Most In-demand Skills of 2020

Time to Reskill:
Find out the top hard and soft skills  needed to succeed in this new world…

It is 2020 and we are facing significant changes in the world of work, brought about by the pandemic and advances in digital, physical and biological technologies.

As our company moves toward accomplishing its strategic goals, it raises the question, “What skills do we need most in order to succeed in this brave new world?”. I believe it is about time we update and upgrade our skills set.

To get a wider and more reliable perspective, I have combined the survey reports made by leading local and international research institutions, identifying the skills that companies need in 2020. These highly-sought-after skills were determined by looking at skills that are in high demand relative to their supply. They are categorized into hard skills and soft skills, briefly described as follows:

Hard skills are technical knowledge or abilities that you have gained through any life experience, including your career or education. They are often easier to define and measure than soft skills.

Soft skills are personal habits and traits that shape how you work, on your own and with others. They’re typically more difficult to measure.

Both types of skills are necessary to successfully perform and advance in most jobs.  So, let’s take a look at the list of the most in-demand skills for 2020 in order of priority.

The Top 6 Soft Skills are:

1. Creativity

This is the most desirable soft skill and the number one ingredient to disrupting business and creating new models.

As the World Economic Forum senior writer, Alex Gray explains, “With the avalanche of new products, new technologies and new ways of working, employees are going to have to become more creative in order to benefit from these changes.”

“Robots may help us get to where we want to be faster, but they can’t be as creative as humans (yet).”

2. Complex Problem-Solving

It is defined as the capacity to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real world settings.

Complex Problem-Solving is about being able to see the big picture, zero in on minute details, and move things around to make a difference. It involves the use of logic and reasoning to solve an issue. According to some studies, problem-solving skills can be improved by playing a lot of video games!

3. Persuasion

This is the ability to communicate effectively and sell a concept or product. It is key for ambitious startups, small to midsize, and larger businesses. Even people in purely technical occupations will soon be expected to show greater interpersonal skills, and being able to negotiate with peers, managers, clients and teams.

4. Collaboration

This is the skill that lets individuals accomplish more when they are a part of high-functioning teams. It involves strong communication skills, an awareness of other people’s strengths and weaknesses, and being able to work with a range of different personalities.

Collaboration is crucial in any work environment and this is something that humans are still better at than robots.

5. Emotional intelligence

This involves the ability to perceive, evaluate, and respond to your emotions and the emotions of others. Emotional intelligence is particularly important for managers, and involves cultivating empathy and human understanding.

Everyone has some level of EQ and it can be enhanced by embracing criticism as a learning opportunity and exploring the “why” in every situation.

6. People management

Regardless of how many jobs get automated and how advanced artificial intelligence becomes, employees will always be a company’s greatest asset. Managers and team leaders must know how to motivate their teams, maximize their productivity and respond to their needs.

The Top 6 Hard Skills are:

1. Blockchain

Blockchain has topped the list of skills that companies are looking for in employees around the world this year, according to professional social media platform LinkedIn.

This record-keeping technology first emerged in 2009 to support the use of cryptocurrency. But blockchain’s novel way to store, validate, authorize, and move data across the internet has evolved to securely store and send any digital asset. The small supply of professionals who have this skill are in high demand.

2. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing came in second place, which is the technology that allows data to be stored and managed on the internet. People working in this area would be developing the architecture, design and delivery of cloud systems.

3. Analytical Reasoning
Data has become the foundation of every single business. Companies seek for talent who can make sense of it and uncover insights that drive the best decisions for the business.

4. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI), which is the technology that develops machine-learning, is the fourth most in-demand hard skill for employers.

Artificial intelligence (AI) augments the capabilities of the human workforce. The people who can harness the power of AI, machine learning, and natural language processing are the ones who will help organizations deliver more relevant, personalized, and innovative products and services.

5. UX Design

Fifth on the list is UX design, the focus on users’ experience of products, particularly technology.
It seems like the average attention span of consumers decreases every year and they have little patience for products that are not intuitive. Organizations need more expertise to help them build more human-centric products and experiences.

6. Business Analysis

Business analysis is one of the few hard skills every professional should have, as most roles require some level of business analysis to make decisions.

Getting insight into what companies need today, I hope you will invest time, money and effort cultivating your soft and hard skills to excel in your respective career.

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