Skill Gap 2020: 5 Soft Skills And 10 Hard Skills Companies Need Now

What are the most critical soft and hard skills that organizations are hiring for and training for in 2020?

In the recently released LinkedIn Learning 2020 Workplace Learning Report, LinkedIn analyzed data from 660+ million professionals and 20+ million jobs to map the 15 most in-demand skills. More specifically, they looked at the skills that are in demand relative to the supply of people who have those skills—in other words, the skill gap.

The top soft skills identified were:

1. Creativity: how to generate original ideas and solutions.
2. Persuasion: convincing others to support your ideas, buy your solutions, or to take action.
3. Collaboration: Able to work on a team and unlock synergies towards a common goal.
4. Adaptability: thriving in change and uncertainty.
5. Emotional intelligence: able to perceive and understand the emotions of yourself and others and to modulate your own natural emotions.

What got dropped from last year’s list? More tactical skills like time management, although it’s worth noting that this research was done prior to the global pandemic.

The top hard skills are:

1. Blockchain: a novel way to securely store, validate, authorize, and move digital assets across the internet.
2. Cloud computing: design, delivery, and maintenance of cloud architecture on platforms like AWS and Azure.
3. Analytical reasoning: able to understand data and generate conclusions based on the analysis.
4. Artificial intelligence: embodying AI, machine learning, and natural language processing.
5. UX design: conducting research and designing software and other products to maximize the “user experience”
6. Business analysis: able to work with data for analysis, problem-solving, and presentations.
7. Affiliate marketing: the hottest new hard skill is about marketing through others’ trusted channels.
8. Sales: perhaps both a hard skill and a soft skill as sales involves persuasion, but for a specific commercial end in mind.
9. Scientific computing: able to apply statistical and analytical approaches to large data sets using programs like Python, and MATLAB.
10. Video production: mobile video is quickly becoming the dominant form of all communication and companies are fighting to create effective digital video assets.

Most notable on the list of hard skills was blockchain technology which is both brand new to the top ten list and lands in the number one position.

Whether you are looking to advance your career, or you’re a learning and development professional seeking to fill your company’s skill gaps, these lists are a great way to conduct an informal audit and begin to skill up in the area of your gaps.

SOURCE: Forbes.com