Can You Guess Which Employee Skill 50% of Learning and Development (L&D) Leaders Say Is in Highest Demand? Discover the Answer in Our Trends Report

Learning Professionals: You are not alone. You may think that your struggles are unique to you, your role, or your organization, but as our latest report, Current Trends In Learning and Development & Learning Experience Design , reveals, your learning and development peers are experiencing those same challenges (and opportunities) right alongside you.?

To compile our report, we surveyed both learning and development professionals and leaders and asked them to share their observations and challenges as they relate to employee skills, content development, learning experience design, organizational strategy, where the industry is heading, and preparing for the future.?

The survey included multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Many results aligned with what we already hear from our client-partners, while others surprised us.

Here, we’ve distilled a few takeaways from the first section of the Trends Report (starting on page 7), which examines the top employee skills in demand in organizations today. And specifically the challenges and opportunities (which we’ve nicknamed “challenge-tunities”) for employee upskilling, reskilling, and skills-based talent management. You’ll also find the most important employee skills needed to support change in your organization. We invite you to leverage these findings to benefit yourself and your entire workforce.

The Most In-Demand Employee Skill

Organizations need to know what skills their employees have, which ones they need, and how to teach employees to apply those skills on the job. Why? Understanding what skills your people have and what skills they need to acquire should be a critical part of your talent development and recruiting strategy, helping your organization succeed now and prepare for the future. And, we’ve seen that offering growth and development opportunities are essential for retaining your best people and increasing employee engagement (as shown in Section 2 of the report ).?

And it’s not just L&D departments that are recognizing the need to identify skill gaps; the C Suite is making them a priority, too. Seventy-four percent of CEOs are concerned about the availability of key employee skills, and 40% of workers will require up to six months of employee reskilling by 2025, according to the World Economic Forum.

So, we asked leaders in the industry, “What learning needs are becoming more important for your organization?”

The top answer? Agility and adaptability (by a sizable margin). Flip to page 8 of the report to see the full list of the most in-demand employee skills .?

Although it did not make it in the top 10 most in-demand skills, many of the open-ended answers also included the topic of resilience. See page 12 to learn more about how these skills tie together . Learning and development leaders also shared that problem-solving capabilities are needed more than ever. The versatility of these capabilities comes especially handy in times of uncertainty and change.

L&D Leaders Open Up About Employee Skills

The open-ended responses we received from learning and development leaders and professionals provided rich insight to the report’s stats. On the subject of the need to upskill employees on agility and adaptability, one learning and development leader shared: “While a vision may not change, strategy does change and we have to pivot more quickly every day.” (See page 8 of the report .)

Sound familiar? If you’re feeling like you’re constantly shifting from one priority to another, you’re not alone. That’s why building emotional skills is especially important for employees in an environment of constant pivots and “unknown unknowns.” It helps explain why we’re seeing agility and adaptability top the list of in-demand skills for employees. Developing this skill helps employees pivot without getting burned out.?

Another theme that emerged in the data and in the comments was around leadership skills and well-being. As one leader shared, “It’s the kind of leadership training that has changed—the focus is now on the mental health and wellness of others…” (See page 8 of the report ).

And yet another shared: “Every request to date is really about well-being: how may I and my team take better care of ourselves within an environment we can't control?” (See page 9 of the report ).

It’s clear that leadership trends have evolved along with everything else. And the demand for leaders with up-to-date skills is strong. As shown on page 8 of the report, leadership ranked third on the top 10 list of most in-demand skills (after analysis & reporting). Leaders are being asked to be more self-aware, introspective, and respectful of mental health, and to create an environment of psychological safety for themselves and the teams that they lead. We’re seeing that it’s vital to hone and develop emotional skills in every role.

Discover More Takeaways & L&D Trends

As the report reveals, learning and development professionals are part of a larger network that can—and should—continue to share challenges, learn from each other, upskill employees, and move the industry forward. In addition to revealing the employee skills that are in high demand, the report also helps you chart your organizational challenges/opportunities, improve your learning experience design practices, and gain insights into the future for L&D (metaverse, mentoring, and more).?

To remain agile and adaptable yourself, make sure you keep up with L&D trends and insights so you can pivot as needed. Discover more stats, quotes, and creative solutions to keep your employees engaged, learning, and thriving in our report, Current Trends In Learning and Development & Learning Experience Design .?

Your organization and your workforce will thank you for equipping them with the skills they need. And make sure you stay connected with us to continue the conversation and keep changing the world for the better through our craft.