Human Skills 2X More In Demand Than Digital Skills: Cornerstone Report

Cornerstone OnDemand Inc. has released its SkyHive By Cornerstone Global State of the Skills Economy Report, providing a comprehensive overview of skills demand on the rise, an analysis from the past five years and indicators for future trends and demand forecasting. The report highlights that Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and GenAI job postings are on the rise, with AI and ML job postings increasing by 65 per cent since 2019, and GenAI-related job postings seeing a 411 per cent surge. However, the demand for human skills, or soft skills, such as leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence, consistently exceeds the need for digital skills across all regions – globally, human skills are 2X more in demand than digital skills.

Additional insights from the report include;

• Augmented Reality (AR)/ Virtual Reality (VR) have seen a 154 per cent increase in job postings over the past 5 years, indicating a sector on the brink of broader adoption as industries explore AR/VR applications that extend beyond entertainment, expanding into training simulations, remote collaboration, and customer experience. 
• India leads with 4.1 per cent of its job postings focused on AI/ML, reflecting its growing role in the global AI landscape. Germany and Japan follow with 2.5 and 2.2 per cent respectively.
• Demand for GenAI skills is not just a tech industry story; although concentrated in industries like software development and IT consulting, there is a rising demand in financial services, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and banking. 
• Human skills, or soft skills, continues to outpace digital skills, in North America 2.4X more and in Europe 2.9X more. Top human skills related job postings are: communication, interpersonal collaboration and problem-solving.
• Demand for remote and flexible work has seen a 39% increase, countries like Australia (22.8%) and Germany (21%) are leading with their job postings looking for remote or flexible workers, followed closely by New Zealand (20.3%), the United Kingdom (18.8%), the United States (15%), Spain (11.6%), Japan (9.7%) and India (6.3%). France (4.9%) and Italy (1.4%) ranked among the lowest.

“Keeping a close watch on changing skills and workplace trends in real-time across the market is essential for forecasting and staying competitive,” said Mike Bollinger, Global VP, Strategic Initiatives at Cornerstone. “This report not only reveals the workforce readiness gap, that skills are evolving faster than organizations and individuals can keep pace with, limiting innovation and adaptability, but also emphasizes the importance of retaining critical human or ’soft’ skills within your organization.”

“While we can never fully predict the future, history remains a critical guide to understanding how technological advancements reshape industries and skill demands,” said Bledi Taska, Ph.D., Head of Analytics at SkyHive by Cornerstone. “By combining historical trends with real-time market intelligence, we gain powerful insights into the evolving landscape. For instance, 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. It’s this blend of past lessons and real-time data that equips us to anticipate and prepare for what’s next in the workforce.”