Don’t call them soft: Gen Z’s take on building the human skills that matter most

Meet Theo, a member of Brightwork's Gen Z Advisory Board. As an engineer who's already making waves at industry conferences, we sat down with him to explore why Gen Z believes it's time to stop calling interpersonal abilities "soft skills" - and start recognising them as the career-defining talents they really are. We break down why creating a value-first selection approach it one of the best things you can do for your organisation, and exactly how to get started.

July 1, 2025 4 min read

Resilience. Initiative. Communication. Influence. These aren’t “soft” skills – they’re the human skills that shape how graduates show up, contribute, and lead from the start.

And Gen Z knows these skills matter. Despite common misconceptions, most young professionals are not avoiding growth – they’re actively looking for it. They want feedback. They want mentorship. They want to build confidence in real-world interactions, not just in theory.

But here’s the challenge: this generation has grown up learning and developing in radically different contexts – from remote learning during a pandemic, to navigating life online, to entering the workforce during economic uncertainty and rapid AI-driven change. Many haven’t had the same opportunities to develop human skills through traditional face-to-face experiences.

We sat down with Brightworks Advisory Board member, Theo, the 2024 Graduate Engineer of the Year, who’s already making waves at industry conferences. We explore why Gen Z believes it’s time to stop calling interpersonal abilities “soft skills” – and start recognising them as the career-defining talents they really are.

Here’s what we learned:

 

1. The term ‘soft skills’ gets thrown around a lot – how would you define these skills, and why do they matter to you?

I define soft skills as the qualities an individual possesses that cannot be mastered in a classroom. These often come more naturally to some but can be practiced and fine-tuned by everyone.
 
These matter to me because they’re transferable across roles and industries, but they’re actually the hardest skills to get right. Effective negotiation – being able to create win-win situations – and high emotional intelligence – being able to understand and influence individuals – are soft skills that are essential in both professional and personal situations.
 
In engineering, you might think technical expertise is what matters most, but I’ve learned that these interpersonal abilities are so important for forming strong relationships and feeling confident when communicating ideas.
 

2. What are the most important skills you’ve had to develop early in your career, and how did you actually build them?

Clear communication has been a must for engineering. Interestingly, I started building this when I umpired basketball during high school and university. The high-stress environment with emotional players, coaches and parents required clear communication to ensure the game flowed and didn’t spiral into conflict!
 
Workplace training and workshops have been helpful to increase my understanding and learn more about the theory and frameworks behind many interpersonal abilities, however the opportunities to practice this in real time are where I’ve really solidifed these skills.
 

3. Where have you seen these skills make a real difference at work?

Just last month I was tapped on the shoulder and asked to present at the Asia Pacific Rail Conference in Bangkok. As (probably) the youngest panelist in the conference, the ability to clearly communicate was paramount and has been an enabler to impact the industry.
 
When it comes to the workplace, building skills like emotional intelligence, problem solving and how to receive and give feedback effectively have allowed me to be a better team member and contribute with more confidence, especially as I continue progressing in my career.
 

4. How have initiatives like workshops, mentoring, or your manager’s involvement helped your growth in these areas?

Training – both formally through workshops and informally through mentoring – is paramount for growth. I’m a firm believer that the day I stop learning is the day I start stagnating. Whether it’s fine-tuning an existing skill or developing a new one, having expert guidance has significantly accelerated my development.
 
Being mentored by managers and executives through my grad program and through connections with others in the industry has played an integral role in developing emotional intelligence. Often the feedback from these coaching sessions is not structured around technical advice, but rather advice on relationship management and big picture thinking!
 

5. If you could rebrand ‘soft skills’ to better reflect their impact — what would you call them?

Maybe interpersonal talents? That’s a hard one!
 
When I look at the leaders I admire and the people who have made the biggest impact on me, it’s not just their technical capabilities that makes them stand out (though that’s obviously important), so I think we need a name that reflects this. Calling them ‘soft’ can undermine the impact these skills have on project success, personal performance and the way you work with others.
 
 

About the Gen Z Advisory Board

The Brightworks Gen Z Advisory Board was created to bridge the gap between the leaders creating early careers programs, and the employees experiencing them.

The Board comprises eight members with diverse experiences across various industries.

As the only dedicated early careers consultancy in Australia to maintain such a board, we provide our clients with unparalleled access to authentic insights directly from emerging talent, while sharing key takeaways for all professionals in the early careers industry.

To stay up to date with the latest insights, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn.

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