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  • Top 5 Power Skills for 2025

    Two colleagues working on their laptops at the office - Pearson TalentLens

    Pearson study analyzed labour market trends in four major economies: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. It found that while technical skills and expertise remain highly valued, the five most sought-after skills (now and in the short-term future) are all human skills. Otherwise known as "transversal skills", "behavioural and relational skills" or "soft skills", human skills are essential for success in the world of work. Unlike technical or business-specific skills ("hard skills"), they are transferable between different fields of activity and professions. Described as "Power skills", human skills are increasingly valued by employers.  

     

    What does "Power Skills" mean?

    "Power Skills" refers to interpersonal and behavioural skills that have a significant impact on professional and personal performance. These skills are called "power" because they increase a person's ability to succeed in a variety of contexts, independent of job-specific technical skills. They are easily transferable from one position, one sector of activity, from one work environment to another. They are durable: they remain relevant over time, unlike technical skills that quickly become obsolete.

    What are the 5 Power Skills to have in 2025?

    The Pearson study highlights the five Power Skills that are most sought after by employers today:

    • Communication: The ability to express thoughts and ideas clearly, and to listen to, understand, and respond to others' ideas.
    • Customer Service: The provision of service to customers before, during, and after a purchase.
    • Leadership: The ability of an individual, group or organisation to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organisations. 
    • Attention to detail: The ability to be precise and accurate in tasks, taking care to notice small details and ensuring that all aspects of a project are completed accurately.
    • Collaboration: The ability to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others.

    The 5 Power Skills to invest in development 

    The Pearson study highlights the five Power Skills that are projected to be most in-demand by 2026 and in need of greatest improvement and investment:

    • Collaboration: The ability to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others.
    • Customer Focus: Actively look for ways to assist customers and clients. 
    • Personal Learning and Mastery: The ability to acquire knowledge or skills through one’s study or experience.
    • Achievement Focus: The ability to take on responsibilities and challenges with little or no supervision, develop one’s own way of doing things, and depend on oneself to get things done.
    • Cultural and Social Intelligence: Have awareness and understanding of other’s reactions.

     

    How to evaluate these Power Skills? 

    The evaluation of these Power Skills can be done using reliable psychometric tests, designed according to rigorous scientific standards:

    • Personality inventories: To assess communication, collaboration and interpersonal skills. They measure different personality traits, i.e. behavioural and interpersonal tendencies, which are grouped around several axes: relationships with others (leadership, sociability, cooperation, empathy, etc.), emotional management (resistance to stress, flexibility/adaptability, etc.), approach to work (reliability, attention to detail, respect for rules, perseverance, initiative, etc.) and way of thinking (innovation,  analytical reasoning, independence, etc.).
    • Cognitive Ability Tests: To assess their intellectual potential, learning and adaptation abilities, data analysis skills, grasp of new concepts, reasoning, and problem-solving skills in search of innovative solutions. 
    • Critical Thinking Assessment Tests: To measure ability to step back, identify and analyze problems, and seek and evaluate information to draw relevant and logical conclusions, making better decisions.  

    As the Pearson study points out, technical skills are required in many jobs. However, with the pace at which technology is evolving, they quickly become obsolete, asking workers to constantly train themselves to master them. At the same time, many sectors are facing a shortage of employees with human skills in communication and collaboration.  A strong foundation of human skills is essential for success for employers and employees now and in the future. Recently, at the round table "Reskilling for the Intelligence Age" at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, international leaders including Omar Abbosh, CEO of Pearson, emphasized the importance of Human Skills such as leadership skills, empathy, agility, creativity and critical thinking to evolve alongside machines and algorithms. It is therefore essential to invest in the assessment and development of human skills and our psychometric tests are useful for this.

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  • AI & Automation: The Human Skills that make the difference

    3 female co-workers during a meeting at the office - Pearson TalentLens

    The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation across many industries is transforming the way we work. However, despite technological advances, some Human Skills remain irreplaceable and continue to play an important role. The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2025 does not fail to point out that today, "47% of job tasks are performed primarily by humans, 22% primarily by technology (machines and algorithms) and 30% by a combination of both." Let's first define the notion of "human skills". Then, let's review the human skills that are essential for work and increasingly coveted by recruiters.

     

    What do we mean by "Human Skills"?

    Human Skills, otherwise known as "transversal skills", "behavioural and relational skills" or "soft skills", are personal and interpersonal qualities that influence the way a person interacts with others and adapts to their environment. They encompass everything related to our adaptability, our communications, our decision-making, our creativity and our management of emotions. These "interpersonal skills", as opposed to "know-how" skills, also known as "technical skills" or "hard skills", far from being innate, are cultivated and acquired throughout life. They contribute to our personal and professional development.

     

    Essential Human Skills in the age of AI and automation

    In the context of the rise of AI and automation, certain human skills are proving to be particularly useful at work. Here are the reasons:

    1. Critical Thinking and Complex Problem Solving: Machines and algorithms can process large amounts of data and perform repetitive tasks, being able to analyze complex situations and question themselves remains an essential human skill. Critical thinking, defined by the ability to approach a situation in a factual and rational way and to consider it from multiple angles while separating facts from opinions, prejudices and intuitions to gain discernment, objectivity and efficiency in our decision-making; brings real added value. It allows you to ask the right questions, evaluate different perspectives and solve problems in innovative ways. 
    2. Emotional Intelligence: Being able to understand and manage one's own emotions, as well as those of others, helps facilitate interactions and build strong relationships. Skills in communication, empathy, relationship management are valuable assets in many fields such as services, management or human resources. Emotional intelligence plays a big role socially and allows us to make decisions that consider human feelings and motivations. 
    3. Creativity and Innovation: AI can generate ideas based on existing data. Creative and innovative ideas, on the other hand, come from human ingenuity. The ability to think outside the box and propose new solutions is at the root of innovative projects and the design of disruptive products and services.
    4. Adaptability and Flexibility: Technological advances are transforming the work environment. The ability to continually adapt to change, learn new skills and evolve as needed is a great advantage.
    5. Interpersonal skills and collaboration: Working effectively in a team, communicating clearly, resolving conflicts, and collaborating intelligently with others encourages good cooperation. This collective human dynamic is at the origin of harmonious and productive interactions.
    6. Ethics and Judgment: Ethical decisions and moral judgments require a deep and nuanced understanding of social and cultural contexts, as well as careful thinking about impacts and consequences. Humans are needed to ensure that technologies are used responsibly, also to interpret all data, take into account all parameters and make decisions that respect societal values and norms. 
    7. Leadership and Influence: Machines cannot replicate the leadership skills needed to motivate, inspire, and guide teams toward common goals. To lead or manage effectively and carry out projects, charisma, the ability to influence and mobilize others are great human qualities.

     

    Although AI and automation continue to advance, transforming the job market, and bringing significant benefits in terms of efficiency and productivity; human skills such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, creativity, adaptability, ethics, leadership, and collaboration remain indispensable. They make the difference by complementing the contributions of advanced technologies. Often more subjective and less tangible than technical skills, it is very important to be able to evaluate them. Our psychometric tests (personality inventories, intellectual ability and critical thinking assessment tests, motivational and professional interest questionnaires, 360° questionnaires) allow you to do this objectively and with great precision.

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