The Top Ten Modern Business Skills for 2022

“Communication”, “critical thinking” and “data literacy” are among the skills that workers need in order to thrive in 2022, according to a new report. Questionmark, the leading online assessment provider, is encouraging employers to check how prevalent these modern skills are among their existing workforce.

“Modern skills for 2022: measuring the strength of workforce skills and ensuring employees have what they need to face the future”

Senior business leaders predict that 2022 will be another year of volatility and constant change.¹ Employers will depend on the ability of their people to consistently adapt and face new challenges.

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The new report from Questionmark, “Modern Skills for 2022”, identifies ten of the crucial skills that workers will need to face the future of work:

1. Communication and collaboration – a LinkedIn poll found that the ability to communicate and collaborate was judged to be the most important skill for those wishing to succeed in the world of work.²
2. Technical literacy – forecasters expect organizations to continue delivering their services and operations digitally in 2022.
3. Critical thinking and problem solving – employers need people who can think out of the box, reflect on their circumstances and form solid judgments.
4. Artificial intelligence (AI) – analysts expect artificial intelligence to grow at an annual rate of 33% until 2028.³
5. Data literacy – advancements in AI and machine learning will generate more data. It’s crucial that employees have the skills to identify relevant data points to enable sound decision making.
6. Empathy – as teams are increasingly dispersed geographically, the ability to understand other people’s viewpoints and circumstances is being recognized as a business-critical skill.
7. Teamwork –as employers continue to embrace new ways of collaboration, these skills require rethinking and sharpening.
8. Cybersecurity – experts predict that 2022 will be another year when organizational security practice comes under tighter scrutiny.⁴
9. Creativity – firms need workers who can approach things differently and innovate new solutions.
10. Adaptability – employers need people who can adjust to ever-changing circumstances.

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John Kleeman, Founder of Questionmark, said: “Before putting plans in place to secure the skills they need for the future, employers need a clear read on the current state of play within their own workforce. Staff assessments give leaders real information on the skills of their people.

“With real and reliable data from assessments, they can spot areas of strength and weakness and make better decisions on training, development and recruitment. With further assessments, they can check that their strategies are working and that they are sourcing and developing the modern skills they need to thrive.”

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