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An analysis of nearly 5,000 job postings shows employers are placing greater value on behavioural skills than technical qualifications, even as many organisations struggle to measure whether these capabilities improve through training.
Communication, teamwork, and positive attitude are among the most sought-after skills employers are looking for in new hires, according to a new study analysing nearly 5,000 job postings.
The research, conducted by Zensai, examined 5,000 recent US job advertisements collected from Glassdoor across different occupations to identify the traits, skills and behaviours employers value most.
This report is based on the US market, but HRO believes the findings are just as relevant to employers across Asia where organisations are navigating similar challenges around AI adoption, evolving skills needs and the need to strengthen workforce capabilities.
Of the job postings analysed, 4,997 contained usable descriptions that could be assessed against a curated list of workplace skills and behaviours.
Communication remains the most in-demand skill
Communication was the most frequently requested skill, appearing in 56.7% of job postings analysed.
It was followed by teamwork and collaboration at 45.3%, while a positive attitude ranked third, appearing in 30% of listings.
Other highly requested behavioural traits included leadership skills (26.2%) and empathy and compassion (25.4%).
The study found that all of the top 10 most requested traits were behavioural skills rather than technical capabilities. In fact, the first technical skill on the list, Microsoft Office and Excel proficiency, ranked 18th overall and appeared in 11.9% of job postings.
With AI taking on more technical and repetitive tasks, organisations may be placing greater emphasis on human capabilities such as collaboration and compassion.
Top 10 most requested traits, skills, and behaviours
| Rank | Skill | Share of postings | Number of postings |
| 1 | Communication | 56.7% | 2,833 |
| 2 | Teamwork and collaboration | 45.3% | 2,264 |
| 3 | Positive attitude | 30.0% | 1,498 |
| 4 | Leadership | 26.2% | 1,310 |
| 5 | Empathy and compassion | 25.4% | 1,272 |
| 6 | Time management | 25.2% | 1,260 |
| 7 | Adaptability and flexibility | 24.7% | 1,234 |
| 8 | Customer service and focus | 24.2% | 1,209 |
| 9 | Integrity and trustworthiness | 22.1% | 1,105 |
| 10 | Organisation | 20.3% | 1,016 |
Degrees and technical skills rank lower in hiring priorities
While employers continue to look for specific technical capabilities and credentials, these appeared less frequently compared with behavioural skills.
Microsoft Office and Excel proficiency was the most requested hard skill, appearing in 11.9% of job postings.
Meanwhile, a bachelor's degree was the most commonly requested credential but was only mentioned in 9.9% of listings – suggesting that employers may be placing greater weight on practical experience and mindset rather than relying solely on academic qualifications when assessing candidates.
Most requested hard skills
| Rank | Skill | Share of postings | Number of postings |
| 1 | Microsoft Office/Excel | 11.9% | 595 |
| 2 | Computer literacy | 8.2% | 411 |
| 3 | Bilingual | 5.2% | 262 |
| 4 | Sales skills | 3.4% | 170 |
| 5 | Data analysis | 3.3% | 164 |
| 6 | Project management | 1.4% | 68 |
Most requested credentials
| Rank | Skill | Share of postings | Number of postings |
| 1 | Bachelor's degree | 9.9% | 495 |
| 2 | Driver's license | 4.9% | 244 |
Organisations struggle to measure whether skills are improving
Although employers appear clear about the skills they want, many organisations face challenges in determining whether their learning and development efforts are successfully building these capabilities,
A separate study by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), sponsored by Zensai, surveyed 277 talent development professionals on how organisations measure the impact of workplace learning. It found that only 42% of organisations track whether training changes employee behaviour after programmes are completed.
Overall, just 16% of organisations considered themselves proficient at measuring and evaluating the impact of their learning initiatives. At the same time, while 93% of organisations collect basic participant satisfaction feedback after training, often referred to as "smile sheet" data, fewer are assessing whether employees are applying what they have learned in their day-to-day work.
The above aside, only 30% of respondents rated their organisation as good or excellent at using learning data to support business decisions.
The findings also highlighted several barriers preventing organisations from effectively measuring learning outcomes. More than half (51%) cited a lack of staff and time as a major challenge, while 54% said it was difficult to separate the impact of training from other factors influencing business results.
In addition, only 43% said their learning goals were very aligned with wider business objectives.
How organisations measure and evaluate workplace skills
- 16% of organisations surveyed rate themselves as proficient overall at learning measurement and evaluation.
- 4% rate themselves as excellent at using learning data to make business decisions.
- 93% collect basic participant satisfaction feedback after training.
- 42% track whether training changes employee behaviour.
- 43% say learning goals are very aligned with business goals.
- 51% cite a lack of staff or time as a major barrier to evaluation.
AI expected to support future learning measurement
Despite these challenges, talent development professionals remain optimistic about the role of AI in improving how organisations assess workplace learning. According to the ATD survey, 81% of respondents believe AI will have a positive impact on measuring and evaluating learning over the next two years. This includes 28% who expect the impact to be "extremely positive".
At the same time, two-thirds of respondents expect greater pressure to demonstrate the financial return of talent development initiatives.
Meanwhile, 69% believe their organisations will need more employees with data analysis skills to support future workforce needs.
Commenting on the findings, Nina Carøe, Chief Human Success Officer at Zensai, said the research highlights a gap between the skills employers value and their ability to measure whether those capabilities are being strengthened within their workforce.
"What this study shows is that employers know exactly what they want from their people which is communication, and active collaboration, however, most organisations still struggle to measure these skills and improve them when the hire has come on board," she said.
For organisations, the challenge now lies not only in identifying these skills during recruitment, but also in creating effective ways to develop, measure and sustain them over time.
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