Do you find yourself constantly frustrated when dealing with companies in your daily life because their representatives lack the basic skills needed to answer your questions, much less provide you with the personalized and quality customer service that you expect?

The push to make sure that employees are current with today’s digital innovations could be leaving businesses in the dust when it comes to making sure they are also savvy in dealing with customers, vendors and even other employees.

A large percentage of employers feel that soft skills and human interaction with customers is extremely important to their company’s success, yet these same employers will tell you that soft skills are either lacking or nonexistent in their new employees and those who are job searching.

We can’t keep blaming the millennials. Let’s face it, today at one time or another we all have been guilty of sending a text or email instead of making a phone call. I do it all the time, even texting a co-worker who is sitting in the next room. It’s called convenience and almost no one is immune in this day and age. We can now buy everything and anything we want without any human interaction.

Believe it or not, there are still businesses out there that rely on human interaction. This makes soft skills training for the workforce even more important. Successful business owners recognize that good interpersonal skills play an important role in driving business outcomes.

It doesn’t matter how great your products are, how up-to-date your technology and technical staff are or how wonderful your food is. If you don’t have employees who possess superior soft skills, who can provide the problem-solving, personal service, active listening, empathy and relationship-building that are critical to the success of client and customer based businesses, you are missing the boat.

To achieve success in the digital age companies cannot just recruit for hard skills but also soft skills. Business leaders must look at implementing ways to cultivate and nurture both hard and soft skill sets with their employees. Soft skills are not learned by osmosis but rather a strong mentorship program with seasoned employees leading the way for the newer employees.

Companies must offer training not just for computer or other technology skills, but also for developing strong soft skills. Team building programs and activities outside of the work environment exist right here in Carbon County that will help strengthen these skills. If you don’t want to step out of your comfort zone or can’t spare the time to take employees off-site, bring in a speaker and then follow up with an in-house mentorship program.

The chamber offers numerous networking events that can help employees hone their social skills and connect them with other professionals in a more relaxed atmosphere. Be sure to check our events calendar on our website for your next opportunity and then get out there and mingle!

Kathy Henderson is director of Economic Development for the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development.