Abstract:

Lately, soft skills have gained more attention as it has been argued that these skills are critical at work and in life in general. Soft skills can be seen as personal and social competence that helps individuals relating and navigating in many roles and environments. It has also been argued that these skills can be trained and this adds interest of educators to this topic. Soft skills are no less important in the remote or hybrid work environments - some authors claim in the digital environments soft skills are even more critical. Remote work may also highlight need for particular kinds of soft skills. This study contributes to new understanding in this area by exploring which soft skills workers in the IT, engineering, and business consulting industries perceive as essential. By investigating employees' views, this research seeks to identify key competencies that contribute to successful remote collaboration, communication, and productivity. The theoretical framework introduces various perspectives on soft skills and situates them within the context of knowledge work. This study employs a qualitative case study approach. The data is collected from interviews with managers at 9 enterprises. The interview data is analyzed using content analysis to uncover recurring themes and insights. The findings are then discussed in the light of education and training. The findings provide propositions on how to tailor educational programs to better address the evolving skill requirements of remote knowledge work.

Keywords:

Softs skills, remote work, knowledge work, education and training.