Genesis and evolution of the soft skills category in the digital HR environment

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical analysis of the genesis and evolution of the soft skills category in the context of the formation of the digital HR environment. It substantiates that under conditions of economic digitalization and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence technologies, soft skills are transforming from supplementary individual characteristics into system-forming meta-competencies that ensure the integration of professional, social, and digital dimensions of human capital management. The evolution of scientific approaches to soft skills is analysed, ranging from the dominance of cognitive criteria in personnel assessment to contemporary concepts of «human skills» in the digital economy. The article synthesizes the results of international and national analytical studies confirming the growing role of soft skills in the labour market for the period 2025–2030. A periodization of the development of the soft skills category, their functional classification, and the key mechanisms for developing flexible skills in digital HR systems are proposed.