The predictions are in! The top job-skills that will be most in demand by employers in 2025 have been identified by LinkedIn, Newman University, Harvard Continuing Education, World Economic Forum, and Seattle Corporate Search, amongst others.
Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of overlap in these lists. The following being the most common:
- Analytical/Critical/Creative Thinking,
- Communication,
- Customer Service, and
- Leadership/Management
Although the rankings differ, there are a number of skills that appear in nearly all of the lists above.
Communication skills and leadership have long been on employers’ talent wish lists, as have work ethic and professionalism. The priorities will undoubtedly change from employer-to-employer and region-to-region, depending upon specific jobs and industries, however, it’s obvious that soft skills are the most sought-after traits.
The World Economic Forum’s expanded list of desirable skills reveals a much more in-depth list of employer needs and desires.
According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends Report “69% of US executives say they plan to prioritize hiring candidates with soft skills [in 2025] (particularly transferrable skills that allow candidates to move nimbly across roles.”
These aren’t just lists of best-guesses either. Research has shown that “according to General Assembly’s report, the gap in entry-level skills has become more pronounced over the past five years, highlighting a noticeable decline in readiness. Only 48% of employees and just 12% of mid-level executives believe today’s entry-level workers are well-prepared for the current job market, [and] 49% of executives and 37% of employees point to a lack of soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.”
The takeaway from these findings is that the skills gap between employer desires and applicant abilities has existed for some time, and appears to be continuing to grow. Soft skills deficits are a recurring theme and are reputedly a consistent deficit amongst Gen Z in particular.
What does all of this mean for those who are recruiting in 2025?
Employers will need to be much more proactive when vetting their job applicants. They’ll need to confirm if the skills that are listed on resumes are actually present, and at what level of competence candidates possess them. The phrase “trust, but verify,” as attributed to former US President Ronald Regan, is applicable here.
Thankfully, There’s A Test For That!
There’s no need to simply take a candidate’s word or rely upon the contents of resumes alone. All of the skills and abilities listed above can be measured and tested for reliably, and accurately.
Employers can tap into a vast array of readily available, professionally-developed, validated, legal and affordable, skills, aptitude, and attitude tests to prove that applicants have what one is looking for. Nor are these just short 15-question ‘quizzes’ that merely provide a total score. These products generate detailed reports which specify exactly how competent an individual is across a range of measures and compare them to various groups based upon job role, industry, gender, age, educational status, etc.
If you’ve been struggling to find candidates with the skills that you need or have hired applicants who ended up being a disappointment, then there are ways to ensure that you don’t make the same mistakes twice. The links below will help you find the right solutions for your specific requirements.
- Analytical Skills
- Communication Skills
- Critical Thinking & Reasoning Skills
- Customer Service Skills
- Leadership Skills
- Management Skills
- Problem Solving Skills
- Teamwork Skills
- Technology/IT Skills
- Time Management Skills
- Sales Skills
- Soft Skills
- Writing Skills
Why just trust your gut when you can verify what you think you already know about a candidate?
There’s a test for that, so why not take advantage of one and improve the quality (and success) of your next hire?
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David Towler is President of Creative Organizational Design, a firm offering nearly 50 years of expertise specializing in employee assessments and has over 5000 different tests available. Creative Organizational Design has assessments designed to help employers screen out other people’s rejects, assess skills, aptitudes, attitudes, and ‘fit’ within an organization. For more information about the many options available and to obtain expert help in selecting the best tools for your needs please contact us because no matter what personnel challenges you’re facing – there’s a test for that! Please send comments about this article to dtowler@creativeorgdesign.com.