Diminishing Returns of Technical Skills at Senior Levels
In engineering, construction, and IT fields, technical expertise is essential early in one’s career, but its relative impact tapers off at higher levels. A century-old Carnegie Foundation study found that even in engineering, only 15% of long-term job success depended on technical knowledge, whereas 85% came from soft skills and people skills (nationalsoftskills.org)
In other words, once a baseline of technical competence is met, additional technical prowess yields diminishing returns compared to skills like communication and teamwork. Real-world evidence supports this: Google’s internal “Project Oxygen” research revealed that among the eight top qualities of its best managers, technical skill ranked last – far below abilities such as coaching, empathy, and communication (betterup.com).
This underscores that being a great engineer alone doesn’t automatically translate to career advancement in leadership roles. In fact, seasoned professionals in infrastructure industries are expected to have more advanced “transferable” skills (e.g. leadership, influence, strategic thinking) as they gain experience (mdpi.com), highlighting that higher-level positions demand much more than technical know-how.
Leadership and People Skills Accelerate Career Growth
Developing strong leadership and interpersonal skills can dramatically boost career trajectory – often more than technical upskilling. Data analyses by LinkedIn indicate that professionals with well-honed soft skills tend to get promoted faster. For example, one global LinkedIn study found that competencies like organization, teamwork, problem-solving, and communication were associated with an 11% increase in promotion rates, and leadership skills led to a roughly 10% faster climb up the career ladder (Linkedin Insights Report)
These findings suggest that leadership and people skills don’t just add incremental value – they can have an exponential effect on advancement opportunities. Survey research echoes this: in a 2023 survey of 1,000 U.S. employees and managers, “leadership” was rated the most valuable skill for advancing one’s career (outranking any technical skill) (BNG, 2023)
In the same study, 84% of respondents said new hires must bring strong soft skills to the table. Together, these studies demonstrate that mastering people-focused skills (like team leadership, communication, and conflict resolution) pays off in faster promotions and access to higher-level roles that pure technical expertise alone might not secure (mexicobusiness.news)
Essentially, leadership aptitude acts as a force multiplier for career growth in engineering and technical fields.
Employability, Unemployment and Job Satisfaction Benefits
Professionals who cultivate leadership and interpersonal skills also tend to enjoy stronger employment prospects and greater job satisfaction. Employers consistently prioritize soft skills in hiring: surveys of hiring managers show that teamwork, communication, and adaptability are often viewed as equal or more important than technical skills when selecting candidates (The Reporter, 2018). (Notably, one National Association of Colleges and Employers survey found “ability to work in a team” was the #1 attribute sought in new engineering graduates, ranking above problem-solving or technical know-how (nber.org).
This means candidates with better people skills are more likely to get hired quickly, while those lacking them may face longer job searches or stalled careers. Economic research backs this up: as high-tech industries have evolved, jobs requiring strong social skills have grown about 12 percentage points (1980–2012) as a share of employment, and wages in social-skill-intensive occupations have risen faster than others. In contrast, the career payoff for pure “cognitive” or technical skills has leveled off – they remain necessary but are no longer sufficient on their own.
This shift in demand translates into a safety net for well-rounded professionals: they experience lower risks of unemployment because their leadership, communication, and collaboration abilities keep them in demand across roles.
Moreover, developing soft skills can boost one’s experience of work itself. Organizational psychology studies have found that applying soft skills on the job (through things like positive communication, empathy, and mentorship) has direct positive effects on employees’ job satisfaction and motivation (researchgate.net).
In short, engineers and technical staff who grow their people skills not only become more employable, but often report higher job fulfillment and engagement, creating a virtuous cycle for their careers.
People Skills in an AI-Driven Future
In the era of automation and AI, human-centric skills are emerging as the key to career resilience and employability. As AI takes over more routine technical tasks, employers are placing even greater emphasis on leadership, creativity, and other soft skills that machines can’t easily replicate(nestorup.com). A recent global report found that 59% of employers say the rise of AI has caused them to prioritize different skills when hiring – shifting focus toward adaptable, “soft” skills and relevant experience over narrow technical credentials (cengagegroup.com).
In fact, many companies have begun dropping strict degree or technical requirements, instead looking for candidates with strong communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities.
Surveys of workers reinforce this outlook: 71% of employees believe soft skills will be just as important or more important in the future workplace, and the ability to lead and collaborate is seen as critical for long-term career success in an AI-integrated world. Research in technologically advanced sectors shows that even amid high automation, demand persists for uniquely human skills – one study of over 19,000 organizations found critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and creativity among the most sought-after (abilities in tech-driven industries)
Employers themselves acknowledge this trend; they report that as they adopt AI, they will place greater emphasis on employees’ soft skills to ensure effective teamwork and innovation alongside intelligent machines.
Ultimately, in fields like IT, rail, aviation, and construction, technical expertise will remain foundational – but it’s the people skills (leadership, adaptability, emotional intelligence) that will differentiate who thrives in an AI-powered workforce. The evidence from academia, industry surveys, and labor studies all point to the same conclusion: those who invest in developing their leadership and interpersonal skills are positioning themselves for stronger careers with more opportunities, even as the technical landscape evolves
Sources:
Charles R. Mann, A Study of Engineering Education (Carnegie Foundation, 1918) – Found that soft skills accounted for 85% of engineers’ career success vs. 15% from technical ability nationalsoftskills.org
Google “Project Oxygen” (reported in BetterUp, 2022) – Identified coaching, communication, and empathy as top traits of effective engineering managers, with technical expertise ranked last betterup.com
LinkedIn Insights Report (2024) – Showed an ~8–11% faster promotion rate linked to soft skills like teamwork, communication and a 10% faster career progression for those with strong leadership skills mexicobusiness.news
Business Name Generator Soft Skills Survey (2023) – 1,000 U.S. employees/managers surveyed; 84% said new hires must have soft skills, and “leadership” was rated the most valuable skill for career advancement businessnamegenerator.com
NACE Job Outlook Survey (2017) – 77% of employers ranked “ability to work in a team” as the most desired trait in new grads, above technical and analytical skills nber.org
Deming, QJE (2017) – Analysis of U.S. labor trends found social-skill-intensive jobs grew by 12% and saw faster wage growth from 1980–2012; strong technical skills are necessary but not sufficient for high-paying jobs without social skills nber.org
Palumbo, Universal Journal of Psychology (2013) – Empirical study showing that implementing soft skills in the workplace has a direct, positive effect on job satisfaction and motivation researchgate.net
Cengage Group Graduate Employability Report (2023) – Survey of 1,000 hiring managers: 59% are shifting hiring criteria due to AI, emphasizing soft skills; 66% prioritize “softer” skills and experience over degrees cengagegroup.com . Also notes employers plan to prioritize soft skills even more as AI tools spread cengagegroup.com
Polakova et al., Industry 5.0 Skills Study (2023) – Found that even in highly automated environments, employers demand human skills (critical thinking, creativity, communication, etc.) and reward a balance of digital and soft skills in employees pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov