Communication, problem-solving, adaptability, work ethic and time management are increasingly valuable as employers look beyond qualifications and technical expertise
They have long been described as “soft skills”, but there is nothing secondary about the value employers place on them. Communication, problem-solving, adaptability, a strong work ethic and time management are among the most valuable capabilities in today’s workplace, with new ManpowerGroup research showing that employers are willing to pay a premium for people who demonstrate them.
According to ManpowerGroup’s Q3 2026 Employment Outlook Survey, communication, collaboration and teamwork ranked as the people skills carrying the highest premium globally, cited by 72% of employers. Critical thinking and problem-solving, professionalism and work ethic, and adaptability and willingness to learn each followed at 68%, with time management and prioritisation at 64%.
For Lyndy van den Barselaar, Managing Director of Manpower South Africa, the findings point to an important shift in how businesses and job seekers should think about employability. “We have traditionally treated soft skills as the qualities that sit alongside someone’s qualifications and technical abilities. But increasingly, they are part of what determines whether someone can actually put those abilities to good use,” says van den Barselaar.
“In South Africa, where competition for employment is intense, qualifications remain important, but they are only part of the picture. Employers are also looking at how someone will function within the workplace: Can they communicate effectively? Can they solve a problem rather than simply identify one? Can they adapt when circumstances change? Can they manage their responsibilities and be relied upon to deliver?”
A South African skills challenge
This is particularly relevant in South Africa, where the mismatch between the skills people have and those employers need remains a significant labour-market challenge. Recent World Bank research into South Africa’s digital skills pipeline found that nearly half of local job postings seeking digital skills also require transferable skills such as communication and problem-solving. The findings reinforce an important point: technical knowledge alone does not necessarily translate into workplace readiness.
“South Africa does have a skills shortage, but we shouldn’t think about that shortage purely in terms of technical or occupational skills,” says van den Barselaar. “There is also a work-readiness and employability dimension to the challenge. A person may have the technical knowledge required for a role, but employers also need to know that they can apply that knowledge, work effectively with other people and respond constructively when circumstances don’t go according to plan.”
What makes these skills so valuable?
While none of the five skills employers identified is new, the workplace where they’re applied has changed significantly.
Communication today means more than speaking and writing well. Employees need to listen, ask the right questions, collaborate across teams and turn increasingly complex information into something colleagues, customers and decision-makers can understand and act on.
Problem-solving is equally important. Technology can process information and increasingly assist with routine tasks, but people still need to understand context, question assumptions, exercise judgement, and decide how to apply information.
A strong work ethic is also evolving. It is less about simply putting in long hours and more about professionalism, accountability, reliability and taking ownership of outcomes.
Meanwhile, adaptability has become essential as technologies, business models and the skills required for individual roles continue to change. Closely linked to this is a willingness to learn, accept feedback and apply existing knowledge in new situations.
And while technology may enable people to work faster, it has not necessarily made the working day simpler. Time management and prioritisation increasingly mean knowing what deserves attention, what can wait and where an individual’s time will have the greatest impact.
“None of these is particularly fashionable or new skills,” says van den Barselaar. “But that is exactly the point. The tools we use to do our jobs may change dramatically, but employers still need people who can communicate, think, adapt, take responsibility and get things done.”
It’s the combination that counts
This does not mean technical expertise is becoming less important. Rather, Manpower SA believes the strongest employees will combine technical knowledge with the human capabilities that allow them to apply it effectively.
Sometimes described as a T-shaped professional, this means having depth of expertise in a particular area alongside broader communication, problem-solving, collaborative and interpersonal abilities.
“The strongest candidate isn’t necessarily the person with the longest list of technical skills,” says van den Barselaar. “It is the person who has the technical capability required for the role and can communicate, collaborate, solve problems, learn and adapt. Those are the people who can grow as the job grows.”
For job seekers, another important message is that they can develop these skills. Workplace experience, mentoring, training, volunteering, feedback and taking on new responsibilities can all help strengthen them.
Employers, too, have a responsibility to develop these capabilities through mentoring, coaching, workplace exposure and continuous learning. “We often talk about closing South Africa’s skills gap as though the solution is simply producing more people with particular technical qualifications,” concludes van den Barselaar. “That is certainly part of it, but employability is broader than that. We also need to develop people who can think, communicate, adapt and work effectively with others.
“Perhaps it is time we stopped thinking of these as ‘soft’ skills at all. There is nothing soft about the impact they can have on someone’s career, or on the performance of a business.”