Hiring managers prioritises adaptability over technical skills – Report

Employers are increasingly placing greater value on workers who can adapt quickly to change than on those with purely technical expertise, according to a new global workplace skills study that highlights the growing impact of artificial intelligence and automation on hiring priorities.

The report, released in May by dental talent marketplace GoTu, noted that resilience, flexibility and agility are now the most sought-after professional attributes in the labour market, surpassing even specialised technology skills in overall employer demand.

About 67 per cent of employers surveyed identified adaptability-related skills as essential to their workforce, while between 35 per cent and 38 per cent of job postings now explicitly mention flexibility and agility as core requirements.

The study comes as companies across industries grapple with rapid technological shifts, AI adoption and evolving workplace structures that are forcing organisations to rethink how they recruit and retain talent.

While artificial intelligence capabilities remain one of the fastest-growing skills categories globally, the research suggests employers are prioritising workers who can continuously learn and adjust over those with static technical expertise.

“The skills workers had used to stay relevant for their entire careers,” said Thalia Diedrick, Vice President of Marketing at GoTu, “are changing much faster now.

“The World Economic Forum projects that 44 per cent of worker skills will be disrupted by 2030; that’s just four years away. What that means practically is that companies can no longer hire for what someone knows today. They’re hiring for how fast someone can learn tomorrow,” she added.

The report examined more than 20 professional competencies and ranked them based on three factors: the percentage of employers that consider the skill essential, how frequently the skill appears in job advertisements, and projected growth in demand between 2025 and 2030.

Adaptability emerged as the top-ranked capability overall, with a demand score of 61.3 out of 100. Analysts said the trend reflects the growing uncertainty facing businesses globally as automation, AI and economic disruptions reshape traditional work structures.

Analytical thinking ranked second among the most in-demand workplace skills. Nearly 69 per cent of employers described analytical capabilities as critical, while the skill appeared in almost half of all job postings that were surveyed.

Researchers said companies are increasingly seeking employees who can interpret data, solve complex problems and make strategic decisions in increasingly digital environments.

Artificial intelligence and big data skills placed third overall but showed the strongest projected future growth. The study estimated that demand for workers with AI-related knowledge could rise by 88 per cent by 2030.

Around 45 per cent of hiring managers said they already require employees familiar with AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini, while AI-related competencies now appear in roughly 30 per cent of job postings.

The findings underscore how AI is becoming embedded across industries beyond technology, including healthcare, finance, education and manufacturing.

Creative thinking ranked fourth on the list, reflecting employer demand for innovation and problem-solving capabilities that are harder to automate.

Technological literacy completed the top five skills employers are prioritising in 2026. More than half of employers surveyed said basic digital proficiency is now a standard workplace expectation, with technological literacy appearing in over 40 per cent of job advertisements.

The report also identified growing demand for leadership, social influence, curiosity, lifelong learning, empathy, active listening and talent management.

By contrast, multilingual capabilities appear to be declining in relative importance. Researchers noted that fewer employers now specifically seek multilingual applicants, suggesting businesses may be relying more heavily on translation technologies and global digital communication tools.

Labour market analysts say the findings reflect a broader shift in hiring philosophy, particularly as AI increasingly automates repetitive technical tasks.

Companies are now focusing more heavily on transferable human skills such as adaptability, communication and creativity, capabilities considered more difficult for machines to replicate.

The study adds to a growing body of research warning that workers who fail to continuously update their skills risk being displaced in a rapidly evolving labour market.

Industry experts say the shift could have significant implications for education systems, workforce training programmes and professional development strategies globally, especially in emerging markets where digital transformation is accelerating.

For younger workers entering the labour market, the findings suggest career resilience may depend less on mastering a single technical discipline and more on developing the ability to learn, adapt and collaborate across changing technological environments.