By Natasha Lomas, 14 December 2007 17:29
NEWS
IT skills are still not getting the recognition they should. A plethora of 'softer' skills - such as planning, communication and problem solving - are all valued more highly by top business leaders in the UK today, according to a survey.
Top skills required for business success now
1. Team working and interpersonal skills
2. Initiative
3. Analysing and problem solving
4. Verbal Communication
5. Personal planning and organising
6. Flexibility
7. Information literacy and ICT skills
8. Commercial awareness
9. Creativity
10. Written communication
11. Empathy
12. Numerical reasoning
Skills needed for business success in 10 years time
1. Team working and interpersonal skills
2. Information literacy and ICT skills
3. Verbal communication
4. Analysing and problem solving
5. Personal planning and organising
6. Initiative
7. Commercial awareness
8. Written communication
9. Flexibility
10. Creativity
11. Empathy
12. Numerical reasoning
More than half of respondents to the survey said interpersonal and team-working skills are more important than ICT skills. Tech skills came seventh on a list of the top skills required for business success. Team working and interpersonal skills topped the list, with numerical reasoning coming last (see the grey box for the full rankings).
However, the future looks brighter for those with technical know-how. When asked which skills will be crucial for job success in 10 years time, ICT was ranked as the second most important - behind team working and interpersonal skills.
Younger business leaders are also more likely to place greater value on tech skills in today's workplace, according to the results.
The survey, which polled more than 500 senior executives, was commissioned by Microsoft. Company chairman Bill Gates said the ability to communicate well and share ideas is an important part of innovation - in the software arena and beyond.
Gates added in a statement: "One of the most important changes of the last 30 years is that digital technology has transformed almost everyone into an information worker. In almost every job now, people use software and work with information to enable their organisation to operate more effectively."
Comments
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1. Arunn Ramadoss
It is no surprise that many UK businesses are undervaluing the IT skills that are so vital for the day-to-day running of the business since an astonishing number of companies are still ignoring the true value of their core IT assets. Recent research has shown that three quarters of CIOs and CFOs at global organisations fail to confidently assess the financial value of their IT assets in the same way as other intangible assets such as brand and intellectual property. This is a shocking statistic given that global IT spend last year topped $1.5 trillion, which amounts to more than the GDP of India.
Organisations need to make a major shift in the way their IT departments communicate their contribution to business, to turn this situation around swiftly and effectively. However to achieve this shift, it is critical for such organisations to be able to recruit aspiring graduates with key IT skills that help them understand enterprise IT systems and how it has shaped their business success. It is vital that companies now work closely with the government, vendors and academia to ensure staff, present and future, have the IT skills to maintain existing systems, as well as the necessary business acumen - otherwise UK businesses will find their ability to compete with their international counterparts seriously handicapped.