What Are the Top Hard Skills and Soft Skills for Workers in 2026?

A career services website recently surveyed 1,005 U.S. hiring managers to determine which hard and soft skills are most important in 2026, revealing surprising priorities that could impact workforce planning and development.

According to the ResumeTemplates.com poll, the top 10 hard skills (i.e., technical, measurable abilities tied directly to the job) are:

1. Software tools
2. Data analysis
3. Cybersecurity awareness
4. Project management
5. Quality assurance and testing
6. Automation and workflow optimization
7. Product management
8. Technical writing and documentation
9. Data visualization
10. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools

And, the top 10 soft skills (i.e., interpersonal and behavioral strengths that shape how someone works) are:

1. Communication
2. Professionalism
3. Time management
4. Accountability
5. Resilience
6. Problem solving
7. Critical thinking
8. Attention to detail
9. Collaboration
10. Adaptability

“Skills serve as a bridge across the talent and rewards experience,” said Laurie Bienstock, a managing director and global leader for knowledge architecture at consulting firm WTW. “In the wake of rapid technological change, jobs are evolving faster than ever — often beyond what a traditional job title suggests.”

Analyzing Hard Skills

In 2026, the top hard skills professionals need are software tools related to their function and industry, said Julie Toothacre, the chief career strategist at ResumeTemplates.com.

“These are the everyday tools you use to do your job,” she said. “Second to that is data analysis. While there are positions that specialize in data analysis, this is a more general skill that all professionals need to work with data, produce effective reports and make data-informed decisions.”

While acknowledging the importance of these skills, other experts questioned the low position of AI acumen.

“Workers’ ability to work alongside and collaborate with AI is becoming increasingly important,” said Sue Holloway, a content director at WorldatWork. “As AI becomes embedded in data analytics, decision-making and process automation, professionals who can leverage technology effectively into problem solving and strategy will have a distinct advantage.”

WTW’s latest talent intelligence report placed AI skills at the top of the list.

“While AI and automation is replacing certain tasks, the ability to utilize and interpret the data, to determine where and how to use AI, and ultimately, [determine] the role of the ‘human in the loop’ is continuing to show up at the forefront,” said Bienstock. “The skill lists show that organizations are searching for talent that not only understands how to use AI but also understand how to apply that in the context of the work and ensure that cyber threats and security are appropriately managed within the AI ecosystem.”

These lists rarely shift significantly over the years, so cybersecurity rising to the third spot on the hard skills list is notable, agreed Toothacre.

“Because so much of our work is done online and in the cloud, companies are realizing that professionals need a more robust understanding of cybersecurity to prevent their systems from being compromised,” she said.

Analyzing Soft Skills

Communication continues to be a prime soft skills emphasis, but professionalism hitting the No. 2 spot on the ResumeTemplates list was quite unexpected, said Toothacre.

“In the soft skills list, professionalism, time management and accountability seemed like odd skills to emphasize,” she said. “Most of these skills are expected, and it’s rare to see them all on a list like this.”

This shift is likely a response to Generation Z entering the workforce, Toothacre said.

“While millennials received similar criticisms when they entered the workforce, they still assimilated into the corporate culture,” she said. “Gen Z is pushing against the professional norms that have been held for decades, and the introduction of these skills on this list shows the frustration of current leaders.”

Key Skills That Are Missing or Emerging

Skills such as curiosity or learning are soft skills that are usually undervalued on these lists, said Toothacre.

“They tend to be more prominent on ‘new graduate’ or ‘early career skills’ lists, but I think they are lifelong skills that all professionals should continue to develop,” she said.

What else should be on your talent radar screen?

WTW’s global top 10 emerging skills list heavily features AI:

1. Generative AI (GenAI)
2. Machine learning
3. Cyber threat management
4. Data governance
5. Data storytelling
6. Prompt engineering
7. Cloud computing
8. Identity and access management (IAM)
9. Growth marketing
10. AI application development

“It is essential to balance strong technical skills with the ability to manage the data, decisions, products and services an organization delivers,” Bienstock said. “Organizations that thrive in a rapidly evolving AI landscape will employ talent who can adapt quickly and effectively interpret, review, and safeguard data and analytics.”

WorldatWork’s Holloway points to the growing importance of human skills — such as influence, creativity and innovation, resilience and agility, nuanced decision-making and ethical judgment, and social-emotional intelligence — in light of AI expansion.

“These human skills enable employees to complement technology rather than compete with it,” she said.

Reward programs provide excellent opportunities to incentivize behavior and accelerate skill development and application, Holloway added. Therefore, she advised HR and total rewards professionals to explore skills-based pay approaches such as:

• Skills acquisition and application rewards;
• Skills-based promotions;
• Salary adjustments or lump-sum bonuses for earning a certification;
• Skills-based pay differentials or premiums; and,
• Structured career progression tied to skill mastery.

“Today’s speed of change, a global skills shortage and increasing competition for critical skills demand a skills focus,” Holloway said. “Work and jobs are quickly changing, and employees are chasing opportunities for growth.”

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics:

• Employee Benefits
• Employee Compensation
• People Analytics
• Total Rewards