Hard skills (technical skills)

What are hard skills and why are they important?

Hard skills are the specialized technical skills necessary to perform specific work tasks, such as programming or languages. These competencies are acquired through formal learning, and can be measured and demonstrated through degrees, certificates or exercises.

While soft skills, such as communication or leadership, are transversal skills that are essential for the success of any general task, hard skills are essential for carrying out specific technical ones. On the whole, both hard and soft skills are key to shaping a person’s professional profile.

Examples of the main hard skills most requested by companies

The list of most in-demand technical skills can vary according to industry, region, and many other factors. However, here are some of the most important ones:

• Programming: Skills connected to programming and web development will continue to be required in the coming years in virtually all industries.
• Cloud computing and artificial intelligence: According to the World Economic Forum, more than 75% of companies will require these technologies in the next 5 years, so they must have trained professionals with these skills on their staff.
• Data Analysis: The ability to collect, analyze and draw conclusions from data will continue to be a crucial skill for business decision-making.
• Project management: This is another of the most in-demand hard skills since it allows resources to be allocated efficiently to complete projects and tasks in a timely manner.
• Digital marketing: Marketing skills continue to be highly demanded by companies around the world, with the use of digital tools such as SEO, SEM and content management, among others, becoming increasingly essential.
• Languages: Nowadays it is common for companies to ask for mastery of a second language, with English being the most requested in job offers, followed by French, German and Italian.

How to acquire and improve hard skills?

It is estimated that 50% of the world’s workers will have to learn new technological hard skills in order to handle companies’ digital transformation projects. But how to achieve this? Here are some recommendations for companies looking to both upskill and reskill their workforce:

1. Choose an appropriate methodology for your teams

Generally, a hard skills training program combines structured plans and practical exercises, which help transfer what has been learned to the workplace. In that sense, microlearning, for example, is perfect for hard skills training.

2. Identify which hard skills are essential

Conduct an analysis of your teams’ competencies and of needs at the whole-company level. By doing so, you’ll be able to identify which hard skills are the most important, and those you should reinforce in your collaborators.

3. Combine hard skills training with soft skills training

As we now know, hard technical skills are necessary to carry out certain professional tasks. However, to do this most efficiently, whilst maximizing team achievements and achieving business objectives, it is key that collaborators also possess soft skills.

It’s clear that, despite the undeniable importance of developing hard skills, we should not make the mistake of neglecting soft skills. Through isEazy Skills, the most complete catalog of courses for upskilling your whole team, you can easily improve the results of your training, offering your employees a unique learning experience packed with courses and interactive resources that increase engagement – and allow streaming access from wherever they are in the world.