Soft Skills and Soft Skills Evaluation Methods, Used in Information Technology and Business Process Management Industry in Sri Lanka
Abstract
The dearth of soft skills and lack of such soft skills measurement tools is the key for many problems in the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT/BPM) industry in Sri Lanka. Studies on soft skills evaluation methods are skeletal within the industry concerned. In bridging this gap, the researchers investigated into: (a) the soft skills required by different job categories; (b) the currently used methods to measure soft skills, and (c) the challenges and problems associated with the soft skills evaluating process. This study was designed as a qualitative inquiry using constructionist phenomenology. Ten job categories and thirty-six job roles were identified. Forty soft skills and eleven different soft skills evaluation methods were also found out. Eight challenges were identified that affect the soft skills evaluation process. As implications, tendencies to recognise soft skills training, increasing emphasising on soft skills evaluations and perceived risk of hindering the soft skills evaluation process due to the challenges, can be sated. Therefore, it is recommended to strategically approach for soft skills training as a serious HRM agenda. Finally, the model, developed can be used as a framework for IT related competency development, and educating and training IT professionals at institutional levels.
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