Upskilling? Focus on these top human skills from the Future of Jobs Report
Upskilling is essential to future-proofing your career – that much is obvious. But developing your skills takes time, effort, and money. You want to be confident you're getting bang for your buck, and that means focusing on developing the skills employers will genuinely value.
Thankfully, you don't need a crystal ball to know what skills employers will be looking for in five years time – the World Economic Forum has released its latest global report on the future of jobs.
The Future of Jobs Report 2023 explores how jobs and skills will evolve over the next five years. The report's findings are based on a survey of 803 global companies that employ 11.3 million workers in 45 different economies worldwide.
One question they ask employers is what skills they value most, so gather round - here’s what you need to know:
Top skills you need in the future of jobs
1. Analytical thinking
Analytical thinking tops the list of core skills employers want. But what exactly is analytical thinking?
Analytical thinking means collecting and analysing information, problem-solving, and making decisions. It means you can break down problems and sort through the details to weigh up options and arrive at the best possible decision or solution.
Imagine your team leader presents you with a problem. Before shooting off to find a solution, you pause to analyse the situation and gather as much information as possible. You speak to colleagues to garner their perspectives and analyse the feedback.
This is analytical thinking.
Being an analytical thinker also means you’re able to handle unpredictability; weighing up new factors as they arise, and devising a solution accordingly.
2. Creative thinking
Creative thinking soars in at number two on the list of top skills for the future of work. Moreover, comparisons to previous surveys suggest that creative thinking is increasing in importance relative to analytical thinking.
Why is creative thinking so important?
As robotics and AI progress rapidly and automation becomes a core to our working lives, our ability to be innovative, imaginative, and develop creative solutions is more valuable than ever.
These skills cannot (yet) be replicated by machines – they are uniquely human.
Need more proof that creative skills are critical? LinkedIn labelled creativity "the most important skill in the world" after it was the number-one skill demanded two years in a row by 20 million job ads on LinkedIn.
What does it mean to be creative? Stefan Mumaw, the author of six books on creativity, defines creativity as "problem-solving with relevance and novelty."
The good news is we're all born creative – we're wired to constantly seek new and varied solutions to our problems. We simply need to train our creative muscles.
3. Resilience, flexibility and agility
Resilience, flexibility and agility all speak to the same skill – our ability to adapt and manage change:
Resilience: How well do you cope with and bounce back from setbacks?
Flexibility: How do you adjust to changes?
Agility: How quickly can you change direction when new challenges are thrown your way?
Being resilient and adaptable are crucial human skills in the future of work. As mathematician John Allen Paulos wrote: "Uncertainty is the only certainty there is."
Being empowered to manage and adapt to change gives you a competitive advantage.
4. Motivation and self-awareness
Motivation and self-awareness are part of what it means to be human.
Motivation is an interpersonal skill that helps you inspire yourself or others to achieve a goal. Whether you’re self-motivated or motivating others, one of the biggest benefits is increased productivity.
Self-awareness is about knowing your strengths, weaknesses, actions and presence. It's your ability to notice your feelings, physical sensations, reactions, habits, behaviours and thoughts as if you were another person observing you.
So, how does motivation and self awareness help your career?
Motivation and self awareness make it easier to understand how others see you, and helps you understand others better. You can read people more easily and understand why they may react a certain way to a situation, which enables you to become a better co-worker and leader.
Together, self-awareness and motivation help you stay focused on what's most important to you in both work and life.
5. Curiosity and lifelong learning
Curiosity and lifelong learning go hand in hand. Curiosity fuels problem-solving, adaptability and creativity by prompting us to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and explore new ideas.
Curiosity is the spark that ignites the fire for lifelong learning – it's the desire to explore and discover new knowledge and experiences.
Lifelong learning is a continuous process that helps you stay relevant in your field, keep abreast of changes, and adapt. Lifelong learning is also good for you – it can help boost self-confidence and self-esteem, improve memory and cognitive function, and provide a sense of accomplishment and purpose.
Curiosity and lifelong learning are good for business, too. They drive creativity, innovation and problem-solving. They can reduce burnout, boost employee engagement, and drive job satisfaction while ensuring a company stays competitive.
Human skills are key to your future
Notice anything special about the top five skills? Human skills dominate.
If you zoom out to look at the top 10, you'll see even more human skills:
7. Dependability and attention to detail
8. Empathy and active listening
9. Leadership and social influence.
Only one tech-related skill — technological literacy — makes it into the top 10, while the ability to understand and work with AI and big data ranks down in 15th.
We're not surprised.
As Kate Freeman, Founder & CEO of Equity Hive, says, "AI and machine learning are bringing efficiencies beyond our imaginations. But they can't replace critical skills that enable business success that is so necessary. They can't read a room. They can't show empathy. They can't manage people to get the best out of them."
That's where human skills come in.
Human skills help you stand out to employers and thrive in your career - today, and into the future. They're the skills that help you adapt to new technologies and stay curious about ever-evolving trends in your field. The skills that fuel innovation, adaptability, creativity and happiness in the workplace and beyond.
Human skills are skills worth investing in.
And the best part? Developing your human skills is something you can start today. Simply download the Hodie app to future-proof your career, or explore our broader menu of Maxme Products & Programs for organisations and individuals alike.
Prefer to talk through your options? Simply contact us at any time.
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