Top Career Skills Employees Need To Succeed This Year
Contrary to popular belief, data skills are not among the top three skills employers consider important.
- Companies have faced a serious shortage of skilled labor for the last three years.
- While people who quit or are being laid off are cracking interviews, do they have the technical skills their roles demand?
- Adobe Acrobat conducted a study to understand the top job skills required to succeed this year. It also analyzed what employers and employees think about important job skills and whether job postings reflect these required skills.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago, the business world has seen various trends, from the Great Resignation to the Great Layoff. One thing that has been common throughout this period is the lack of people with the required technical skills businesses are facing. Sure, many people who quit their jobs or were laid off find jobs elsewhere. But do they really have the technical skills required to rise to the role they have applied for?
Further, with the business landscape continuously changing, the required technical skills are continuously evolving. And this is making it challenging for companies to hire people with the required skills. Overall, there is a disconnect between what companies want and what candidates have to offer.
Adobe Acrobat analyzed various job postings across the top industries to understand the top job skills required by candidates this year. The team also conducted a survey to understand whether the job postings on job portals really match the skills required. The following are a few insights.
See more: AI and ML Emerge the Fastest Growing Skill in 2022
Employers Value Communication, Organization, and Problem-solving Skills the Most
While portals like LinkedIn and Glassdoor are littered with job postings, what are the most in-demand skills? The study found a significant discrepancy between what job posts mention as a required skill and the importance employers give that skill.
For example, 43% of job posts mentioned communication, while 34% mentioned data as the required skill. About 38% of posts also mentioned needing organizational skills. On the other hand, 93% of employers considered communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills as important or extremely important. Only 32% of business owners considered data-related skills important or extremely important. Similarly, only 8% of job postings mentioned problem-solving as a required skill.
On the other hand, employees and employers seem to more or less agree on certain skills as necessary. For example, while 93% of employers considered communication important, 94% of employees considered the same. While 32% of employers considered data important, 33% of employees considered the same. Similarly, while 88% of employers considered email an important skill, 81% of employees agreed. That said, employers and employees do differ significantly on certain skills. For example, while 33% of employers considered SEM an important skill, only 14% of employees considered it so.
The Skills That Matter the Most
Source: 2023 Adobe Digital Skills Study
Mismatch Exists Between Employees’ and Employers’ Opinions Regarding Training
Employees may sometimes want to excel in their roles but struggle to keep up with today’s technology. Or they may also feel unsupported by their employer. About 25% of employees didn’t feel comfortable asking their employer for more training on technical skills. In fact, 34% of employers even felt it wasn’t their responsibility to give their employees enough training on technical skills. Fortunately, 48% of employers believe they offer training on tech skills. Simple steps like allocating time every month and reallocating some budget to efficient tech tools can make employees feel less intimidated by new tech.
The same mismatch is seen regarding soft skills training. Only 52% of employers felt they provided enough training, while 31% thought it wasn’t their responsibility. On the other hand, 34% of employees felt they didn’t get enough access to soft skills training.
Outdated Technology Frustrates Employees the Most
Both employees and employers are frustrated about a few things concerning technology and skills.
For employees, outdated technology ranked as the top frustrating factor, followed by slow internet/computers, lack of training, and software/hardware bugs. Other frustrating factors include difficulty learning new software, the need to adapt to new technologies constantly, and inconsistent use of employees.
When it came to employers, the top frustrating factor was the lack of desire by employees to learn new skills and improve. Some even said older employees struggled with or refused to learn basic tech skills like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. This frustration was followed by laziness and a lack of initiative from the employees. Other frustrations included communication problems, overconfidence or unwillingness to adapt, and a lack of motivation from the employees’ side.
That said, many employees are spending their own time and money outside work to improve their tech skills. So, how exactly are employees improving their skills? While 67% watched how-to videos on certain skills, 56% took a free course. About 46% read skills help articles and books, and 43% experimented with different tech tools. On average, employees spend $618.55 annually to upskill themselves outside of work.
Many Employers Provide Training Sessions at Work
Given that almost half of the employers surveyed believe they help their employees develop tech skills, how exactly are they helping?
About 47% provided training sessions at work, while 35% provided employees access to training videos on tech tools. About 29% also set aside some time for personal development in a week or month. About 20% also invest money to offer paid skill certifications. On average, employers spend $2,743 for an employee on training resources.
See more: Different Geographies Should Focus on Distinct Skill Sets: Report
Communication and Organization Are Deemed Important by Entry-level Employees
As fresh graduates prepare to enter employment, what skills do they consider critical?
The study found that communication (91%), organization (87%), and problem-solving (85%) are considered the most important skills by entry-level employees. A few other skills they believe are important include adaptability (85%), personal time management (82%), and the ability to work within a team (75%).
And how accessible are these skills to them? About 69% of entry-level employees earn less than $50,000 per annum. At the same time, they spend about $110 a year outside work to improve their tech skills. While this is good news, there is a significant gap in many areas. For example, only 49% of entry-level employees felt confident in their communication skills, and 48% were confident in managing their time.
With inflation and a potential recession still being a threat, entry-level graduates should focus on the right skills. Simultaneously, employers should provide guidance to help employees succeed and grow.
Put Employees First
Given the significant gap between what employers consider critical and employees’ low level of expertise in these skills, how can employers tackle this challenge?
The solution is to put employees first. An organization cannot succeed if its employees don’t feel confident in their skills. Investing in at least basic technical and soft skills and supporting employees both inside and outside the organization to improve their skills makes them feel digitally connected, boosts their confidence in their ability to handle problems, and helps the organization succeed.
What steps have you taken to reduce the skill shortage in your organization? Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Image source: Shutterstock
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