Around 82% of business leaders believe that teams of robots and people will be a reality in the next five years.
Considering such context, soft skills will be more important than ever, as they will be the skills that set us apart from the automated world. Around 77% of employers think that these skills are more important than technological skills, as companies demand positive working environments, based on collaboration and respect.
For that reason, Udemy, the largest online training platform in the world, lists the 10 trending soft skills of 2018:
- Management training. Leadership and management have always been critical soft skills and remain among the most wanted by companies. Research has shown that good managers make a huge difference in terms of employees’ commitment and productivity. In fact, properly led companies result in 89% of employees being committed to the firm.
- Emotional intelligence: it is a key skills to build collaborative cultures in the working space. Employees con are sympathetic and have good communication skills have greater chances of success, particularly in areas such as sales, customer services or management.
- “Business writing”. Given the growing importance of e-mail and communication channels via social networks at work, having proper writing skills has been key for everyone. Precise and persuasive business writing is not a skills you usually develop at school.
- Concentration strategies. One out of four workers think that they are among the most distracted at work. Social networks, open offices, etc. are some of the reasons for a decrease in productivity levels, so it comes as no surprise to find this skill in the fourth place.
- Personal development. Working on aspects such as motivation or self-esteem also helps us at work, improving the working environment and productivity.
- Speaking in public. One of the most important skills for any professional career is delivering proper presentations. We must learn to connect with an audience and present speeches in a persuasive way.
- Negotiation. Working spaces are becoming increasingly collaborative, so negotiation is a key skills, as decisions are made based in consensus and not in the old management style of “top to bottom”.
- Stress management. Around 52% of employees feel more stressed than a year ago. Improving anxiety management and stress at work is particularly important in times of fast changing working environment.
- Customer service. A successful customer services department knows how to build real trust relationships. Skills such as sympathy or listening are basic to create strong relationships with customers at work.
- Interviewing skills. Regardless we sit on one side of the table or the other, improving these skills will help us to handle the way we carry out an interview or get a recruiter to accept have a meeting with us.
Source: The Economist