UK employers say over a third of their Gen Z employees lack basic communication skills

New research shows that vital ‘soft skills’ including communication, resilience, and the ability to cope with setbacks are missing from young people transitioning into the UK workforce.

Soft skills crisis facing UK employers 

The study, commissioned by outdoor education experts Inspiring Learning, compromising 2,000 people (including 590 employers) reveals the skills gap is having a negative impact on workplaces across the UK. This includes decreased employee engagement and communication and less resilient mindsets around change. When questioned on what skills employers want to see more of from employees entering the workforce, ‘soft skills’ outweighed hard skills considerably. For example, employers valued teamwork (55%) and communication (52%) nearly twice as much as computer skills (26%).

The communication gap

The research shows that the biggest gap in ‘soft skills’ was among the 18-25 / Gen Z age group. In fact, employers noted over a third of their Gen Z employees lacked Communication skills (37%), over a quarter Resilience (28%) and Problem Solving (27%).

The breakdown in communication is seeing a direct impact on key office skills, with nearly a quarter (24%) of 16-24 year olds disliking making phone calls and sometimes avoiding them entirely. Millennials (25-34 year olds) were also hesitant to pick the phone up, with 21% also avoiding when possible. 6% of 16-24 year olds would rather ditch the phone and communicate exclusively through emojis.

Why this problem is so prevalent in the UK

Almost half (43%) of respondents felt they were not taught soft skills during childhood, to equip themselves for later life. This trend continues into the workplace, with over a quarter (27%) of British workers receiving no support in developing soft skills and almost half (43%) not participating in any external training or team-building activities.

Alex Williamson, Inspiring Learning CEO comments:

‘These findings underscore a critical gap in workplace skill development. However, telling young people to ‘toughen up’ won’t get us anywhere. We need to prioritise the development of soft skills like resilience and problem-solving, and give them the tools to thrive in this uncertain world. Soft skills they learn as a young person can equip them for life and for careers which aren’t even invented yet.’ said Alex Williamson, CEO of Inspiring Learning.

Why soft skills are needed

When asked what worries Gen Z the most about their future career – the second most cited concern was AI replacing their job (16%). However, soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, creativity and collaboration are indispensable and enable seamless human-AI interaction, driving innovation and future proofing the workforce *

The top 5 skills voted most important to our survival in life were:

1. Having a positive outlook on life
2. Working well in a team
3. Empathising with others
4. Being able to use the internet
5. Being brave or taking risks

Dr John Allan, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Institute, Sheffield Hallam University added, “The importance of outdoor adventure learning in a society dominated by digital screens and AI cannot be overstated. Research tells us being immersed in nature helps to alleviate stress and generate positive emotions, such as attentiveness and calmness. Our outdoor courses have built immediate and lasting increases in young people’s resilience and well-being which embraces a range of soft skills. These attributes are critical when young people go into work, closing the skills gap and building a nation of softies.” 

How to improve soft skills 

Inspiring Learning has created a ‘softie test’ so Brits of all ages can measure their soft skills and see if they need support. Try the softie test here. 

Inspiring Learning is looking to up-skill the nation’s soft skills by offering evidence-based experiences that create immediate and sustained positive change in behaviour, to enhance soft skills, fostering more resilient, positive, and effective workforces**.

For more information about Inspiring Learning and its soft skills development programs, visit [www.inspiring-learning.com/survival-of-the-softest].