People Management

Top Skills Employers Are Looking For

May 12, 2022 | By Jenna van Schoor
Top Skills Employers Are Looking For - Global SACAP

Employers are looking to hire candidates with various skills fit for the constantly evolving workplace. Aside from specific qualifications and working experience that might be required for a role, there are particular skills that employers look for when it comes to all new hires.

Hybrid working models are becoming more commonplace. This means soft skills are becoming increasingly important. So much so, that they would be better called essential skills. In a distributed team, skills like communication and teamwork, for example, are essential in a rapidly changing work environment.

With insight from recent interviews and surveys, this post explores some of the top skills employers are looking for.

1. Communication

Communication is one of the essential skills to have on your CV, especially when working remotely. According to a recent article on CNBC Make It, called “The top 3 skills employers are looking for in 2022, according to career experts”, the rise in remote and hybrid work means communication skills are even more critical. Examples include the importance of empathy in working in a team and the ability to resolve conflicts.

This relates to other core competencies, like emotional intelligence. It’s difficult to define and measure, like other soft skills, but it’s crucial in a remote working environment where miscommunication can be rife. Therefore, communicating effectively and understanding human behaviour is a valuable skill.

2. Teamwork

According to Zety, an online resume builder, survey results showed that teamwork is one of the most in-demand skills in 2022. In addition to communication and emotional intelligence skills, being able to work well with others is a critical need in the workplace. According to Zety’s article “Top Skills Employers Look for in 2022”, it’s also something that isn’t that easy to find.

Perhaps in a world that mainly communicates via text, video call, collaborative software and emails, it’s becoming more challenging to collaborate, even with all the digital tools available. This makes teamwork and leadership skills even more desirable to have on your CV.

3. Problem-solving

Once again, problem solving skills tie into the ones we’ve already discussed. This is because resolving problems in the workplace, requires communication and the ability to work in a team.

Problem-solving involves many skills, but empathy and seeing things from a multiple perspectives certainly helps. The ability to discuss ideas and approach a problem from different angles also involves various hard skills such as languages and industry-relevant know-how. Still, it takes soft skills to communicate these ideas and chart a way forward.

Creativity, decision-making, and leadership also come into play here. Many problems that need to be solved need fresh thinking and leaders who can take the process from one step to another, while collaborating effectively with others.

4. Stress management

Dealing with stress, especially in an unpredictable world, is one of the top skills employers are looking for. This is something that everyone in the world can relate to, as stress comes in many forms and can impact many spheres of life. Many learn to deal with stress through constructive outlets like exercise, meditation and proper sleep. But skills like organisation and time management also help.

External factors cause many stressful situations in life and the workplace, but if you manage your internal perspective on matters, are organised and manage your time well, there can be fewer reasons to be stressed. People deal with tension differently, so understanding human behaviour and effective management practices can go a long way to ensuring a fulfilling career, despite unpredictable external influences.

As with any of the above skills, learning how to manage stress takes time and practice and guidance from experts in the field.

Learn the skills employers are looking for at SACAP Global

Soft skills are a requirement in the workplace. Learn many of these by completing a specialised short online with SACAP Global. Focus on contemporary topics within Applied Psychology, Business Management, Communication, Coaching and People Management.

SACAP Global’s range of flexible short courses include:

  • Intro to Human Behaviour
  • Factors Influencing Human Behaviour
  • Effective Interpersonal Communication
  • Advanced Interpersonal Communication
  • Managing and Motivating People
  • Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent
  • Intro to Management and Leadership
  • Understanding a Business Environment
  • Coaching Skills for Managers

While you can learn specific soft skills through trial and error, our courses provide the theoretical and practical knowledge which enable you to apply these critical skills in the workplace. All our short courses are hosted on the OpenLearning platform, which allows you to communicate and collaborate with peers and course facilitators via an interactive online interface.

To find out more, browse our list of available courses, and contact us if you need any more information.

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