With the explosion of AI and tech in recent years, you’d think that tech skills would be at the top of the list of most in-demand career skills. But they aren’t. I’ve had conversions with leaders in organizations spanning many industries, and the majority of them are more focused on soft skills.
According to a recent LinkedIn survey, 9 out of 10 global executives are in agreement that soft skills are more important than ever.
A shift in the most in-demand skills happens all the time, but not to the degree it has in recent years. AI has significantly impacted how we work, changing the types of skills employers need from their people.
“Since 2015, skills for roles have, on average, changed by 25%; by 2030 it’s expected that number will reach at least 65%. Today, more than half of LinkedIn members hold jobs that stand to be disrupted or augmented by AI,” says Dan Brodnitz on the LinkedIn Talent Blog.
What Are The Most In-Demand Career Skills for 2024?
LinkedIn published a list of the most in-demand career skills on their Talent Blog. In reviewing this list with other Toronto recruiters in our office, we all concluded that the skills accurately reflect the current needs of our clients in Toronto and across Ontario. Soft skills will dominate in 2024 as AI and tech continue to disrupt how we work.
Here’s the list of the top 10 most in-demand skills:
1. Communication
In a time where people are working from multiple locations and using many different channels, communication has become an essential skill. Clear and concise communication is the most important soft skill that supports effective teamwork and collaboration, and ability to convey complex problems or projects on both the technical and business side.
2. Customer service
People still want to talk to other people. It’s essential to build relationships with others to establish trust in a time when AI can call authenticity into question.
3. Leadership
Strong leadership is vital for growth and continuity. Leadership is about inspiration, growth, and collective goals. Demonstrating the ability to build collaboration for collective goals is what a great leader is able to do.
4. Project management
The way we work continues to become more complex. The ability to keep things on time and target is a skill that is in high demand.
5. Management
In a time when people question their desire to work in management, people with strong management skills are growing in demand. You need people who can manage in a time of constant change. In a management position, it is critical to not only understand the principles of good leadership but also have self-awareness, understanding of your teams’ motivators and challenges, empathy, and more.
6. Analytics
No surprise here. Analytics has become a key part of most jobs. People who have expert knowledge in data collection, organization, and interpretation to make informed decisions. Along with gathering data points for ongoing responses for better efficiency. Maintaining data analytics is critical in a complex digital landscape that is consistently changing and evolving.
7. Teamwork
As they say, teamwork makes the dream work. People who can work well with others, collaborate in innovative ways and help the team move forward without issue will be highly desirable. Having teams with different backgrounds and alternative points of view is also an important feature of a high functioning team.
8. Sales
Sales remain important. But more and more it’s about building strategic relationships and doing the intangibles. Those who can merge the use of AI tools with traditional sales methods will thrive. Sales is crucial for being able to truly understand clients’ needs and pain points to better adapt your solutions and build stronger relationships.
9. Problem-solving
AI has created many new opportunities, but just as many new challenges to solve. People who can think critically and identify new strategies to overcome modern challenges will be an asset. Soft skills may be a bit tougher to assess through initial interviews but an extremely important assets for most roles. They encompass the ability to analyze issues or business requirements, revise data, anticipate future risks, and build strategic solutions. Tip: In an interview, if you can clearly identify how you thought through a solution it will be a major advantage.
10. Research
Every division needs to be an informed one. With more information available than ever, professionals need exceptional research skills to collect, analyze and synthesize information. They also need to be able to differentiate between legitimate information sources and AI content.
In a rapidly changing work landscape shaped by AI, I think it’s crucial to focus on human skills and abilities. These skills serve as the guiding light for employees and the departments dedicated to learning and development. As businesses adjust to AI, they must consistently acknowledge and nurture human-centric skills within their company to have success.
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