Why Soft Skills Are Essential For Business School Students

With advances in technology and the growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, you might expect highly specialized skillsets to be the most valuable among employers today. However, recent research by the Harvard Business Review shows that although these areas are important, it’s soft skills that companies are looking for. 

The research analyzed over 1000 occupations and hundreds of skills, capturing 70 million job transitions, and examining the importance of foundational skills such as reading comprehension, basic math, and teamwork. It found that those who had a broader understanding of soft skills—compared to a few, highly specialized skills—learned faster, earned higher wages, progressed into more advanced roles, and proved more resilient amid market changes.

So, what does this mean for business school students seeking to further their own careers? 

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are qualities that affect your ability to work with others, navigate work environments, and overcome challenges. They include communication, teamwork, empathy, adaptability, and problem-solving, and are key to success in a business setting.

“Soft skills are the interpersonal, communication, and social skills people need to work in a collaborative environment,” explains James Berry, assistant professor in organizations and innovation and director of the MBA program at University College London School of Management.

“Soft skills are the oil of the organizational engine,” he continues. “If you have them, interactions are smooth; if not, the added friction makes work that much harder.”

Moreso than hard skills, such as data analytics and accounting, soft skills are transferrable across industries and job roles. They are often more reflective of how you do a job, than what you do from day to day.

“Specialized, technical, hard skills typically have a short lifetime, becoming obsolete quickly, but core soft skills are valuable forever, and essential to long-term career success,” says Michael Maher, MBA career advisor at Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business.

Why are soft skills important?

As technology advances, human-centric skills such as communication, conflict resolution, and empathy are necessary for collaboration, bridging the gap between digital tools and real-world needs. Technology’s limitations mean that it works best when combined with soft skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. 

Although technology is constantly evolving, the demand for specialized skills can come and go—however, experts suggest there will always be demand for soft skills.

“AI itself will never possess soft skills,” says Jaroslava Kubatova, associate professor of management and economics at Palacky University. “It is people who must have them—both to create socially valuable outcomes in collaboration with AI and because human work will likely shift more and more toward positions that are based on soft skills.”

Soft skills rank highly in the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, with analytical thinking, communication, and innovation ranking as the top skills for employability. The report also revealed that 39% of core skills are expected to change by 2030, and although technical proficiency remains important, employers are increasingly emphasizing human-centric skills such as emotional intelligence, creativity, and adaptability.

“Functional or technical knowledge alone has never been enough, and this is especially true in today’s work landscape,” explains Aarti Ramaswami, executive vice president and dean of pre-experience programs at ESSEC Business School.

“The future of work is changing rapidly, and tomorrow’s leaders need to be able to adapt to a world in flux. Soft skills will remain invaluable in tomorrow’s workforce, even as the technical skills required shift with the times,” she adds.

What soft skills do business school students need?

For MBA and business master’s students, soft skills such as adaptability, leadership, and emotional intelligence are essential for success. They enable learners to collaborate effectively, overcome challenges, and build strong relationships with classmates and other professionals.

“Self-awareness is particularly crucial, since it is the cornerstone for developing essential soft skills such as communication, adaptability, and critical thinking,” explains Jaroslava. “These interconnected abilities not only enable individuals to excel in their roles but also foster more collaborative and innovative work environments. Knowing yourself is, in fact, the starting point for unlocking your full potential.”

These skills are necessary in a professional setting and prioritized by recruiters when hiring employees. Interpersonal skills including communication, emotional intelligence, and adaptability feature among the top skills current and future employers look for, according to the GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey 2025. Despite the rising importance of AI, core skills such as problem solving and strategic thinking remain top priorities for employers, the report also revealed.

“Employers are looking for strong team players who can connect with people across multiple cultures and backgrounds, articulate their ideas convincingly with an evidence-based approach, and adopt a continuous improvement approach in their learning and adaptability,” says Aarti.

“This means that open mindedness, curiosity, teamwork, resilience, emotional intelligence, learning by doing, creativity, and communication are key mindsets and skills for future leaders,” she adds.

How do students develop soft skills at business school?

Studying an MBA or business master’s doesn’t just help you strengthen hard skills such as financial analysis and machine learning, business programs also teach skills such as collaboration, time management, and resourcefulness. The business school environment additionally helps you network with other students, naturally helping strengthen these soft skills, both on a personal and academic level.

“Dealing with others to deliver challenging projects can help to build students’ resilience and communications skills, as they are forced to work with peers from different backgrounds to deliver group assignments,” says James. 

Although many schools offer courses or sessions focused on developing specific skills, typically soft skills are integrated beyond the curriculum into every part of the business school experience.

“Business schools can’t realistically offer an instructional course on every individual soft skill, so they construct an academic environment that consistently fosters using them, including collaborative projects, team leadership, cross functional responsibilities, accountability, and peer feedback,” explains Michael.

“One of the most important learnings business schools offer is the sustained effective use of these soft skills throughout academics, to prepare students more fully for their professional futures,” he adds.