Polishing Professionalism: The Challenge of Developing Soft Skills in a Remote Work Era

A huge part of growing as a professional lies in developing soft skills. It’s not just about knowing your job inside and out—it’s about how you present yourself, how you communicate, and how you carry yourself in a room. These traits go beyond what you can learn in a textbook or a webinar; they’re picked up in the workplace, in real-time interactions. We all know what it’s like to see a polished professional in action—there’s something admirable about their poise, the way they balance verbal communication with body language, their ability to handle any situation with grace. And on the flip side, it’s easy to spot someone just starting out or someone with gaps in these areas. They might lack the confidence or finesse that comes with experience, but we also know those things can be learned.

Now, some people seem to have a natural charisma that fits perfectly into the professional world. They seem effortlessly polished, as if they were born for the role. But let’s be honest—most of us don’t fall into that category. For most professionals, that polish is earned over time. How? Some might pick it up from their environment growing up. If your parents were executives, you might have learned these soft skills early on, just by watching how they handled themselves. But for many of today’s professionals, especially those from blue-collar backgrounds, it’s a different story. Many of today’s top CEOs and business leaders didn’t grow up with that professional polish; they had to earn it the hard way.

What’s interesting is that many of these highly polished professionals started out just like the rest of us—full of potential but lacking that professional finesse. They entered traditional workplaces before remote work was common, surrounded by seasoned professionals who showed them the ropes. They learned by observing—how to dress for the office, how to handle a meeting, how to engage in small talk with colleagues. They also had mentors who offered guidance, sometimes over a casual coffee chat or during a one-on-one conversation. In these environments, it was easy to soak up the skills needed to succeed.

But now, we have a new generation entering the workforce under very different circumstances. Many are recent college graduates full of potential, but they’re stepping into a world where the traditional office has been replaced by home offices, where their desk might be just a few feet from the bed they just rolled out of. Instead of being surrounded by experienced colleagues, they’re working in isolation, interacting primarily through video calls and messaging apps. Where do they learn the nuances of professional behavior in that environment?

It’s easy to say, “Well, today’s world is digital—they don’t need the old-school polish.” But is that really true? Sure, many jobs can be done remotely, and video calls have their place, but the reality is that as you progress in your career, those face-to-face interactions become more important. Whether it’s meeting clients in person, attending industry events, or sitting down for key interviews, there will always be moments where you need that polished professionalism. And if you’ve spent your entire early career working remotely without real-life examples or mentors to guide you, will you have the same level of polish when those moments come?

The concern is that many young professionals today, especially those who didn’t grow up with access to these soft skills, will face a greater challenge in acquiring them. The opportunities for learning by observation, for casual mentorship, simply aren’t as available in a fully remote environment. And while those who grew up with access to these skills will retain an advantage, it will be harder for others to catch up.

This isn’t to say remote work doesn’t have its advantages—it absolutely does. But when it comes to soft skills, there’s a real gap forming. This gap could create a lasting divide in professional development, where those with natural access to polished mentors and in-person environments have a leg up over those who didn’t. How this will play out in the long term is hard to say. Maybe the workplace will adapt, or maybe we’ll find new ways to develop these skills remotely. But for now, it’s something worth considering as we think about the future of work and what it means for the next generation of professionals.