With the U.S. jobs marketplace in an ever-evolving state, companies continue to seek out talent that meets their skills needs for today and in the future. However, a recent survey conducted by Reputation Leaders and sponsored by DeVry University found that employers and workers think and talk about skills differently. While the way skills are considered and described may be different, there is unacknowledged common ground among the skill sets both groups say they prioritize. Specifically, to get ahead in a complex global economy, U.S. employers say they need more soft skills from workers, while workers voice a need for hard skills and credentials. These priorities are not mutually exclusive – they act in harmony, with many hard skills catalyzing soft skills, and vice versa.

This apparent disconnect in communication on skills could result in a lack of reciprocal investment from employers and workers in upskilling. As a result, HR leaders need to accommodate skills needs for both their organization and employees and communicate commonalities to build understanding.

Skills workers value

DeVry’s report, Closing the Activation Gap: Converting Potential to Performance by Upskilling the Workforce, found that the skills workers value are hard skills and credentials such as those in data analytics, AI and software engineering/coding, digital marketing and advanced business degrees. This matches corporate America’s focus on digital transformation and employee interest in embedding technology like AI and machine learning into their work.

In addition, freelancing platform Upwork recently reported that AI-related work was the fastest-growing category of job listings in the first half of 2023, so workers are correct to assume the need for technology-focused skills will be important. For many employers, more concrete and technical skills may only be viewed as beneficial for the short term given how rapidly technology continues to advance, but these skills also have long-term benefits for companies as they seek to play a role in ongoing digital transformation.

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