38% of UK Businesses Say Soft Skills Gaps Are Restricting Growth
With AI reshaping recruitment and the way we work, employers need people who can communicate, solve problems, make confident decisions, and exhibit strong "human" skills more than ever before.
As we head towards 2027, soft skills are becoming increasingly important for employability across every industry. However, concerningly, they also seem to be in shorter supply than previously.
New research reported by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shows that more than a third of UK businesses say soft-skills shortages are restricting productivity and growth. Furthermore, a City & Guilds survey of 908 HR professionals and line managers found that 64% believe candidates with strong soft skills are becoming harder to find. These findings show how skills shortages are already affecting workplace performance.
In this article, I take a look at why these skills are being missed in recruitment processes, and how the development of AI and the need for “human” skills are linked.
Written by
Chelsey Murray is a dedicated Careers Services Consultant at Learning People, bringing a wealth of recruitment experience and deep expertise in the tech and project management job markets.
AI Screening Risks Missing the Skills Employers Need
AI is playing an increasingly prominent role in recruitment, with 43% of surveyed employers using it to screen candidates.
However, 69% believed these systems prioritised technical abilities over the human qualities their organisations need, creating a contradiction in the hiring process and excluding candidates with the right values and key soft skills.
Employers value communication, judgement, and adaptability, but automated screening can favour keywords, qualifications, and measurable technical knowledge because software finds these easier to identify.
Did you know? 74% of employers said soft skills are more important than technical skills for workplace success.
In the survey carried out by the CIPD, employers reported operational errors and delays, higher staff turnover and low morale, each at 37%. A further 33% cited lower efficiency, while 29% linked the shortage to poor customer service. These findings show how human capabilities affect everything from internal delivery to external reputation.
AI Is Increasing Demand for Both Technical and Human Skills
AI capability is becoming a core employment requirement; UK job adverts requiring specialist AI literacy reached 180,000 in 2025, up from 112,000 in 2024 and just 33,000 in 2012. Our decision to update the Learning People AI upskilling curricula in 2026 was made in response to the needs of 72% of employers who expect new hires to be AI-proficient.
However, AI proficiency is not simply about knowing how to prompt ChatGPT or use Copilot. Responsible use requires critical thinking, ethical judgement and the confidence to challenge inaccurate outputs, while effective adoption depends on teamwork and clear communication.
The balance of soft and technical (hard) skills will differ between different tech roles, but the need for human input and reasoning will be critical to all of them. For example:
- Cybersecurity professionals require technical knowledge and the ability to explain threats
- Data Analysts need tools such as SQL and Power BI plus strong storytelling
- Project Managers must combine structured methods with leadership, organisation and stakeholder management
Build a Career Skill Set That Works With AI
If you are considering a career change, you may already have the human or soft skills employers struggle to find. You may even be able to evidence them clearly.
Managing deadlines, calming difficult situations, training colleagues and solving problems all demonstrate valuable capabilities; technical training can then provide the credentials your target role requires.
Our career pathway training programmes combine recognised technical training with sector-specific AI learning and career support. Explore the route that fits your experience, then build the technical, human and AI skills employers now expect by booking a free career consultation with a Learning People career consultant.
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