Top 10 Required Business Skills:
Having the capability to work cohesively in teams, using effective communication skills, and analytical and problem-solving abilities are highly desirable skills in employees; a report by the Directorate-General for Education and Culture says.[i]
Apart from sector-specific skills, and basic computer knowledge, graduate recruiters believe the following skills to be “very important” in an employee: teamworking skills (67%), communication skills (60%), problem-solving (58%), and decision-making (46%).[i] Alongside these, planning and organisation, flexibility, and leadership are other important skills employers consider essential.
Various surveys, including the Job Outlook 2016 survey by The National Association of Colleges and Employers[ii], and survey by LinkedIn[iii], found that the top skills that employers look for in prospective employees include:
| Communication | 1 | Use verbal and non-verbal indicators to improve communication |
| Leadership | 2 | Control and coordinate diverse personalities and tasks for getting the best results |
| Problem Solving and Decision Making | 3 | Ability to solve problems and resolve conflicts without negativity |
| Personal Productivity | 4 | Prioritise and organise work to maximise productivity |
| Assertiveness and Self-Confidence | 5 | To assert yourself without offending others, and express your views positively |
| Team Communication | 6 | Know how to work as a team, communicate within a team, and be a team player |
| Organisational Skills | 7 | Plan, priortise and organise to handle tasks professionally |
| Emotional Intelligence | 8 | To recognise behaviors and moods of others and yourself so as to manage them properly |
| Time Management | 9 | Manage time to get more from a day without working more |
| Critical Thinking | 10 | Use critical thinking to solve issues |
Sources:
[i] http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_304_en.pdf
[ii] http://www.naceweb.org/s11182015/employers-look-for-in-new-hires.aspx
[iii] http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7860-skills-employers-want.html
