Leadership tops list of most in-demand job skills for 2021

Candidates with proven leadership skills are set to be in high demand in 2021, according to new research.

Many employers are searching for applicants with coaching, onboarding and decision-making talents, with each discipline becoming more sought after than in previous years.

Stats from Adzuna show that the number of job adverts seeking applicants with coaching abilities rose from 3.3 per cent in 2019 to 3.7 per cent in 2020, making it the fastest growing skill of the year.

There were also annual rises for candidates with decision making talents (up from 1.3 per cent to 1.4 per cent) and onboarding abilities (up from 0.4 per cent to 0.7 per cent).

The research also showed that the desire for candidates with senior leadership qualities far outweighs demand for entry level applicants, with more than 22,000 executive jobs available at the beginning of 2021 compared to around 8,000 graduate roles.

The site stated that the number of entry-level job vacancies fell by 61 per cent last year, compared to an overall fall of 35.8 per cent for all roles.

Speaking about the findings, Andrew Hunter, Co-Founder of Adzuna, said: "The hiring landscape changed dramatically over 2020 and hiring patterns shifted with a different set of skills needed for 2021.

"Leadership skills such as onboarding and decision-making have grown in demand as employers seek experienced staff to help them navigate through the Covid-19 crisis.

"That's also borne out in job vacancies, where openings for more experienced staff have recovered more quickly than those for entry level positions."

Separate research from Adzuna suggested that around a quarter of all workers will consider a career change this year.

Seven per cent of UK working adults (equivalent to 2.2 million people) said they will 'definitely' attempt to find a new job in 2021, with 10.4 per cent of men intending to do so, compared to 4 per cent of women.

By Owen Mckeon