Career advice

Most sought-after hard skills in 2023

Most sought-after hard skills in 2023Ivana Georgievska
May 11, 2022

The most sought-after hard skills in 2023 

There is no question that soft skills is an important aspect job-seekers need to work on to be eligible for the more attractive job positions in 2023. 

Here are some of the top hard job skills you need to develop to compete in the rapidly transforming marketplace.

Key Takeaways

Listen to this blog post

Remote and hybrid work dictates a shift from hard science and technical skills to more flexible, business and social-media oriented qualifications.

Both job-seekers and employers need to reevaluate how well-adjusted are their abilities to the present way of working.

The criteria are high productivity and performance. 

Quality over quantity.

Self management with high motivation to lead while positively contributing to a happy work environment requires some serious skill honing. 

What are professional skills?


working with us podcast
Learn about working with people from other cultures.


What are professional skills?

Professional skills are the skills that you acquire during the course of education through the process of obtaining a professional degree.

Alternatively and equally valuable are the skills you develop during the course of employment.

These are professional skills because they are beneficial to completing tasks and projects that are important to the success of any job.

There are two types of skill sets: soft and hard skills.

In this article we will analyse the personal skills you need to start working on to gain the best chances of utilising the hard ones you have. 

guide to remote team

Hard skills

These skills are learned through education or training.

They are the technical skills required to complete particular tasks.

They are industry specific and are based on scientific and technical knowledge.

With the hiring processes in which you participated and will in the future, there are certain skills and knowledge that are required the candidates to master. 

Or at least have a solid knowledge about. These are the aptitudes that are especially important for landing jobs.

In fact, 84% of hiring managers report that hard skills are more important or as important as soft skills, and one-third of resumes are rejected for not including hard skills. 

So if you’re serious about selling your credentials and your resume, in your cover letter, and during an interview, pay attention.

Here is a list of the hard skills that are currently in high demand on the job market:

  • Data analysis skills / Data visualisation
  • Information technology skills
  • Basic computer skills
  • Human resources
  • Presentation skills
  • Marketing skills
  • Team management
  • Project management
  • Foreign languages
  • Design skills
  • Economics / Business skills
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Machine learning

Computer skills

Knowing how to work a computer is obviously a must, but your level of expertise is important.

Can you program a computer, do back end technical work, or are you certified in some different types of programs that businesses want and need their employees to understand? 

In-demand computer skills in today’s workplace include: Microsoft Office Suite, QuickBooks, typing/WPM, JavaScript, CSS/HTML, among others. 

Technical skills

Technical skills can take your computer prowess a step further and put you out there as an expert in any relevant business.

Technical hard skills also relate to engineering and the sciences.

These jobs typically have very specialised knowledge bases and employees will need to have training in some of these areas.

When employers state that relevant technical knowledge is a plus, depending on the industry, it means: linear regression, CAD, troubleshooting, prototyping, CRM platforms, ERP systems, system administration. 

Data analysis skills

Data analysis refers to a person’s ability to research, observe, and understand various types of data in order to come to a viable solution. 

Analysis skills are needed in a variety of possessions, especially those that regularly deal with large amounts of data. 

People with strong data analysis skills can notice trends between pieces of data and use this information to help an organisation develop solid marketing or other business-related strategies.

Important data analysis skills in today’s workplace include: research, data mining, database management, among others. 

Design and marketing skills

Marking and design is a major component of many organisations and can include online and physical marketing as well as design for products, websites, and ads. 

Marketers and designers must possess several hard skills in order to efficiently perform their job. 

These marketing and design skills include pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, digital marketing, social media, UX design, UI design, graphic design, copywriting, A/B testing, an more. 

Management skills

While part of a manager’s job involves utilising soft skills to unite and motivate employees and effectively communicate with employees and upper-level management, they also need several hard skills to be effective in their positions. 

Hard management skills include finance, business knowledge, project management, logistics, hiring skills, business development skills, public speaking, etc. 

What hard skills do employers look for?

The hard skills that employers want to see in candidates will vary greatly depending on the position. The following are the hard skills that are most often sought after by employers:

  • Computer technology (Microsoft Office Suite, social media, HTML)
  • Data analysis (resource management, data engineering, database management)
  • Marketing hard skills (SEO, SEM, Google Analytics, email marketing, content management systems)
  • Project management (scrum, Trello, Zoho)
  • Web and mobile development skills (app development, web architecture)
  • Security and network structure (risk assessment, cryptography, encryption algorithms)
  • Design skills (UX design, UI design, Adobe Creative Suite)
  • Hard communication skills (copywriting, editing, foreign languages)

Hybrid skills

As the workplace evolves, candidates with hybrid skills are becoming increasingly valuable.

Employers seek applicants with a blend of soft and hard skills because they have the flexibility that enables them to add value to the organization and to keep up with changes. 

We help you find the best talent for you 

Do you need qualified remote professionals in your business? 

Our team at Talentroo will assist you immediately.  

Get in touch with us at mail@talentroo.com to set up a call. 

Follow us on LinkedIn for job announcements and entertaining content!