SG employers find 'thinking' skills to be rare, yet training not priority

In an evolving job market that increasingly values unique human competencies, more than nine in ten business leaders (34% very important, 60% somewhat important) consider strong thinking skills important in their decision to hire candidates for their organisation. Nearly all (47% very important, 49% somewhat important) view thinking skills as crucial for augmenting or supplementing employees’ technical skills in the face of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).

Yet more than four in five of them (28% to a large extent, 57% to a moderate extent) acknowledge that there is a gap in thinking skills in their organisation to a certain degree. Despite this, less than half of business leaders (43%) have sent their employees for thinking skills training in the past year, citing a lack of clear metrics or tools to measure progress in thinking skills development (41%).

Other challenges include inconsistent understanding or definition of what constitutes effective thinking skills (38%), and difficulty in tailoring thinking skills training to suit diverse roles or departments (38%) among the key challenges they face.

These are some of the key findings from NTUC LearningHub’s Special Report 2024 on Thinking Skills in a Digital Age, which investigates how thinking skills complement technical skills to build a resilient workforce capable of navigating the complexities of the emerging digital economy.

Based on a survey involving 200 business leaders, the report also explores the transferability of thinking skills across industries and roles, underscoring the need for training to enhance workers’ adaptability and career prospects.

Despite ongoing challenges, half of business leaders (41%) believe that combining thinking skills with technical skills is essential for maximising human capital in their organisation, where they place equal importance on a range of thinking skills such as problem-solving (12%), strategic thinking (11%), critical thinking (10%), analytical thinking (10%), and logical thinking (10%).

As such, nearly four in five of them (24% very likely, 54% somewhat likely) are likely to send their employees for training in thinking skills, with more than half of business leaders (55%) intending to send their employees for training in thinking skills within the next six months.

Additionally, thinking skills can help employees navigate career transitions and advancements, keeping them relevant and employable as technology evolves, as corroborated by nearly all business leaders (40% strongly agree, 57% somewhat agree).

Amos Tan, chief core skills officer, NTUC LearningHub, said, “In today’s fast-paced and tech-driven workplace, success hinges on the effective augmentation and application of technical expertise and thinking skills.”

Tan added that the interplay among these skills enables employees to tackle challenges, adapt to changes, and make calculated decisions, especially as technologies like AI become integral in the workplace. For instance, strong problem-solving, critical and creative thinking allow employees to purposefully steer generative AI systems to produce optimal and accurate outputs.

Tan added that while AI can process data quickly and predict outcomes based on patterns, offer insights or recommendations, when combined with human’s strategic and critical thinking, AI helps decision-makers interpret these insights within business contexts and nuances, guiding decisions that align with the organisation’s values and goals.

“As the demand for thinking skills grows, so does the skills gap and this underscores the vital need for comprehensive training in thinking skills. Arming employees with thinking skills not only boost organisational productivity but enhances individual career resilience and allows employees to unlock new opportunities for career growth,” he said.