Corporate e-learning is not a new concept anymore. Employers and training professionals recommend e-learning technologies in teaching ‘hard skills’. But soft skills were not seen in this training list until recently. The radical change in corporate training is that companies are now intelligently opting for e-learning technologies to teach soft skills to their employees. Even the classroom purists acknowledge the fact that e-learning provides cheaper, better and faster training than traditional classrooms. E-learning exploits the power of web networking and capitalizes on corporate technology infrastructures in providing soft skills training. More and more organizations are experimenting with some form of e-learning methods. The question is not whether they implement an e-learning program or not, but whether it is rightly done and gives the desired outcome. This paper throws light on some of the challenges that are involved in e-soft skills training and why the traditional method is still the way.

Corporate enterprises are using a variety of creative and innovative methods to impart training to their employees ranging from traditional classroom techniques to technology- enabled self-learning efforts. Training using the web is one of the many technology- enabled learning applications that is being practiced by the companies. E-Learning (Electronic Learning) has become the popular mode for corporate training in IT skills. Until recently, the logical forum for soft skills training is the traditional instructor-led method facilitating experiential learning. HR and training professionals, having understood the benefits offered by e-learning, are adopting this methodology for soft skills training as well.

Soft skills are the non-technical skills, abilities and traits that one needs to function in a specific employment environment. They include various sets of workplace competencies: problem-solving, cognitive skills, oral communication skills, personal qualities, work ethics, interpersonal and team work.

According to psychologist Daniel Goleman (1998), soft skills are a combination of competencies that contribute to how people know and manage themselves as well as their relationships with others. They are considered twice as important as their intelligence quotient or technical skills in job success.

Soft Skills Journal, E-Soft Skills Training, Challenges, Opportunities, E-learning, Corporate e-learning, IT skills, Traditional Training Methods.