Employers prioritize human skills over technical expertise in hiring
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS — The modern job market is undergoing a quiet revolution, with employers now valuing “soft skills” more than ever.
According to a report from TestGorilla, 60% of employers say human-centric skills are more important today than five years ago, with 78% admitting they’ve hired technically skilled candidates who underperformed due to poor interpersonal abilities.
Why human skills are gaining priority in recruitment
In an interview with CNBC, LinkedIn career expert Andrew McCaskill says that calling these skills “soft” abridges their significance.
“We do the skills a disservice by calling them ‘soft’ skills. These human-centric skills are really game changers as it relates to how we think about the skills you’re going to need and work on a regular basis,” said McCaskill.
Seven of the ten emerging high-demand skills on LinkedIn are human-focused, he mentioned, such as customer engagement and support, conflict mitigation, adaptability, and innovative thinking.
Lisa Schmeiser wrote in her published article in No Jitter that, according to TestGorilla, the cost of neglecting these skills is high—75% of employers reported hiring failures due to weak interpersonal abilities.
Unlike technical skills, which can be standardized, human-centric skills require presence and contextual awareness, making them harder to automate.
Yet, as workplace platforms evolve, even these competencies may eventually be systematized, forcing workers to adapt yet again.
Balancing AI literacy and human skills in the workplace
Although emotional intelligence will always retain its importance, the most demanded skill now is AI literacy, signifying the increased demand for workers capable of mediating between human and machine interaction.
LinkedIn News emphasizes the importance of solution-based selling, the creation of LLMs, and process optimization as one of the relevant hybrid skills, which contains not only technical expertise but also the ability to personalize.
Employers would prefer candidates who can effectively utilize AI tools while also being accommodating to customers and stakeholders.
But McCaskill cautions against overdependence because of automation. He pointed out that AI cannot imitate creative problem-solving, as well as public speaking, easily.
The issue lying before workers is to maintain a healthy balance concerning human flexibility and technological expertise, which will come to characterize professional achievement in the forthcoming decade.
As hiring trends evolve, one thing is clear—the future belongs to those who can think like both humans and machines.
