Recruiters say traditional skills declining as AI and tech rise over the next five years.

Tech and AI skills are predicted to be one of the most important skills for graduates to have in the next five years according to recruiters, finds a new survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).

‘Technology/IT’ skills are predicted to jump from the 14th most critical skill this year, to the 3rd over the next five years,

Additionally, on average recruiters say ‘AI’ skills are said to become the 4th most critical skill for graduates in the next five years, up from 21st.

On the other hand, several traditionally valued skills, such as ‘teamwork’ and ‘project management’, are predicted by recruiters to decline in importance.

GMAC's annual Corporate Recruiters Survey gathered responses from global recruiters and staffing firms to identify the key skills they seek and anticipate prioritising in the coming years.

In addition to AI and technology/IT skills, ‘innovation’ is expected to rise in importance, becoming the 6th most important skill within the next five years, up from 11th today.

Similarly, ‘grit’ (defined as a combination of passion, perseverance, resilience, and determination towards achieving long-term goals) is predicted to increase in importance, moving up to rank 9th.

“Employers do not want to be left behind by an ongoing industrial revolution, one based on automations and more data,” says Nalisha Patel, Europe Regional Director at GMAC.

“This is driving the skills employers are expecting to prioritise. As AI and automation dominate business operations, expertise in these areas is vital for efficiency and competitiveness. Organisations are recognising that they need employees who can leverage these technologies effectively.

Recruiters are also adjusting their focus to address a more volatile global business environment, where resilience, adaptability and grit are essential.”

Meanwhile, ‘Initiative’, once a highly prioritised trait, is predicted to decline in importance, moving from 8th to 16th.

Similarly, ‘Interpersonal and teamwork’ skills, which have historically been fundamental in workplace dynamics, are predicted to decrease significantly in importance, falling from 4th to 15th. ‘Time and project management’ skills are also expected to drop from 7th to becoming the 17th most valued skills in the workplace by employers. And ‘Coachability’, which previously ranked 13th, is projected to drop to 20th.

“These are very interesting findings, and of course we don’t know how these will impact different businesses or societal behaviour, but this shift is likely to reflect how AI and automation are taking over tasks once handled by human initiative and teamwork, reducing the emphasis on these traditional skills, and reshaping the skills prioritised by employers.

Equally, flexible work arrangements and automated project management solutions fundamentally change the team skills needed by graduates.”

The Corporate Recruiters Survey, now in its 20th year, is an annual GMAC survey that helps business schools and students understand employers' skills demands and hiring cycles. This year, the report collected responses from nearly 1,000 recruiters globally. The report can be downloaded via this link.

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To speak with Nalisha Patel, or for more information, please contact Alexandre Lopez at BlueSky Education at alex@bluesky-pr.com or call +44 (0)1582 797959.