Table 3.

Construction of employee-perceived soft skills measure (α = 0.75)

Item	Scale
I feel capable of influencing my work colleagues.	1 = not at all; 2 = slightly; 3 = moderately; 4 = very; 5 = extremely
I feel confident in my ability to do my job well.	1 = not at all; 2 = slightly; 3 = moderately; 4 = very; 5 = extremely
I am capable of building a professional network.	1 = not at all; 2 = slightly; 3 = moderately; 4 = very; 5 = extremely
I struggle to effectively communicate my thoughts at work. (r)	1 = always; 2 = most of the time; 3 = about half the time; 4 = sometimes; 5 = never
I feel capable of building effective relationships with colleagues.	1 = not at all; 2 = slightly; 3 = moderately; 4 = very; 5 = extremely
I go above what is expected of me to help my team be successful.	1 = never; 2 = sometimes; 3 = about half the time; 4 = most of the time; 5 = always

Items were developed based on existing definitions of soft skills used in the literature (see refs. 3–8, 45, 46). We also drew on the Department of Labor’s soft skill curriculum (50), which aims to teach the following set of skills to young workers: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem solving and critical thinking, and professionalism.