How to Fill the Most In-Demand Skills

According to ManpowerGroup research, the most in-demand skills in the world currently include sales representatives, project managers, information technology professionals, office support and financial analysts, among others. Yet these roles are different to how they looked a decade ago and continue to change, requiring new skills and training. Here’s how to find – and stay relevant – in these roles and fill the in-demand skills of today and tomorrow.

Test the market

According to a survey of employers, the single biggest driver of the talent shortage is simply a lack of applicants. For employees, this is a signal to test the market and apply for jobs even if you are content in your current role. Given the demand for talent, employers are more willing to a pay a premium to hire. But first you have to apply.

Acquire necessary training

Nearly a fifth (19%) of those employers surveyed said that those who apply lack the hard skills they need to fill a role. The reality in today’s fast moving economy is that employees need ongoing training, which could be online tutorials, short courses or other certification programs. Learnability is a key differentiator to keep hard skills relevant.

Don’t neglect soft skills

Hard skills are currently in higher demand, but soft skills will pay off in the long run. About 1 in 10 of employers surveyed blamed a lack of soft skills for driving their talent shortage. The ability to project manage, relate to colleagues, speak in public and other human skills will be consistently relevant over time. Remember to nurture and develop these soft skills.

Look in-house

Employers may not need to look very far to find training. In response to shortages, employers are responding to the talent shortage by providing training to employees. This year, more than half (54%) of employers are investing in learning platforms and development tools to build their talent pipeline, up from just 20% in 2014.

In the digital age, employment will rely on skills development as even the most traditional roles are augmented with new technology. Savvy employees will continue to observe what roles are in high demand, and then make plans to target them.