World Youth Skills Day: 52% believe soft skills are important for all roles

The report explores the most sought-after skills in 2024, the impact of AI on workplace expectations and what employers expect from today’s young people.

As part of the World Youth Skills Day initiatives, a survey report on employers’ expectations was launched.

The survey was conducted among business leaders and human resources professionals and included 1,156 respondents from over 30 industries. About 82% of them come from knowledge-based and service-based industries, such as IT, financial and banking services, consulting and technology, among others. The remaining 18% come from other sectors.

When asked what skills are most important, 40% of employers highlight technical skills related to the role. Soft skills come in second at 25%. When asked about AI and digital transformation, 30% of them indicated their significant impact on the skills required.

Soft skills are no longer just a nice-to-have, but have become universally important. A large majority of respondents, 52%, believe that soft skills are important for all positions. Only 8% believe that their importance varies depending on hierarchy or seniority.

Overall, 60% of employers consider AI skills to be important. Specifically, 35% consider them equally important and 25% consider them more important than formal degrees. In terms of learning preference, 49% of employers prefer self-directed learning to acquire AI skills, followed by on-the-job learning (30%).

Girish Rowjee, Co-Founder and CEO of greytHR, said: “Our findings show that today’s employers are not just looking for academic achievements. They need people who are ready to handle today’s fast-paced technology environment, who are quick learners and can adapt to rapid change.”

Overall, the findings highlight the need for a workforce that can adapt quickly to technological change and continually update its skills. The report also highlights a significant trend toward valuing practical and AI skills over traditional formal degrees, reflecting changing priorities in hiring practices. In addition, employers are looking for candidates who combine technical expertise with strong interpersonal skills and adaptability.