Not Just AI: How soft skills are becoming key to getting hired
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As artificial intelligence transforms workplaces, the significance of soft skills is on the rise. Key skills like communication, critical thinking, and teamwork are essential for job seekers. Universities must adapt by creating experiential learning experiences that foster these abilities. Students can enhance their employability through group projects and internships, ensuring a well-rounded skill set that combines technical acumen with interpersonal strengths.
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes workplaces and automates routine tasks, employers are looking beyond technical qualifications when hiring candidates. Communication, critical thinking, adaptability and teamwork are emerging as important factors in recruitment, as companies seek people who can apply their knowledge, solve problems and work effectively with others.Knowing how to use technology can help a candidate stand out, but it may not be enough to secure a job. Employers also want professionals who can explain their ideas clearly, make decisions in uncertain situations, manage disagreements and take responsibility for their work.
This shift is putting soft skills in the spotlight, particularly as AI tools become more accessible to students and professionals. While technical expertise remains important, the ability to translate that knowledge into practical results can make a difference in the workplace.
Why soft skills matter in the age of AI
Dr. Shriyance Jain, Vice President of COER University, said hiring is increasingly focused on how candidates apply what they know rather than simply what they have learned. "As AI and automation make technical capabilities increasingly accessible, employers are placing greater emphasis on communication, critical thinking, adaptability and collaboration," Jain said.
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These skills help employees deal with situations that do not always have straightforward answers. A professional may understand a technical problem but still need to explain it to a client, coordinate with colleagues from different departments or decide how to proceed when information is incomplete.
The same applies to teamwork. Employees are often expected to work across functions, understand different perspectives and take ownership of outcomes. Technical knowledge can establish credibility, but communication and sound judgement help turn that knowledge into results. For employers, the challenge is finding candidates who can do both: understand the technology and use it to address real business needs.
AI skills may get you an interview, but what happens next?
As AI tools become part of everyday work, familiarity with new technology is increasingly useful. However, knowing how to generate an answer using an AI tool is different from assessing whether that answer is accurate, explaining its implications or deciding what action to take.
Dr. Anubha Singh, Vice-Chancellor of COER University, Roorkee, summed up the distinction by saying, "Technology will get you the interview; the human skills will get you the job." She said recruiters are looking for graduates who can think critically, communicate clearly, collaborate with people from different backgrounds and adapt to changing situations without constant direction.
These abilities can become particularly important when employees have to handle clients, negotiate with business partners or resolve workplace disagreements. AI can assist with research and routine tasks, but people still need to interpret information, understand context and make decisions.
Consider a team working on a business proposal. One employee may be skilled at using AI to analyse market data, while another may be better at presenting the findings, understanding the client's concerns and bringing the team to a decision. In many workplaces, both sets of skills are valuable, and the strongest candidates are those who can combine them.
Why colleges need to rethink how students learn
The growing emphasis on soft skills also raises questions about how universities prepare students for employment. Academic qualifications and technical training remain essential, but classroom learning alone may not give students enough opportunities to practise the demands of a professional workplace.
Jain said higher education institutions need to bring workplace realities into their academic programmes. This means giving students opportunities to develop communication, teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making skills through internships, live industry projects and experiential learning.
Such exercises can help students learn how to work under pressure, divide responsibilities and handle differing opinions. They also give students a chance to apply classroom knowledge to situations that may not have a single correct answer.
For example, a student may understand a management concept in theory but struggle to negotiate with a teammate who disagrees with their approach. Working through that disagreement can teach lessons that a written examination may not capture.
Jain said the next generation of professionals must know more than the technology itself. They must also understand how to use it to solve problems, work with people and create value.
Bridging the gap between technical knowledge and professional effectiveness, therefore, needs to become a priority for higher education.
Learning human skills through real-world situations
Universities can develop these abilities by making practical exercises a regular part of the curriculum rather than treating them as optional activities.
Singh cited an example from an MBA class on cross-cultural leadership. Students independently research an assigned country and then take part in simulated global business negotiations. During these exercises, a misunderstanding of a gesture or tone can affect the outcome of a deal.
The exercise encourages students to look beyond facts and figures. They must understand cultural differences, listen carefully, communicate their position and respond to the other side.
These are skills that can matter in international business, client-facing roles and workplaces where teams operate across geographical boundaries. She added that industry increasingly expects candidates to demonstrate not only competence but also the character and communication abilities needed to work effectively with others.
What this means for job seekers
For students and professionals preparing for the job market, learning new technology should go hand in hand with developing interpersonal and problem-solving abilities. Candidates can start by taking part in group projects, internships, presentations and activities that require them to explain ideas or resolve differences. They can also practise analysing information independently instead of accepting AI-generated responses without checking them.
During interviews, employers may look for examples of how candidates handled a difficult situation, worked with a team or adapted when a plan failed. Being able to describe such experiences can help demonstrate skills that a degree or technical certification may not fully reflect.
Soft skills are not a substitute for subject knowledge or technical expertise. Rather, they complement them. A candidate who understands the job and can also communicate, collaborate and make sound decisions may be better equipped to handle its demands.
As AI continues to change the nature of work, the ability to learn and use technology will remain important. But so will the human skills that help people decide what to do with it. For job seekers, developing both may prove increasingly important in a competitive employment market.
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