Global Standard on Soft Skills

for Improving Professional Image

"Like MBA training started a century ago, soft skills training is absolutely necessary for the 21st century companies!"

Photo courtesy of WTO

The World Civility Index is somewhat similar to a person's credit rating, but instead of measuring how well a person can pay his bills, it measures a person's soft skills such as business etiquette, empathy, intercultural awareness.

It is based on field-tested evidences that individuals who engage in consistent training over the long-term on average exhibit more civility.

Instead of relying on subjective surveys or assessments, the Index takes an objective, data-driven approach that involves various indicators of civility, such as the number of articles read, videos watched, webinars attended, and formal written exams taken. Exposures are key.

The World Civility Index is now a part of UN Sustainable Development.

Think you are good in soft skills?

self-testing tool
self-testing tool
self-testing tool
self-testing tool

Problem

Every job-seeker would send in a resume to a human resources (HR) manager saying he/she has good communication skills and is a great team player. So how can HR really tell who has good soft skills just from the resume?

Solution

IITTI is a standardized, independent credentialing system on soft skills.

It is somewhat like your credit rating, and in some ways similar to GMAT, TOEFL, or SAT, but instead of just a snapshot, IITTI is based on a continuous-learning, continuous-assessment model. It provides a uniform way for employers, job-seekers and trainers to measure soft skills.

With a global standard, HRs can easily pre-screen job candidates before any interview. For a job-seeker, having an international credential helps you stand out in the crowd. For trainers, having an independent test instead of your homemade test eliminates conflict of interests.

 

A Story of Two Paths

Many soft skills are an education of the heart, and not so much the brain; it is about awareness. It is about the amount of exposures (Path 1). Yet, some soft skills are easily measured and can be tested on standardized exams (Path 2).

Path 1. Reading Program & Activities

Continuous learning, continuous assessment on difficult-to-measure intangible soft skills such as empathy, resilience, patience.

Go to Reading Program
Detail: Why Reading Program?

Path 2. Open Exams

Traditional, snapshot assessments on measurable soft skills such as professional appearance, business etiquette, dining etiquette.

(Photo: IITTI exam in Hong Kong, Oct21,2017)

Every time a user passes a test, he/she earns points on his/her 'World Civility Index' point system. It provides a consistent way for employers, job-seekers and trainers to measure soft skills.

Ms. Jia Yin liew, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

 

 




 

 

 

 

 

 

General FAQs

FAQ 1

Soft Skills Training Not Necessary!

People can just learn on the job

Employees can just learn on-the-job. Look at all the employees now; they are doing ok.

Soft skills are just fluff and any training is nice but not necessary. There are much better ways to use our money such as advertising.

 
Answer 1

People thought MBA was silly too!

Harvard suggested a scientific approach

 

When Harvard University presented the first MBA program 100 years ago, some laughed and thought it was not necessary. After all, people can just "learn on the job".

But Harvard argued that a scientific approach was necessary for companies for the 20th century. Soft skills training is the same now for the 21st century companies. It is a must have!

Soft skills build habits. Habits build culture. Culture builds brand.

Details...

 

FAQ 2

Standard would make everybody the same!

Are you trying to clone robots?!

This standardizing won't work!

My country really takes pride in our own identity. We don't like to be the same as everyone else.

 
Answer 2

It allows a common interface

It is like English, which is the common international language

 

The IITTI standard is designed for international commerce where different people from diverse background can get along comfortably.

Details...

 

FAQ 3

Soft Skills Training Doesn't Work!

People go back to their old ways after training

Our company spent a lot of money in hiring an image consultant to come in for a 3-day seminar on business etiquette, but I don't see any long-term changes in their behaviour.

The worst is that our employees now see soft skills training as a joke! Our training manager feels she is losing credibility.

 
Answer 3

It is like going to the gym!

You need to do it for a long period of time

 

True, a 3-day seminar may not be effective. That is because it is too short!

Soft skills and company culture are hard to do. It takes a long time...and it is expensive!

But if you want your company brand to stand out, the earlier you start, the further you pull away from your competition.

Details...

 

FAQ 4

There is no standard!

Hard for management to measure when there is no universal standard!

How can we ask job-seekers or employees to get certification when there is no widely accepted benchmark?

If only there is an open exam just like GMAT, TOEFL and SAT for benchmarking soft skills.

 
Answer 4

That's where IITTI comes in!

Without standardization like IITTI, there is no measurement

 

We understand what can't be measured won't be done!

IITTI has open exams, just like other standardized exams such as GMAT, TOEFL, and SAT.

IITTI is also an open-source standard, which means any trainers can get the IITTI Standard document free-of-charge. This translates into a large pool of IITTI exam takers, and more qualified job candidates in terms of soft skills.

Details...