Tech Skills And Soft Skills: What Workplaces Should Prioritise In 2023

Tech Skills And Soft Skills: What Workplaces Should Prioritise In the year 2023

In today's employment market, employees expect good-quality learning and development opportunities along with technical skills in their workplace. This article explains the tech skills and soft skills that workplaces should prioritise in 2023.

Adare Human Resource Management's most recent HR Barometer report examined L&D programmes in the context of retention, recruitment, and talent acquisition – all of which are expected to be top priorities for businesses in 2023.

According to the report's authors, companies should evaluate their L&D programmes regularly to ensure they are fit for purpose. (This assumes that most employers have L&D programmes in the first place).

Employers can be picky about how much time and money they put into upskilling their employees. Many businesses regard their L&D programmes as an investment with the results – upskilled, confident employees – serving as the return on investment.

When put that way, it's a no-brainer for employers to assist employees in achieving their career development objectives through useful, relevant L&D programmes.

The European Commission has designated 2023 as the European Year of Skills, so there will be a renewed emphasis on skills across Europe.

Given the ongoing skills shortages in areas such as cybersecurity, tech skills are almost certainly going to be a part of this campaign.

So, what are some of the skills that employers and employees may prioritise in the coming months?

Tech Literacy for All Workers

Employers both nationally and internationally will most likely be eager to implement tech literacy for all workers.

Increasing innovation in science and technology requires a basic understanding of technology in all sectors.

"Business leaders must recognise the need to develop a digital mindset throughout their organisations," says Paul Milloy, a business consultant at software company Intradiem.

The demand for manual and physical skills, as well as basic cognitive abilities, appears to be declining, while the demand for technological, social and emotional, and higher cognitive abilities appears to be increasing.

Skills In the Cloud, Coding, And Cybersecurity

According to Kelvin Ong, chief of staff at e-learning platform Microverse, the number of people seeking cloud skills will increase significantly in 2022.

"From working with hundreds of employers around the world, we've discovered that they're increasingly looking for professionals who understand it."

"Also, while there are plenty of new shiny technologies, the good old ones — like Python, Java, and Ruby — will remain the most relevant," he said, referring to the most popular coding languages for the coming year.

"JavaScript-based frameworks such as React, Vue, Node, and Angular will also be in demand," Ong concluded.

Raj Samani, SVP of cybersecurity firm Rapid7, emphasised the importance of cybersecurity skills for employees. He believes that executives are not doing enough to train employees, leaving businesses vulnerable to cyberattacks.

By 2023, organisations must recognise the importance of investing in opportunities for individuals to learn, train, and understand. Organizations are requesting more specialised skill sets; therefore, the industry as a whole must commit to nurturing top talent," he said.

Flexible Working Requires Soft Skills.

Of course, employers will be looking for more than just technical skills; those are useless without soft skills like communication and adaptability to back them up.

With flexible and hybrid working models, the ideal combination of soft skills and technical skills will be more in demand than ever.

Remote workers must be able to communicate effectively with their coworkers using technology. Based on his experience with Microverse, Ong predicts that remote hiring will increase in the coming years, creating opportunities for those with the necessary skills.

"It is critical that people understand written communication, low-context communication, and asynchronous communication. We must also consider how we can use the tools at our disposal, such as digital calendars and task management solutions, as part of our communication strategies."