The Drive to Grow, Creativity, Empathy – The Most Demanded Qualities in the Job Market for 2023

The prolonged crisis in the global economy, with no end in sight, is prompting the business world to reassess its value system. Recognizing that continuously increasing revenue indicators is becoming increasingly challenging, many companies are shifting their focus from financial metrics to collective well-being and are seeking employees with skills that can help the organization adapt to changing times and achieve long-term success.

One of the most important profession-independent skills (soft skills) for 2023 is expected to be a growth-oriented mindset. Specifically, companies value employees who are willing to learn, adapt, and are not afraid of failure. The business environment believes that such individuals will help the team better withstand the blows of the looming economic downturn. 

Creativity and communication skills will also take center stage this year, as those who can successfully implement innovations, small but effective improvements, and negotiate better terms will fare better in the competitive struggle.

As office work has been replaced by a hybrid work model with a significant portion of remote work, employees who can focus on tasks without supervision are highly valued. The ability to concentrate and resist the temptations of social media and other distractions in the modern world is becoming increasingly important. 

The shift in global trends means only one thing: company leaders will be expected to deliver even more than before this year. To tackle this challenge, they must ensure highly efficient operations by implementing useful digital solutions. This will help reduce the time required for routine tasks for both employees and leaders themselves. Consequently, there will be more opportunities to focus on improving the microenvironment of the team. The scope for digitalization is vast – our survey reveals that only 6.3% of Latvian companies have transitioned to fully digital document circulation, while all others still prepare reports and documents on paper. 12.8% have not implemented any digital solutions at all, explains Jumis CEO Viesturs Slaidiņš. 

Leaders are expected to become empathetic leaders who can unite the team, listen to employees, and simultaneously achieve financial goals. A survey conducted by the research center Gartner in 60 countries found that 82% of employees want company management to see them as individuals rather than just a workforce. This means that leaders this year will have to address not only employees' professional issues but also those outside of work. This includes helping them regain motivation to work, improve their financial situation, and enhance their well-being.