PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1816814
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1816814
Soft skills management involves the development, application, and oversight of non-technical skills essential for effective interpersonal interactions and overall professional success. These skills encompass communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. Effective soft skills management ensures that individuals and teams can collaborate efficiently, adapt to changes, and manage interpersonal challenges effectively.
Soft skills management encompasses various areas including management and leadership, administration and secretarial tasks, communication and productivity, personal development, and others. Management involves planning, organizing, directing, and controlling resources such as people, finances, and information to meet organizational objectives. Sourcing for soft skills management can be in-house or outsourced, with delivery modes including regular and offline, as well as online. These services are provided by a range of providers, including corporate and enterprise, and academic institutions, and are utilized by diverse sectors such as banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), manufacturing, hospitality, information technology (IT) and telecom, education, retail, media and entertainment, and more.
Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.
The sharp rise in U.S. tariffs and the resulting trade tensions in spring 2025 are having a notable impact on the services sector, particularly in business services, IT, and professional consulting. The increased costs of imported technology, office equipment, and critical digital infrastructure are driving up operating expenses for service providers, compelling them to either pass these costs on to clients or absorb the financial strain themselves. Outsourcing firms and IT service providers are grappling with higher hardware costs and supply chain delays, which are disrupting project timelines and squeezing profitability. Furthermore, retaliatory tariffs have weakened demand for U.S.-based professional services in key global markets, slowing export-driven revenues. To navigate these challenges, the sector must focus on accelerating digital transformation, optimizing costs, and strengthening domestic client relationships to sustain growth and remain competitive in an increasingly uncertain trade environment.
The soft skills management market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides soft skills management market statistics, including soft skills management industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with soft skills management market share, detailed soft skills management market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the soft skills management industry. This soft skills management research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.
The soft skills management market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $31.14 billion in 2024 to $36.12 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.0%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rise in the demand for a highly skilled workforce, increasing number of educational institutions, increasing emphasis on remote workforce management, rising awareness of employee well-being and mental health, and increasing collaboration between companies.
The soft skills management market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $65.95 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.2%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to growing emphasis on fostering a skilled workforce, rising globalization, growing young population, increasing government investment, and increasing adoption of e-learning platforms. Major trends in the forecast period include technological advancement, integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, virtual reality and augmented reality simulations, innovations in skill assessment tools, and product innovations.
The forecast of 16.2% growth over the next five years reflects a slight reduction of 0.2% from the previous projection. This reduction is primarily due to the impact of tariffs between the US and other countries. The U.S. could encounter increased training program costs as gamified learning tools, AI-driven assessment platforms, and multilingual content sourced from Ireland and Singapore grow more expensive for corporate L&D initiatives. The effect will also be felt more widely due to reciprocal tariffs and the negative effect on the global economy and trade due to increased trade tensions and restrictions.
The growing focus on remote workforce management is anticipated to drive the expansion of the soft skills management market in the future. Remote workforce management encompasses the strategies, processes, and tools employed to oversee and coordinate employees working from locations other than a central office, such as homes, co-working spaces, or other remote environments. The demand for flexible work arrangements and cost efficiencies fuels the rise in remote workforce management. Effective soft skills management enables remote teams to communicate clearly, collaborate efficiently, and adapt to changes, thereby improving overall productivity and cohesion. For example, in January 2024, the World Economic Forum, a nonprofit organization based in Switzerland, projected that by 2030, the number of digital jobs globally that can be performed remotely is expected to increase by approximately 25%, reaching around 92 million. Thus, the heightened focus on remote workforce management is propelling the growth of the soft skills management market.
Leading companies in the soft skills management market are focusing on innovative initiatives to boost employee engagement, accelerate skill development, and deliver measurable improvements in workplace performance. Initiatives such as Elevate Edge offer flexible learning options, including online modules, in-person workshops, and blended learning formats, making them accessible to a broad range of professionals. For instance, in August 2023, edForce, an India-based workforce accelerator, launched ElevateEdge to bridge the gap between the demand and availability of soft skills in the Indian IT industry. This initiative provides a comprehensive approach to soft skill development, enabling individuals and organizations to navigate the evolving corporate landscape effectively.
In June 2022, Cornerstone, a US-based provider of cloud-based human capital management (HCM) software solutions, acquired Skillsoft for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition aims to enhance Cornerstone's ability to support organizations in managing their human resources and talent. Skillsoft, also based in the US, specializes in soft skills management.
Major companies operating in the soft skills management market are Dale Carnegie & Associates Inc., Skillsoft Corporation, HubSpot Inc., Udemy Inc., Coursera Inc., MPS Interactive Systems Limited, Franklin Covey Co., Pluralsight LLC, Articulate Global LLC, The Ken Blanchard Companies, RedVector Inc., Toastmasters International Inc., LearnUpon Limited, BizLibrary, edX LLC, Xyleme Inc., NIIT Limited, New Horizons Worldwide Inc., City & Guilds Group, Cegos Ltd., Pearson India Education Services Private Limited, iSpring Solutions Inc., Gnowbe
North America was the largest region in the soft skills management market in 2024. The regions covered in the soft skills management market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.
The countries covered in the soft skills management market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.
The soft skills management market includes revenues earned by entities through training programs, leadership management, time management, and ethics management. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
Soft Skills Management Global Market Report 2025 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses on soft skills management market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for soft skills management ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The soft skills management market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
The forecasts are made after considering the major factors currently impacting the market. These include the technological advancements such as AI and automation, Russia-Ukraine war, trade tariffs (government-imposed import/export duties), elevated inflation and interest rates.