A survey of 951 employers by recruiting company Hays found that 77 percent said communication skills are, and will continue to be, important to them. This was followed by adaptability (66 percent), digital proficiency in new technology relevant to an individual’s job (64 percent), innovation (63 percent) and critical thinking (61 percent).
Further down the list were emotional intelligence (53 percent), technical skills (43 percent), self-learning (40 percent), data-based decision making (35 percent) and coding (6 percent).
Jason Walker, managing director of Hays in New Zealand, says in a media release that these are the skills employers value most and building these needs to be a top priority for today’s professionals.
“As well as keeping up with the technical know-how relevant to your specific job, employers are looking to see evidence candidates can solve new problems and work with peers to exchange knowledge and ideas,” he said.
“That’s why it makes sense that communication and adaptability are at the top of the list. As technology drives more of our work tasks, employers look to their people to make gains through the way they engage and build relationships both internally and externally as well as how they collaborate and communicate to solve constantly evolving challenges and problems.
“It’s human nature to find change uncomfortable but to survive and thrive in the workforce of today and tomorrow we must not only learn to adapt to constant change but exploit it to build our careers,” he said.
