Top 10 skills employers will value in 2020

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

What qualities need to be developed in order not to be left without work in the future.

According to The Future of Jobs of the World Economic Forum, more than a third of the skills that employers will appreciate in 2020 were not considered very important back in 2015. The reason for this reorientation is the speed of technology development.

However, experts believe that robots will not completely replace existing professions, but will only take on some of the automated tasks. People, on the other hand, in order to continue to cheerfully move up the career ladder, will have to develop more human in themselves.

So, here are the skills you need to upgrade by 2020.

1. Complex problem solving

This skill makes a professional not just a link in a chain of colleagues, a cog in a car. It allows you to detect a problem, identify its source, and understand what the consequences of an incident may be. And most importantly, a specialist with this ability can predict what potential troubles await the project and prevent them. According to experts, in 2020, the ability to comprehensively solve problems will be required for 36% of jobs.

2. Critical thinking

Technologies are improving. In 2018, artificial intelligence surpassed Alibaba and Microsoft AI beat human scores on the Stanford reading test for the first time in the Stanford Reading and Reading Comprehension Test. However, the growing capabilities of robotics only increase the need for people who can think critically. It is up to the individual to assess how optimally and ethically the technology is used and how to calibrate it so that it is useful.

3. Creativity

And again news from the world of achievements of artificial intelligence: Microsoft's development has learned Microsoft AI can draw objects based on detailed text descriptions to draw pictures based on a text technical assignment. Obviously, this is just the beginning, so the need for simple performers is decreasing. But employers will be extremely interested in creative people who will generate ideas and approach tasks outside the box. This is also evidenced by the results of foreign economic activity polls: in 2015, creativity was only tenth in the ranking of demanded skills.

4. Ability to manage people

It is important not only the ability to coordinate company employees and set tasks, but also the methods by which a person does it. In the future, employers need leaders who are able to motivate people, develop their talents, and create effective teams. This requires vivid human qualities that robots cannot reach in the near future: charisma, charm and empathy.

5. Interaction with people

This point only underlines the general trend in the importance of social skills in the future. The sore point from the resume "teamwork" will become critical. Adapting to new acquaintances, negotiating, cooperating, showing appropriate care, not shifting responsibility from yourself to a friend - all this will have to be learned if you want to be successful.

6. Emotional intelligence

The ability of a person to recognize emotions, motives of others and react to them correctly, according to Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence scientists, was key for survival in prehistoric times, as it allowed him to get along with fellow tribesmen. Humans left the caves a long time ago, but emotional intelligence is still considered the main skill for successfully functioning in society. A competent response to a person's reaction will help to establish relationships not only within the team, but also with customers and competitors. Yes, and outside of work will come in handy.

7. Ability to analyze and make decisions

There are more channels for obtaining information, so the value of the employee increases, who can systematize, analyze the received data, and then, on their basis, make the best decision for the company. At the same time, the speed with which a specialist draws conclusions will be one of the key criteria for assessing this skill.

8. Customer focus

The skill of actively searching for ways to help someone is still in demand in the service sector, where most often people interact with each other. However, the desire to help others will be necessary within the team as well, if it will benefit the whole team.

9. Negotiation skill

The ability to settle differences, offer compromises, bring negotiators to a common point of view, it is assumed, will be especially in demand in the computer and mathematical fields, as well as in the fields of art and design.

10. Flexibility of thinking

A specialist will have to learn to think over several ideas at once, go not in an obvious way, but in the most optimal way, introduce new information and technologies into the workflow. When communicating with people, the opportunity to comprehend everything said by the interlocutor and adjust the line of behavior depending on his personality will be appreciated.

The skills are arranged in the order in which, according to experts, they will be in demand from employers.

In the 2015 ranking, company leaders also ranked complex problem solving as the top priority. The skill of interacting with people was in second place, the ability to manage people - in third, critical thinking - in fourth, negotiation skill - in fifth, customer focus - in seventh, the ability to analyze and make decisions - in ninth, and creativity - in tenth.

Instead of emotional intelligence and flexible thinking, quality control and listening were among the most requested skills.