Organizations prioritize empathy, flexibility, tenacity and friendliness over a narrow focus on technical expertise. (Representative image)
While empathy, followership, curiosity, and drive were not listed as top traits for any region, they were cited as critical strengths
With the rapid pace of change, companies continue to see their growth and innovation hampered by skills gaps as leaders find it increasingly difficult to source and develop talent for emerging roles, particularly in IT and technology, according to a new report.
SHL, a global talent management company, has released Skills of the Future and Where to Find Them, a comprehensive analysis of workplace skills. The findings highlight the increasing importance of behavioral or “soft skills” over technical skills to meet the changing demands of organizations.
Organizations prioritize empathy, flexibility, tenacity and friendliness over a narrow focus on technical expertise, the study found.
“Accelerating skills-based recruiting and talent management programs are critical to driving growth as we enter the golden age of AI,” said Andy Nelesen, solutions group leader at SHL.
The report said that with the rise of automation and robotics and the distributed workforce, leaders must leverage skills that enable creative and innovative thinking to remain competitive and take advantage of the tremendous opportunities presented by the new technology.
Skills vary by geography and industry
The study shows that each region showed a unique profile of strengths, with ‘Optimism’, ‘Integrity’ and ‘Generosity’ as the most important ‘Strength skills’ for different regions.
Across India, ‘Teamwork’, ‘Generosity’ and ‘Optimism’ are prevalent, compared to ‘Integrity’, ‘Generosity’ and ‘Ethics’ in Asia. Europeans excel in ‘Flexibility’, ‘Communication’ and ‘Friendliness’, while North Americans show ‘Tenacity’ and strong ‘Time Management’ skills.
Although ‘Empathy’, ‘Follow’, ‘Curiosity’ and ‘Enthusiasm’ were not on the list of key attributes for any region, they were cited as critical strengths within industries.
For example, “Drive” abounds in manufacturing, banking, and finance, and “Empathy” in retail and healthcare. Tapping into shared “Power Skills” across industries could give recruiters a new approach when they struggle to fill vacancies, the study said.
Cameron Beazley, Scientific Director at SHL adds: “Our analysis also shows the rise of ‘Power Skills’ over time, with people scoring higher on ‘Tenacity’, ‘Friendliness’ and ‘Time Management’ between 2021 and 2023 ‘. Armed with these powerful insights, organizations will better understand their workforce to build a scalable skills strategy that can unlock potential and identify untapped skills.”
