While artificial intelligence and machine learning-related job postings continue to increase, the demand for “human skills” — including leadership, communication and emotional intelligence — outstrips the demand for digital skills across all regions, according to a Sept. 24 report from Cornerstone OnDemand.
The report stems from data pulled by SkyHive by Cornerstone which covers “more than 200 countries and territories, including job postings, resumes, government data, and other data points in 11 languages,” according to a press release announcing the findings.
Notably, generative AI-related job postings have surged 411% following the launch of ChatGPT in early 2023. However, that increase is contextualized by the fact that such jobs still only made up 0.3% of global job postings at their height in 2024, according to Cornerstone data, and those postings are concentrated in software development and IT services.
But human skills, also known as soft skills, are also in high demand. The most common human skills-related job postings tend to be in communication, interpersonal collaboration and problem-solving, Cornerstone said. In North America, demand for such skills outpaces digital skills by 2.4 times, while in Europe demand is 2.9 times higher than demand for digital skills.
“Our report highlights the exponential rise of GenAI skills, but history suggests that, like past innovations, we may see these trends stabilize as GenAI becomes embedded into everyday operations,” Bledi Taska, head of analytics at SkyHive by Cornerstone, said in a statement.
Upskilling is consistently addressed as important amid AI’s rise, and not just for AI skills, previous reports have said. A majority of HR respondents to a Salary.com survey in 2023 said they were placing a stronger focus on similar soft skills addressed in the Cornerstone report, including communication and problem-solving.
“This report not only reveals the workforce readiness gap […] but also emphasizes the importance of retaining critical human or ’soft’ skills within your organization,” Mike Bollinger, global VP of strategic initiatives at Cornerstone, said in a statement.