Global Soft Skills Talent Management Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Soft Skills Type (Management & Leadership, Administration & Secretarial, Communication & Productivity, Personal Development, and Others), By Delivery Mode (Regular/Offline and Online), By Provider (Corporate/Enterprise and Academic/Education), By End-User (Banking, Financial Services & Insurance, Manufacturing, Hospitality, IT & Telecom, Education, Retail, Media & Entertainment, and Others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2025 - 2035

Global Soft Skills Talent Management Market Insights Forecasts to 2035

• The Market Size is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of around 8.2% from 2025 to 2035
• The Worldwide Soft Skills Talent Management Market Size is expected to hold a significant share by 2035
• Asia Pacific is expected to grow the fastest during the forecast period.

According to a research report published by Spherical Insights and Consulting, the Global Soft Skills Talent Management Market Size is expected to hold a significant share by 2035, at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period 2025-2035. The market for soft skills talent management has a number of opportunities to grow due to the growth of remote and hybrid work, which compels businesses to make investments in abilities like emotional intelligence, communication, teamwork, and flexibility to maintain the effectiveness of distributed teams.   

Market Overview

The soft skills talent management is the process of recognizing, cultivating, and utilizing non-technical interpersonal skills in employees, such as leadership, teamwork, communication, and flexibility, in order to improve workplace culture, performance, and overall organizational effectiveness. Soft skills are crucial for improving collaborations, creating a nice work atmosphere, and increasing team effectiveness. Several training programs, ongoing feedback, and workshop procedures are typically included in this management approach to identify and improve employees' soft skills. By putting a lot of emphasis on soft skills, businesses want to create a workforce that demonstrates strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal efficiency in addition to technical competencies. By increasing employee satisfaction, productivity, and the company's long-term performance, soft skills management plays a key role in developing a work environment that values partnerships, good communication, and understanding between coworkers.

Governments are increasingly including training in soft skills in their official education and skill building programs. The Skill India Mission, which includes PMKVY, Jan Shikshan Sansthan, and NAPS, provides funding for district-level and short-term training programs in India that specifically address employability and soft skills. The UK based EdTech company Morphoses secured 2.1 million dollars in a pre-seed fundraising round to create a platform for soft skills and gamified learning. The Indian platform OLL obtained Rs. 90 lakhs, or USD 115,000, in startup finance from We Founder Circle to expand its life skills and soft skills learning offerings.    

Report Coverage

This research report categorizes the soft skills talent management market based on various segments and regions, forecasts revenue growth, and analyzes trends in each submarket. The report analyses the key growth drivers, opportunities, and challenges influencing the soft skills talent management market. Recent market developments and competitive strategies such as expansion, type launch, development, partnership, merger, and acquisition have been included to draw the competitive landscape in the market. The report strategically identifies and profiles the key market players and analyses their core competencies in each sub-segment of the soft skills talent management market. 

Driving Factors

The soft skills talent management market is driven as organizations adopt remote work policies, the demand for soft skills management solutions is growing. With teams situated in various locations, the ability to articulate your viewpoints and demonstrate effective teamwork and emotional intelligence is paramount. Organizations are looking for comprehensive soft skills management solutions that facilitate leadership development, virtual team building, and conflict resolution. The transition to virtual working has disrupted didactic work expectations, resulting in an expanded soft skills sector as organizations are investing in creating effective and cohesive remote teams.    

Restraining Factors

The soft skills talent management market is restricted by factors like a lack of awareness and understanding of how important soft skills are for organizational success. Awareness of the importance of soft skills is growing in terms of improving leadership, teamwork, and communication, and yet many organizations still focus investment in hard or technical skills rather than soft skills.

Market Segmentation

The soft skills talent management market share is classified into soft skills type, delivery mode, provider, and end-user.  

• The communication & productivity segment dominated the market in 2024, accounting for approximately 41.2% and is projected to grow at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on the soft skills type, the soft skills talent management market is divided into management & leadership, administration & secretarial, communication & productivity, personal development, and others. Among these, the communication & productivity segment dominated the market in 2024 and is projected to grow at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period. The segment is driven by the strong need to enhance task efficiency and interpersonal effectiveness. Communication & Productivity established itself as the leading discipline of the soft skills management market. Communication Skills & Productivity emerged as the leading discipline from soft skills, because with a significant share of the market, businesses acknowledged the importance of soft skills in enhancing productivity and cultivating a productive work environment. This section encompasses various skills required to work efficiently and communicate clearly with others, responding to the ever changing realities of the workplace. The communication & productivity discipline offers comprehensive solutions to enhance professional skills, improving everything from becoming an effective communicator to becoming time efficient.   

• The online segment accounted for the largest share in 2024 and is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on the delivery mode, the soft skills talent management market is divided into regular/offline and online. Among these, the online segment accounted for the largest share in 2024 and is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The dominance is due to digital infrastructure and online distribution. By utilizing remote access and e learning platforms, businesses and individuals discovered that digital connectivity and flexible learning produced an attraction. The need for an online soft skills management system did not become more widespread among enterprises until the worldwide pandemic and the shift to remote employment.  

• The corporate/enterprise segment accounted for the highest market revenue in 2024, accounting for approximately 67% and is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on the provider, the soft skills talent management market is divided into corporate/enterprise and academic/education. Among these, the corporate/enterprise segment accounted for the largest share in 2024 and is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The dominance is due to their strong commitment to improving organizations and developing personnel, corporate, and enterprise entities. They seek to develop a workforce with strong interpersonal, communication, leadership, and problem solving skills by investing significantly in robust soft skill management programs.  This workforce will help to encourage a culture of innovation and productivity within their organizations.

• The IT & telecom segment accounted for the highest market revenue in 2024, accounting for approximately 16.41% and is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on the end-user, the soft skills talent management market is divided into banking, financial services & insurance, manufacturing, hospitality, IT & telecom, education, retail, media & entertainment, and others. Among these, the IT & telecom segment accounted for the largest share in 2024 and is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The dominance is due to the relatively high profile of the IT and telecom industry. As a result of the rapid digital transformation taking place in global marketplaces, a workforce characterized by agile soft skills such as problem solving, communication, and teamwork is paramount. IT and telecom companies have led the way in innovation in this regard, which has enhanced the demand for employees with solid technical and interpersonal skills.

Regional Segment Analysis of the Soft Skills Talent Management Market

• North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) 
• Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe)
• Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of APAC)
• South America (Brazil and the Rest of South America) 
• The Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA)

North America is anticipated to hold the largest share and capture 38.2% of the soft skills talent management market over the predicted timeframe.

North America is anticipated to hold the largest share of the soft skills talent management market over the predicted timeframe. In the North America market, the market is rising, driven by its emphasis on labor force development, technological advancements in education, and workforce training infrastructure. North America remains a key market for soft skills development products, given its growing economy and the high level of awareness of the importance of soft skills for career success.  

Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a rapid CAGR and capture 23% in the soft skills talent management market during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific area has a thriving market for soft skills talent management due to industrialization, urbanization, and the rise of a young working population. Countries such as China, India, and Japan are witnessing an increased desire for soft skills training for workforce readiness in response to rapidly changing labor market requirements. The increasing prevalence of mobile learning and e learning platforms also contributes to growth in this region.

Competitive Analysis:

The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the soft skills talent management market, along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their type of offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes type development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market.

List of Key Companies

• LinkedIn Learning (Microsoft)
• Coursera Inc.
• Udemy, Inc.
• Skillsoft Corporation
• FranklinCovey Co.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International)
• The Ken Blanchard Companies
• GP Strategies Corporation
• Hemsley Fraser Group (Part of GP Strategies)
• Allen Interactions
• Cengage Learning Inc.
• Pearson PLC
• Others

Key Target Audience

• Market Players
• Investors
• End users
• Government Authorities 
• Consulting And Research Firm
• Venture capitalists
• Value Added Resellers (VARs)

Recent Development

• In May 2025, Udemy launched a new AI powered tool called Role Play to help professionals practice communication, leadership, and problem solving skills through interactive simulations mimicking real business scenarios.  
• In May 2024, ownerToFly acquired upskilling platform Skillcrush, enhancing its soft skills and technical training offerings for diverse professionals.  
• In December 2023, Degreed and edX announced an expanded strategic alliance to offer enterprises enhanced soft skills based learning and content solutions.
• In August 2023, Lepaya, a European soft skills training company, acquired Smartenup to combine its soft skills offerings with Smartenups expertise in data literacy and analytical skills.
• In April 2023, Paycor, an HR management software company, acquired Verb, which provides a microlearning platform for managers and frontline teams focusing on soft skills.

Market Segment

This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2035. Spherical Insights has segmented the soft skills talent management market based on the below-mentioned segments:

Global Soft Skills Talent Management Market, By Soft Skills Type

• Management & Leadership
• Administration & Secretarial
• Communication & Productivity
• Personal Development
• Others

Global Soft Skills Talent Management Market, By Delivery Mode

• Regular/Offline
• Online

Global Soft Skills Talent Management Market, By Provider

• Corporate/Enterprise
• Academic/Education

Global Soft Skills Talent Management Market, By End-User

• Banking
• Financial Services & Insurance
• Manufacturing, Hospitality
• IT & Telecom, Education, Retail
• Media & Entertainment
• Others

Global Soft Skills Talent Management Market, By Regional Analysis

• North America
  • US
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Russia
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• South America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Rest of South America
• Middle East & Africa
  • UAE
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Qatar
  • South Africa
  • Rest of the Middle East & Africa