed.

Commitment and a good work ethic create the leaders of the future. People who already know the business can more easily slot into higher-level positions to replace outgoing leaders.

Commitment is vital for customer retention and engagement, particularly in the service industry. The enthusiasm of your employees rubs off onto other team members and customers. Remember, customers always appreciate employees going the extra mile.

Commitment is good for employee morale and facilitates teamwork and cohesion within and between departments. When people want to work together, you will have a successful business.

Bookboon’s eLibrary Solution

There is a solution to help businesses improve their employees’ soft skills. Commitment, initiative, desire to succeed – these ingredients are essential leadership skills. How do you instil them in your employees? Training can be expensive and take time out of your working day. That’s why learning from eBooks is such a great method.

Many studies have demonstrated that eLearning is the best way to improve your employees’ leadership and commitment skills. Bookboon’s eLibrary Solution has over 500 hundred books to help you achieve the workplace results that you desire.

More interesting blog articles:

• Problem Solving: Why This Soft Skill of Employees is Important for Companies
• Leadership Skills: How to Use Leadership Theory to Your Advantage
• Flexibility is the Key to a Productive Workforce!