Global talent solutions firm Randstad Sourceright today released its 2022 Global In-Demand Skills Report, new market intelligence designed to help employers understand current complexities and gain a competitive advantage in hiring. The report identifies the top ten in-demand skill clusters across 26 markets around the globe, providing crucial insights into the skills employers will be competing for over the next year.

In today’s hiring landscape — characterized by low unemployment, greater demand for flexibility at work, higher compensation and more personalized benefits — employers continue to struggle to attract, hire and retain people. This is especially the case for high-demand skills. New analysis of this unprecedented labor market from Randstad Sourceright reveals fundamental insights, such as the unrelenting demand for tech skills across all industries, a surge in demand for financial management and customer service professionals, and a significant rise in soft skills in demand, including communication, teamwork and creativity.

“Given today’s complicated labor trends, companies must rely on data-driven market intelligence to guide their talent strategies,” said Mike Smith, global CEO of Randstad Sourceright. “Against a possible economic downturn, now is the time for employers to foster a resilient and adaptive workforce by doubling down on the talent experience, retention and reskilling. Finding opportunities to tap adjacent and transferable skills for the most in-demand roles will prove a critical means for overcoming talent scarcity.”

Randstad Sourceright’s 2022 Global In-Demand Skills Report aggregates, normalizes and analyzes job posting and professional network data to provide specific insights that will help employers address chronic skills gaps in the year ahead. It finds that, given that the majority of professionals with high-demand tech skills are employed in the IT sector, non-IT companies — including financial services, healthcare, and retail — can increase access to tech talent with strategies such as offering remote work opportunities. Data also suggests employers can overcome shortages in customer-facing talent by sourcing professionals working in sales and business development, where skills are transferable.

The research uncovers a significant surge in job postings that require soft skills since last year (an increase of 51 percent). For AI and machine learning roles, nearly 62 percent of job postings seek talent with collaboration, dexterity and multitasking skills. Critical thinking and research are highly sought-after skills in cloud computing, where there is an average 73 percent increase in demand for these competencies.

Report insights are based on factors such as supply and demand, educational background, gender diversity, compensation and more, spanning 26 individual markets across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Researchers additionally focused on market-level census data as well as job advertisement databases, professional networking sites, social media, vertical networks and more.

For more information, download your copy of the 2022 Global In-Demand Skills Report.