Being vulnerable has never been an asset at work. People were told to leave emotions out of the situation. Don't cry at the office, keep work relationships professional, and limit the sharing of personal information.
When many Americans did their jobs from their bedrooms, and many front-line employees put their lives on the line for a paycheck, it's no longer realistic to think that emotions don't have a place at work.
A new survey shows that more and more employees want their bosses and colleagues to show compassion in the workplace. Soft skills in the workplace are just as important as hard skills, according to more than three in five workers.
In the past two years, everyone has gotten used to mixing work and life in a new way. How are their family and friends doing? It is the expectation now.
Soft skills are the currency of the future workplace, according to Cai. People who think their managers don't care about them are more likely to apply for a new job than people who do.
Soft skills that employees need to hone include the ability to collaborate, to communicate, and to make connections. It's important to be able to start and participate in conversations.
Managers need to make sure their skills are authentic. Cai says that they are still in a tight labor market. The new standard is this one.
She acknowledges that the skills aren't soft and are powerful. Gen Z would prefer not to be employed.
The rise in the importance of soft skills comes as no surprise to Dr. Wisdom, co- founder and head of people science at Humu.
Wisdom tells Fortune that life has been difficult. The only thing that a company can do to retain its employees is to not pay attention to the things that matter.
"assertive," "driven," and "authoritative" were used as "standard" management characteristics because they implied the ability to accomplish tasks. The ability to connect with a team and emotional awareness are two of the softer qualities that are being replaced by after-pandemic.
She says that we have refocused on being open and caring for one another.
She has the data to back her up. Employees who feel cared for at work are more likely to be happy in their role and are more likely to recommend working for their company. Almost half of US job seekers said they were more likely to show up to work as their authentic self last year.
Wisdom says that being more vulnerable and open at work doesn't mean you let the emotions flow freely. Maintaining connections with people and making them feel included is what it is about.
Some people don't believe that emotions have a place in the office.
Wisdom says emotional intelligence shows up in managers when they know people are different from them. People need different things
Where do we go to cry at work. It really comes down to how often you let your emotions get the best of you. She says that if you are unable to handle things emotionally, that is very different from if you are usually very even-keeled.
Context is important in all workplace interactions.
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