Next-gen talent: Unveiling the most in-demand skills for 2024

What are the skills that job seekers and employers should focus on developing to ensure success this year? LinkedIn is here to tell us the Most In-Demand Skills for 2024. These are top skills employers prioritized when recruiting, posting, and hiring for jobs on LinkedIn in the past year.?

It's vital to develop a skill set that not only suits the current market needs but also has the flexibility to adapt and change with technology. If you know about the half-life of skills, you can invest in continuous learning through upskilling and reskilling programs. Go beyond only focusing on technical skills or hard skills, and make a concerted effort to develop your soft skills.

Don’t forget to download the DevSkiller Report 2024: Skills Management and Assessment Insights here: [LINK]

A side-by-side comparison of LinkedIn’s Most In-Demand Skills 2023 vs. 2024?

First, let’s take a look back at LinkedIn ’s Most In-Demand Skills in 2023 to see what’s changed. Management topped the list last year indicating that companies were looking for talent to step up and effectively manage teams regardless of the work environment (virtual vs. stationary).?

Communication came in second, further supporting the idea that the ongoing hybrid work environment requires human connection and communication skills.

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This year communication topped the 2024 list, attributed not only to remote work environments but also to the increased use of AI and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), according to Forbes.?

Comparing the two lists, we see most of the skills are the same but their placement has shifted year-to-year. Marketing was on the list in 2023 and has been replaced by problem-solving this year. The 2024 list emphasizes both hard and soft skills, indicating the growing importance of mastering “people skills” in the workplace, especially in leadership positions.

Similarly, Coursera declares that leadership skills are ranking higher this year. This is in response to the changing macroeconomic conditions and the emergence of new technologies like AI. As a result, there has been a growing need for new leadership roles to effectively navigate these changes and drive growth in a highly competitive market.?

Coursera’s Job Skills of 2024 report breaks down the top skills needed for the business, data science, and tech industries. The report highlights hard skills like e-commerce, media strategy & planning, system security, search engine optimization, and customer success.

Coursera also includes a list of the fastest-growing AI skills. The market for AI solutions is set to explode, growing to $1.3 trillion over the next decade, according to Bloomberg. Upwork reported a 1000% increase in the number of generative AI job posts made in the first half of 2023.

LinkedIn’s Most In-Demand Skills 2024:

Now let’s break down LinkedIn’s Most in-Demand Skills 2024. These sought-after skills aren't just buzzwords; they're the key to success in today's rapidly evolving job market. The list focuses heavily on soft skills, and LinkedIn further explains these will likely remain the most durable as AI continues to revolutionize the workplace.

1. Communication

2. Customer service?

3. Leadership?

4. Project management

5. Management?

“Management is about measurable business outcomes and numbers, while leadership is about the people who create those results,” says LinkedIn Learning instructor Dave Labowitz .

6. Analytics

7. Teamwork

8. Sales

9. Problem-solving?

“It’s the people who understand how to collaborate with AI that will have a real advantage over the next few years,” says Dave Birss , a LinkedIn Learning instructor.

10. Research?

What can you do with this list?

As an HR professional, use this list to attract and retain the right people for the current and future state of your organization. As an individual, you can use this as a guide to develop your skills and remain competitive in the job market.

Recommended reading: How skills management software transforms organizational efficiency

Want to learn more 2024 workplace trends? Download our report now:

[LINK HERE]

Download the DevSkiller Report 2024: Skills Management and Assessment Insights to gain comprehensive insights into the evolving HR landscape 2024. This year, we tapped into the data from over 300,000 individual skill profiles to provide you with the top technology, tech candidate, and skills-management insights.?

This report is an essential resource, offering detailed outlooks, predictions, and practical recommendations for navigating the challenges and opportunities for an exciting year ahead.

Written by: Alexandra Paasch

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