Work factors influencing the transfer stages of soft skills training: A literature review

The transfer of training can be considered the Achilles heel of the training process. When trainees fail to use their new knowledge and skills on the job, training resources are wasted, and business results go unrealised. Research shows that the most problematic type of training transfer relates to soft skills training. To better understand the factors that influence the success of the transfer of soft skills training, we review studies published in top academic journals between 1988 and 2017. Our review reveals that three groups of work factors influence the post-training transfer of soft skills: job-related factors, social support factors, and factors related to the organisational facilitation of learning. The effects of specific factors vary by transfer stage. Our review also suggests that future research should devote more attention to the stages of transfer and consider both the behaviours of supervisors at each stage and the use of transfer-enhancing interventions.