In today’s rapidly changing work landscape, it’s difficult to figure out exactly which skills employers are looking for.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs Report, published every three years, provides an illuminating perspective on what businesses are looking for based on surveys. The 2023 report is an in depth look at top skills that are high in demand in 2024. In this blog post, we’ll be unpacking the 2023 Future of Jobs Report and what it means for those looking to get hired.
AI’s impact and the importance of soft skills
The growth of AI has led to the automation of more and more hard skills, which are measurable and concrete skills that are specific to an industry. Many companies are investing in training their employees to use AI to assist with tasks. In fact, 59% of companies surveyed by the WEF predict that AI’s role in the workforce will continue to grow in the coming years. As AI continues to evolve, the hard skills required in many positions continue to change.
As a result, employers are beginning to prioritize soft skills, which are skills that pertain to working effectively with others and can be applied to any industry. Employees with strong soft skills enable businesses to be more adaptable. With AI transforming industries at such a rapid pace, adaptability and flexibility are more important than ever.
Top 5 soft skills employers are prioritizing, and how to get them
Analytical thinking
According to the Future of Jobs report, 63% of companies stated that analytical thinking was a core skill for their workforce in 2023. A staggering 71.6% of companies predicted that its importance will increase in 2024. Analytical thinking is the ability to analyze and break down complex concepts and ideas. Part of this is critical thinking, which involves making judgments based on analysis of data and information.
The best way to improve analytical thinking skills is to challenge your brain. Reading books, playing logic games, and learning new things will help you exercise the muscle in your brain that can analyze situations and come up with solutions. Doing research on your industry is another great way to understand how to utilize analytical thinking in the industry.
Creative thinking
Creative thinking ranked even higher than analytical thinking in increasing importance: 73.2% of companies surveyed by the WEF stated that the skill would increase in importance in 2024. Defined as the ability to use your imagination to create new solutions and ideas, creative thinking also means you can bring those new ideas to life. With creative thinking, you can find new ways to attack an old problem and come up with innovative concepts.
Brainstorming is key to creative thinking. Setting aside time to consider every possibility, even unlikely ones, can help you develop more creative ways of looking at situations. Mind-mapping is a tool that allows for more freedom in brainstorming sessions, which can help your creativity thrive. Brainstorming with other people, especially people coming from different backgrounds, can get your brain to look at things differently. Outside of work, you can improve your creative thinking by picking up a creative hobby like art or music.
Resilience, flexibility and agility
Ranking third as a core skill for 2023, resilience has become more important than ever after the pandemic. It looks like this skill will continue to be valuable, as it ranked fourth as a skill of increasing importance. In essence, this skill involves being able to persevere and adapt in the face of unexpected challenges. This umbrella term involves a lot of skills, like stress management, frustration management, ability to adapt to change, and persistence. Employers want to see that you have the skills to maintain a level head and effectively communicate even when under a lot of pressure.
An important part of stress management and frustration management is setting aside time to take care of your mental health. Healthy eating habits and a consistent sleep schedule are key in ensuring that your brain can stay calm under stress. Looking after your mental health can also help you be more persistent; having a clear head can make it easier to see how to adapt to changing circumstances.
Motivation and self-awareness
Motivation and self-awareness ranked fourth as a core skill for 2023 in the Future of Jobs report, and 58.9% of companies feel that it is increasingly important. Surprisingly, motivation is actually very closely related to self-awareness. Internal self-awareness means knowing your passions, goals, and values. External self-awareness involves knowing how you fit in your work environment and knowing what you can contribute. Both are essential to feeling motivated enough to take initiative and accomplish big things without supervision.
One thing you can do to directly improve your self-awareness is to identify your aspirations and your strengths and weaknesses. Journaling and seeking feedback from peers and mentors are also excellent ways to learn more about yourself. Once you’ve identified your aspirations, set small and realistic goals to help improve your day-to-day motivation.
Curiosity and lifelong learning
Of the organizations surveyed by the WEF, 66.8% stated that curiosity and lifelong learning is a skill of increasing importance. Given how rapidly technology is changing today, it’s no surprise that employers want to hire people that are open to learning new things. Curiosity involves being excited to learn new things, and having a positive mindset when approaching unfamiliar tasks. However, curiosity alone is not sufficient. A key aspect of this skill is applying your curiosity to problem-solving and making decisions in the workplace.
Asking questions is a great way to show your employers that you are eager to learn. Building a mentoring relationship can give you a lifelong teacher that can help fuel your curiosity. Adopting a growth mindset is also essential to preserving your curiosity. Having a growth mindset means you believe you can develop any skill with hard work. With a growth mindset, you embrace challenges, and you’re better equipped to learn as much as possible wherever you are.
Start developing these skills today!
With small changes, you can build on these skills and start applying them to your school, work, and everyday life. For more information on the skills that employers look at in hiring candidates, take a look at the WEF’s Global Skills Taxonomy, which defines and categorizes all the skills used in the workforce. Check out more professional development advice on the UMBC Professional Programs blog.