Don’t Get Stuck in A Downward Spiral – Soft Skills to Improve Productivity and Combat Turnover

Created By: Alexis Inyang and Sarah Roerden
March 27, 2025

The cost of employee turnover is staggering: organizations can lose between 50% and 200% of an employee’s salary just to recruit and train a replacement. But the financial burden doesn’t stop there. Teams often face months of reduced productivity, project delays, and erosion of morale as they adjust to the additional labor associated with losing a teammate.  

For nonprofits, these challenges are even more acute. With limited resources, smaller teams, and employees wearing multiple hats, losing a top performer can ripple across the entire organization, disrupting workflows, straining relationships, and jeopardizing mission-critical goals.  

To combat this, nonprofit leaders must look beyond technical expertise and prioritize a powerful, often underestimated tool: soft skills. Sometimes called “durable skills”, soft skills are the personal attributes, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence that enable individuals to navigate their work environments effectively. Unlike technical or “hard” skills, which are role-specific and measurable, soft skills are universal and transferable. 

The Power of Soft Skills 

The absence of soft skills may not seem critical at first, but the effects can cascade, leading to long-term organizational challenges. Without empathy, misunderstandings multiply. Without strong communication, tasks are left unfinished or executed incorrectly. Over time, these gaps can foster a toxic work culture, characterized by low morale, disengagement, and frequent conflict.  

For nonprofits, these issues are magnified. A lack of soft skills among leaders or team members can derail projects, alienate donors, and push high-performing employees to leave. As these challenges accumulate, the resulting turnover incurs significant costs—not only financially, but also in team cohesion and organizational progress. 

Here are some of the most impactful soft skills and how they benefit nonprofit teams: 

• Empathy: Builds trust with team members, donors, and clients by demonstrating genuine care for their perspectives and needs. 

• Communication: Ensures clarity in mission delivery, reduces misunderstandings, and fosters effective collaboration. 

• Adaptability: Enables teams to navigate change seamlessly, whether due to external challenges or internal restructuring. 

• Teamwork: Encourages collaboration and minimizes silos, ensuring that everyone’s strengths are leveraged effectively. 

• Conflict Resolution: Transforms disagreements into opportunities for growth, improving relationships and outcomes. 

Fostering Soft Skills in the Workplace 

Some may argue that prioritizing soft skills takes time away from core operations, but when these skills are present, they create a work environment that is not only productive but also engaging and resilient, setting the stage for long-term success. Communication, adaptability, and conflict resolution have been shown to foster a collaborative work environment, leading to increased efficiency. These essential human capabilities are the glue that holds teams together, fosters resilience, drives organizations toward sustainable success, and improves retention. They are the qualities that allow leaders to inspire, teams to collaborate, and organizations to thrive. At nonprofits, where missions often hinge on building trust and engaging diverse stakeholders, soft skills are not just nice to have—they’re indispensable. 

Soft skills are also key differentiators in an increasingly automated and digital workplace. As automation and AI take on more routine tasks, the most valuable contributions in technical fields will come from the human skills that machines cannot replicate. AI can process vast amounts of information, but it cannot negotiate, lead, or exercise ethical judgment.  

In an increasingly digital workplace, misunderstandings are common—50% of emails and text messages are misinterpreted, often leading to inefficiencies that automation alone cannot fix. Soft skills like critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and adaptability enable technical professionals to bridge the gap between raw data and real-world application, ensuring that technology enhances rather than hinders progress. In industries where precision and efficiency are paramount, human skills remain the differentiating factor between functional teams and truly exceptional ones. 

To mitigate the risks of turnover and build a high-performing nonprofit team, consider these actionable strategies: 

1. Set an example – Signal to employees that soft skills are valued by organizing training sessions and elevating staff who already demonstrate strong soft skills. Simply recognizing their value can make a difference, but when organizations invest in talent development, they also see major improvements in performance. 

2. Encourage managers to meet with their team members 1:1 – Checking in with individuals can help managers gain a better understanding of their direct reports’ values, goals, and any challenges they may be facing. Keeping an open line of communication will help managers motivate teams, intervene before conflicts snowball, and identify learning opportunities. 

3. Implement mentorship programs – Mentoring others is a great way for leaders to practice soft skills like active listening, communication, and relationship building. Organizations with mentorship programs report 47% higher retention rates.  

4. Foster an inclusive environment – Skills such as adaptability, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal communication are key to building a workplace that serves everyone. Businesses that prioritize inclusion have higher rates of innovation, better decision-making, higher employee retention rates, and are more likely to outperform their peers in terms of profitability. 

5. Create a culture of kindness – Helping teammates at work reduces stress, builds trust, and improves relationships. When employees know their colleagues have their back, they’re more engaged, resilient, and willing to go the extra mile, not because they have to, but because they want to. 

Soft skills are no longer optional. They are the foundation of effective leadership, team cohesion, and organizational success. Nonprofit leaders have an opportunity to turn these skills into their secret weapon, curbing turnover, motivating employees, and boosting productivity. By embedding soft skills into every facet of their operations, nonprofits can overcome the challenges of today and thrive in the complexities of tomorrow. 

Attracting and keeping great people has never been more challenging than it is right now. Orr Group has the experience and the resources to help you drive and maintain a strong work culture. Get in touch to learn more.

Alexis Inyang is an Associate Director of People & Culture for Orr Group. She juggles a multitude of human resources-related tasks, including payroll, benefits, talent acquisition, onboarding, employee relations, and company culture. She has experience serving clients and internal teams alike.

Sarah Roerden is an Executive Assistant and Associate Director for Operations at Orr Group. She has experience serving clients, managing core business operations, and supporting staff across all levels and skillsets. She currently leads the Engagement and Retention Committee.