Human Skills Are Your Workforce Superpower Human skills increase hybrid work’s effectiveness By Mike Howells, Pearson
T
he Rolling Stones put it best: “Time waits for no one and it won’t wait for me.”
The World Economic Forum projects that more than 1 billion people will need reskilling by 2030 to keep up with the changing demands of the economy and society. Companies are struggling to keep pace with the change in skills demand today - assessing the skills gaps in their workforces and strategizing how to close those gaps to align with business goals and serve employee needs. At the same time, they know they also need to anticipate and plan for future skills needs, factoring in how technological changes will impact their workforce and business strategy. And time marches on.
Identifying the Skills Needed to Thrive
Pearson analyzed over 20 million job listings and labor market and census data in four major economies. The aim was to identify employers’ most sought-after skills and understand how technological change is driving the evolution of job requirements. The findings illuminate broader talent management trends and challenges facing organizations and the workforce. First, the obvious point: Yes, technology skills are table stakes. Anyone in the workforce right now knows they will need to refresh their technical skills throughout their careers to keep pace with technological advancements and changes to the systems they use daily.
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However, the more interesting, and important, story Pearson’s Skills Outlook on Power Skills tells is about the value of people. That is because today’s top five power skills – the most in-demand skills across all jobs and industries are all human skills: ●● Communication. ●● Customer service. ●● Leadership. ●● Attention to detail. ●● Collaboration.
Human Skills Are Essential Across Roles and Industries
Human skills are ranked highest in demand and are predicted to remain at the top of employers’ lists from now through at least 2026. Tech skills will always be important, but the value of non-technical skills, such as cultural and social intelligence and the ability to learn, will continue to grow. These human skills transfer to nearly any role and have true longevity. A robust foundation of human skills serves individuals and organizations now and in the future. Employers and employees alike take human skills for granted. Companies expect human skills without offering ways to enhance them. Job candidates sometimes consider these skills “built-in,” with no potential for improvement or refining. And likely, no one in the equation has attributed significant ROI to these skills. But we can all see the results when we fail to invest in them sufficiently.
MARCH 2023
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