Why human skills matter more than ever in the age of AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to transform how organizations operate, it's now embedded in our daily workflows, reshaping how we communicate, solve problems, and even hire. But as we embrace these tools, a critical question emerges: what happens to the skills that make us uniquely human, and how will their role evolve in the workforce?

In this article, we explore why human skills, once referred to as “soft skills,” are more essential than ever and how they complement AI to drive innovation, adaptability, and long-term success in the modern workplace.

LinkedIn data shows a dramatic rise in professionals adding AI tools like Copilot and ChatGPT to their profiles. Nontechnical workers are also getting involved, with a 160 percent increase in AI course participation. Companies are taking notice too, with job posts mentioning AI seeing a 17 percent boost in applications.

While AI skills are in high demand, they’re not enough on their own. Human skills are now recognized as critical drivers of innovation. These uniquely human capabilities are what truly differentiate a future-ready workforce.

How do we define human skills?

At Hays, we’re increasingly favoring the term ‘human skills’ rather than ‘soft', because of how vital they are to success. Shane Little, Managing Director, Enterprise Solutions (APAC) explains: “Calling them ‘soft’ undermines their value. In truth, these skills are anything but soft – they’re essential.”

Tina Millis, Global Partnerships and Head of Service Delivery at Hays agrees, noting that, “Human skills are now frequently indicated as the differentiators for our clients.”

Which human skills are must-haves for a modern workplace?

To stay competitive, organizations should prioritize candidates who demonstrate the following skillsets:

• Willingness to learn and upskill quickly 
• Strong written and verbal communication 
• Adaptability to new challenges 
• Effective people management

In a global 2025 Hays report  85% of responding organizations identified gaps in key human skills. The most common gaps include:

• Critical thinking and problem solving (50%)
• Leadership and management (46%)
• Communication (41%)

Preparing your organization for ongoing waves of innovation requires a thoughtful blend of technical and human skills. Simply integrating new AI technology won’t drive innovation - it takes humans to find the bottlenecks, explore the opportunities and apply technology thoughtfully to your business goals.

Susan John, Global Learning and Development Lead at IBM highlights another important reason for putting human skills to the top of your search. She explains:
“When we discuss human skills, it’s also important to talk about how we interact with AI. Especially Generative AI, because it’s like teaching another human. We want to treat AI with respect, just like we treat human beings with respect. We don’t want it to learn bad practices and bad verbiage from us. That is something we consciously need to keep in mind.”

How can you bring out the best in humans and AI?

Create complementary roles that benefit humans and AI

Organizations should take advantage of technological advancements by allowing AI to handle repetitive or time-consuming tasks. This frees up employees to focus on strategic thinking and creative problem-solving. As Susan John puts it:

“When we use AI, we can drive productivity. There are assistants and agents that we can use to help us with everyday tasks, like formulating an e-mail or summarizing notes.”

As we focus on leveraging AI, we need to ensure that we don’t lose our proficiency with key skills. We need to focus on our levels of data sophistication, the ability to validate and interpret data accurately, and combining it with creative and strategic insights to produce work that reflects our unique human experiences.

As AI becomes more integrated into the workplace, there’s also a need to rethink the capabilities required of modern managers. Leading a team empowered by AI is different from managing a team of bots. Organizations must reconsider the interpersonal and operational skills that leadership roles demand in this new era.

Build a team that’s ready for the future

Rapid advancements in AI and machine learning are reshaping job roles faster than education systems can adapt. As a result, skills-based hiring is gaining traction. In fact,  88% of tech companies using skills-based hiring to recruit new talent. Allowing organizations to focus on practical capabilities rather than traditional credentials alone.

Enhance training and development with AI

The learning landscape is also being reshaped by intelligent technologies. Susan John explains how AI can help workforces prepare for a rapidly changing environment:

“There are thousands of different self-taught, or classroom training modules listed online. AI can even craft you a learning plan based on the weaknesses you’d like to target. It’s kind of like Netflix recommending things to you!”

AI is also increasingly playing a role for talent development teams. We can not only show learners their recommended learning options, but also predict:

1. What skills will we need in the future?
2. What are the excess skills that we will have?
3. How will we address those gaps with our current workforce?

We’ll then be able to upskill our talent to pick up multiple skills to enable them to adapt.” 

How can organizations harness the power of humans and AI?

AI literacy is becoming a fundamental skill across all industries and roles. But the true power of AI is unlocked through human capabilities. As Shane Little concludes, “Collaboration, communication and critical thinking aren’t nice-to-haves; they’re the foundation of innovation. If we don’t prioritize them, we’ll very soon find ourselves in a workforce that’s technically competent but fundamentally fractured”.

By investing in human skills, organizations can build teams that are not only technically capable but also innovative, resilient, and ready for the future. AI tools simply give them the time and space to focus on what makes them uniquely human, for now, at least.

For more actionable recommendations on taking the next step in your digital transformation journey, download our Future of Work report.