The skills that employers want in the modern workplace

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) recently undertook research with students, employers and universities to find out more about employability skills for the current world of work. Employability skills are those core behaviours and skills that make a real difference when you’re applying for and progressing in a job. Over and above the technical requirements of the role, these are the attributes that employers want to see.

More on these in a minute.

What else will you need to succeed?

CMI’s latest thought leadership report, Work-ready Graduates: Building Employability Skills for a Hybrid World, highlights the importance of employers and educational institutions connecting to equip students with the employability skills required for the world of work:

• According to the research, nearly 80% of employers believe that current graduates do not arrive fully equipped with the skills they need to be work-ready.
• The report also finds that employers are increasingly looking for skills that support working in a hybrid environment.

Okay, back to the skills you’ll need

It’s a weird job market right now. There are lots of opportunities out there, but many graduates find themselves doing jobs that are medium or low-skilled.

This is where employability skills come in. These are the behaviours and skills that make you more likely to gain high-skilled employment and be successful there. So if you want to increase your chances of success in work, we recommend that you focus on developing these skills – and be sure to tell your future or current employer that you’ve got capabilities in the following areas:

• Team-working
• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Communication
• Self-management
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Initiative and self-direction
• Digital skills
• Resilience
• Emotional intelligence
• Innovation and creativity
• Entrepreneurial skills.

Of these, the top three skills that employers say are critical to employability, and where students most need training, are: team-working (58% of employers said this); critical thinking and problem-solving (54%); and communication (52%). So bear these in mind when you’re doing any personal development – and, again, let interviewers know about any experiences that have helped you develop these skills. That time when you got past a road bump in a project – that’s how you built problem-solving skills. That college task that you achieved as a group – that’s evidence of team-working. Don’t be shy about highlighting them!