Dive Brief:
- "Management" topped the list of the most in-demand skills at Fortune 500 companies, according to a study by Emsi, economic data advisors to higher-education and business leaders. Emsi pulled data from online job postings to figure out which skills were most mentioned and then compared each list with those from the top 10 companies in the five-year study.
- Following management were communications, leadership, operations and customer service. Emsi noted that management is a broad category that includes managing people, products and projects, financial resources, operations and other areas.
- Nearly all the skills were in the "soft skills" category, which Emsi said shouldn't be discounted because they're perennial, valuable and transferable.
Dive Insight:
In a tech-central work environment, soft skills are still in demand. Soft skills, in fact, were identified in LinkedIn's 2018 Workplace Learning Report as employers' top training priority for this year. While technical skills will change as technology advances, soft skills like leadership, problem-solving, camaraderie and customer service are essential basics that will remain important, especially in today's team-oriented workplaces.
Employers reportedly have difficulty finding workers who can take initiative, problem solve, communicate clearly and get along with coworkers — traits that make it possible for technical skills and knowledge to be effective. And as with most hard-to-find skills, employers may need to make soft skill development part of their training programs.
Luckily, employees are increasingly demanding development opportunities as part of their benefits. Leadership training and the like could all fit the bill and encourage entry-level workers to pursue advancement at their current employer, rather than jumping ship to find a new opportunity.