Allan Church, senior vice president of global talent assessment and development at New York-based PepsiCo, is among many HR professionals who acknowledge the importance of these so-called soft-skills. But he also shares a concern that many HR managers have about the ability and desire of new recruits to communicate as easily with humans as they do with digital devices.
"The psychologist in me has to ask, 'How will they handle conflict, influence others and manage others when they have learned much of it only through technology-based relationships?'" Church says. "That is assuming, of course, that people actually work together in the future."
HR needs to set the example that tech-free, interpersonal communications is a priority. "I think people expect HR executives to be better at [communicating]," says Peter Cappelli, professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in Philadelphia and director of its Center for Human Resources. "People expect HR to have this skill set."