New research proves the skills that matter most for career success aren’t technical, they’re human.
According to the Harvard Business Review, a recent analysis of over 1,000 occupations and hundreds of skills – capturing 70 million job transitions – examined the importance of foundational skills (such as strong abilities to problem-solve, clear communication styles, and the ability to work well with teams) to career progression.
Those who had a broad base of foundational skills (as opposed to a few highly specialized skills, like coding) learned new things faster, earned more money, moved into more advanced positions, and proved more resilient amid market changes throughout their careers. This is because foundational skills helped workers to be more adaptable, provided a solid base from which to learn new skills quickly, and gave them the ability to facilitate smooth, nuanced organizational changes, which is valued in higher-earning positions.
Amid massive technological changes, like the advancement of AI and its estimated impacts on jobs, the study makes a strong case for the continued development of soft skills—for both individuals and firms. The 2025 article “Soft Skills Matter Now More Than Ever” states, “as technical complexity rises, the glue that keeps talent productive is social skill – communication, empathy, conflict resolution, and the ability to coordinate diverse expertise.”
The biggest companies not only agree, but are putting their money where their mouths are.
Take Amazon, which just last week announced a $2.5 billion commitment to upskilling its employees to help them build new capabilities, highlighting how soft skills are as critical to advancement as technical know-how.
Google reached the same conclusion in its recent study: after analyzing thousands of performance reviews, it found that its best managers excel at coaching, communication, and collaboration across teams, and it now uses those soft-skill behaviors as core promotion criteria.
A large-scale analysis of 34 million U.S. managerial job listings shows that in the last 20 years, employers have tripled the share of postings that emphasize collaboration, coaching, and influence, while language related to traditional supervision has steadily declined.
This is not just a trend. It’s how to succeed in this new world by increasing your value.
As our founder, Ty Boyd, once said, “Having effective communication skills is the fastest way to be recognized. You will be singled out and carried on the shoulders of others, all the way to the top.”
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