Critical thinking essential in AI-driven workplace, business leaders say
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE — More than 90% of business leaders consider strong thinking skills crucial for hiring decisions and workplace growth, according to NTUC LearningHub’s Special Report 2024.
Nearly all leaders surveyed believe that thinking skills—such as problem-solving, critical, and analytical thinking—augment employees’ technical capabilities in the face of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).
Skills gap emerges despite high demand
The survey, conducted among 200 business leaders, found that 47% of respondents viewed thinking skills as “very important” and 49% as “somewhat important” when supplementing employees’ technical skill sets. The blending of these skills enables employees to assume higher-value roles and better navigate complexities posed by technological advancements, with 44% of leaders strongly agreeing and 52% somewhat agreeing on this point.
“In today’s fast-paced and tech-driven workplace, success hinges on the effective augmentation & application of technical expertise and thinking skills,” said Amos Tan, Chief Core Skills Officer at NTUC LearningHub.
“The interplay among these skills enables employees to tackle challenges, adapt to changes, and make calculated decisions, especially as technologies like AI become integral in the workplace”.
Training implementation lags behind need
Despite this high valuation, a skills gap exists, with 85% of leaders acknowledging deficiencies in their organizations’ thinking capabilities. However, only 43% of them have implemented employee training for thinking skills over the past year.
Leaders cited a lack of effective metrics to measure progress (41%) and inconsistent definitions of effective thinking skills (38%) as major barriers to training adoption.
Looking ahead, the future appears promising, with 78% of business leaders expressing their intention to invest in thinking skills training. More than half plan to implement such programs within the next six months, signaling a strong commitment to addressing this critical skills gap.
