In the age of artificial intelligence, “the most valuable professionals will be those who can combine AI capabilities with distinctly human strengths,” according to a report released June 25 by the Graduate Management Admission Council.
According to the 600 global recruiters surveyed by GMAC, employers anticipate that AI tool-related skills and strategic thinking will be the most important skills for business school graduates in the next five years — but many professionals struggle to demonstrate capabilities in these areas.
Recruiters reported “notable shortages” in skills related to AI capabilities, grit, emotional intelligence and managing workers. Professionalism may also be lacking in recent business school grads, per the report.
Communication skills shot up to the top spot in most important skills in 2026, the results showed, moving from third place the year before — indicating that the push to use AI tools has also emphasized the importance of strong communicators.
But Generation Z and younger millennials may lack the soft skills required for such success, recent research from Cangrade revealed. While they tend to be strong communicators, per Cangrade, critical thinking skills, attention to detail and problem solving all tended to be lacking.
That said, basic data literacy has become nearly as important to work as the ability to write, according to a report from DataCamp released earlier this year — speaking to GMAC’s finding that a combination of AI and soft skills will be required in the coming years.
