COMMUNICATION SKILLS IS THE BIGGEST SOFT SKILL GEN Z NEED TO DEVELOP FOR THE WORLD OF WORK

•    36% of respondents believe that communication is the most important skill for Gen Z to develop within the world of work.
•    46% pointed to job training as the best way to develop professional skills.

 

A recent poll by Hays, reveals the critical soft skills that Generation Z (Gen Z) needs to thrive in the workplace. 

 

According to the poll, 36% of respondents believe that communication is the most important skill for Gen Z to develop within the world of work. Communication is seen as a critical skill and goes beyond written and verbal skills, it also includes active listening, empathy, and an ability to communicate ideas clearly. 

 

Communications skills were closely followed by adaptability, with 35% of respondents highlighting it as a vital skill. With the rate of technological change, an ability to adapt to changing environments is very important to organisations and ensures that professionals remain relevant in a constantly changing world of work.   

 

A further 16% highlighted problem-solving as an important skill and 13% identified teamwork as a skill that Gen Z need to develop. 

 

When asked what the best way to develop professionals’ skills was, respondents pointed to job training (46%). Training can include workshops, online courses, and one-to-one coaching, which can all help professionals upskill. 

 

Mentorships was said to be the best way to develop by 31% of respondents, suggesting that more experienced workers pass on valuable knowledge to younger or less experienced colleagues. In addition, 13% listed internships and just 10% said self-studying were the best ways to develop the skills of professionals. The results highlight the belief that hands-on experience is the most effective way of developing skills.

 

A proportion of Gen Z were disadvantaged due to the global pandemic, which meant valuable opportunities to develop core socialising skills were lost as they were restricted to primarily online interactions. This landscape meant that many members of Gen Z were at a disadvantage for developing much needed soft skills. 

 

Upskilling is not only beneficial to employees but also to organisations, as it can boost productivity and contribute toward employee retention. As a result, organisations are urged to invest in training their workforce. According to Hays salary guides worldwide, there is already a general interest in upskilling amongst employers with 80% employers hiring workforce to upskill in the UK, 51% employers investing in upskilling in the Americas, and 38.8% employees already offering upskilling in Asia. 

 

Bianca Stringuini, Global Head of DEI of Hays comments: “While it might be true that Gen Z have a different outlook in terms of what they expect and act around work, framing a generation in a certain stereotype can be dangerous. Stereotypes are rarely accurate, and can lead to unfair prejudices, however, we must still recognise that different generations go through different experiences and therefore hold differing values and attitudes – all equally valid – which should be embraced. 

 

Sue Wei, Managing Director of Hays Greater China also comments: “It is time for employers to assess the working environment on whether they are equipped for helping people to thrive. Just offering training as a work perk is not enough, learning should be encouraged by the leadership teams and should be valued as much as "doing” work.

 

Hays also suggested that Facilitating knowledge shares between workers of all generations could be the key to a developing skill across generations. Bringing together these workers in “”co-mentorship and “reverse mentorship” schemes is an effective and efficient way of cultivating knowledge sharing and upskilling professionals across. It also helps to create a stronger workplace culture.” 

 

The Hays Salary Guides were completed in late 2023 and early 2024 features the insights of specific regions. The guide explores labour market trends of each region and average salary of industries.
 
Access the Salary Guides here.

 

 

For more information contact:
Bill Wang
E: Bill.Wang@hays.cn

 

 

Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, such as RPO and MSP. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 31 December 2023, the Group employed over 12,300 staff operating from 249 offices in 33 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2023:

 

– the Group reported net fees of £1,294.6 million and operating profit of £197.0 million;
– the Group placed around 76,800 candidates into permanent jobs and around 245,000 people into temporary roles;
– 15% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 30% in Germany, 21% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 34% in Rest of World (RoW);
– the temporary placement business represented 57% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 43% of net fees;
– Technology is the Group’s largest division, with 26% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (15%) and Engineering (10%), are the next largest
– Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, the UK and the USA