Future of Work: Workforce Skills That Matter Most
Reading time: 3 mins
Identifying the skills employers will need in 2026 is an important starting point – but it’s only the beginning.
The bigger challenge for many organisations is how to translate these priorities into real capability. This means rethinking how you hire, assess, and develop talent, so the skills you value on paper are prioritised consistently in practice.
How to Adapt Your Hiring Process for Future Skills
As the skills employers value continue to shift, the hiring process must evolve too. HR teams will need to focus on competencies that demonstrate how well a candidate can learn, adapt and contribute to the organisation.
Emphasise Competencies in Job Descriptions
Aside from technical requirements, job descriptions should highlight the behaviours, mindsets and soft skills needed for future roles. Instead of listing only tools or years of experience, talk about the outcomes each position must deliver.
Clear competency-based descriptions also make it easier for hiring managers to evaluate applicants fairly.
Implement Behavioural and Situational Interview Questions
Behavioural and situational questions can help you understand how a candidate reacts in real workplace challenges. This approach brings deeper insight into their communication style, empathy, resilience and collaboration abilities.
Introduce Real-World Skills Assessments
Skills assessments are essential when hiring for specific capabilities. Give candidates simple, practical tasks that reflect daily work. These tests could include drafting a communication piece or analysing a small dataset.
Evaluations show you how candidates think and approach problems, which matter a lot in modern workplaces.
Developing These Skills in Your Current Workforce
Building a future-ready team doesn’t have to mean replacing your current staff. HR teams can strengthen skills internally by creating opportunities for learning and collaboration.
Implement Mentorship and Coaching Programmes
Mentorship allows experienced staff to guide others through real workplace situations. This setup strengthens communication skills, strategic thinking and confidence. Coaching can help employees build adaptability by ensuring space to receive feedback, reflect and adjust their habits.
Both approaches support personal and professional growth, creating a more capable workforce. However, according to a Gallup study, only 40% of workers currently have a workplace mentor, indicating the need for improvement in this area.
Create Cross-Functional Project Teams
Cross-functional teams are people from different departments. They encourage employees to understand how the broader organisation works. It also builds collaboration, empathy and problem-solving abilities. When people expand their worldview, they develop clearer communication and stronger teamwork.
Curate and Fund Digital Learning Paths
Digital learning paths are a simple and flexible way to help employees develop new skills. These paths can include a mix of online courses, short videos and virtual workshops, allowing them to learn anywhere, anytime.
Staff can use these paths to strengthen a wide range of skills, from communication and leadership to more technical and role-specific competencies. Digital learning also lets them study at their own pace, making continuous development more realistic for busy teams
Building a Workforce for Tomorrow
The most important skills in 2026 combine human strengths with digital skills and strategic thinking.
When HR teams invest in these abilities, their organisations can stay competitive amidst market changes and technological shifts.
Read Part 1 to find out more about ‘Top 5 Skills Employers Will Need Most in 2026’.
This article is written by Eleanor Hecks, an HR and hiring writer, who currently serves as Editor-in-Chief at Designerly Magazine, where she specialises in small business news and insights.
If you would like to discuss and review your talent management strategies, reach out to us today.
