Coopers Com­pet­ence Compass

These questions have accompanied us closely this year. In conversations with candidates and clients alike, one thing became clear: the interest in personal development is not new, but it is becoming more concrete and intentional.

Many want to avoid falling behind, while others are actively looking to explore new paths. What is clear: professional development is no longer a secondary topic. It is being actively pursued and strategically used.

We wanted to understand how this desire for growth is taking shape. To find out, we conducted the same LinkedIn survey four times throughout the year in our community of around 72,000 members. The answers provided a clear picture: which skills are in focus? Where do professionals see the greatest need?

Our goal was not scientific accuracy, but a trend barometer for what is moving people in a year of significant change.

Which skill would you most like to develop over the next 12 months?
We asked this question four times throughout the year. Respondents could choose from the following:

• Technical and digital skills
• Job-specific professional skills
• General soft skills
• Leadership skills

The answers remained remarkably stable over time:

Technical and digital skills were clearly in the lead.
Many professionals are actively repositioning themselves. Reskilling appears to be more in demand than deepening existing skills in the current job (upskilling).

Job-specific professional skills and leadership skills followed closely.
Learning remains a key theme, but is often associated with new roles or contexts.

Soft skills ranked last in all surveys.
This is understandable, as many professionals feel the need to catch up technically. At the same time, it is surprising given how critical skills such as communication, resilience, or self-management have become, especially in the context of artificial intelligence, leadership, and hybrid work environments.

We see several potential explanations for why soft skills are receiving less priority in these surveys:

Many candidates currently feel strong pressure to build technical expertise, especially due to digital transformation and the emergence of new technologies.
In addition, soft skills are often seen as a given or are considered difficult to define. Their impact tends to become visible only in interaction: in teams, in leadership, in complex situations – but rarely on a resume.

Studies like the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report make it clear:
Human capabilities such as empathy, self-leadership, and critical thinking are gaining importance. These skills cannot be automated and are essential for remaining effective through change.

“If you want to lead, you must first be able to lead yourself.”
This quote from Dr. Roger Huber, occupational psychologist and long-standing partner of Coopers Executive, highlights the role of self-leadership. It is a key requirement for many leadership skills and shows how soft skills are a vital component of effective leadership.

At first glance, the Swiss labor market appears stable in 2025. At the same time, momentum has slowed. While employment is increasing slightly, the number of open positions has declined compared to the previous year. The skills shortage remains a challenge.

In this context, professional development is more important than ever. Those who invest in their own competencies not only improve their personal prospects, they also become more attractive to employers.

In our blog posts on upskilling and reskilling, we explain why now is the right time to realign your personal competence compass.

Coopers supports professionals with consulting, project placement, and practical support, for example, through temptraining: temporary employees in Switzerland can receive up to CHF 5,000 in financial support for continuing education. Learn more.

In addition to asking about desired areas of further development, we also asked our LinkedIn community the following question four times over the course of 2025: How do you currently rate the demand for your professional skills?

The following answer options were provided:

• In high demand
• Stable, but demanding
• Few options available
• Unpredictable

The results show a shift over the course of the year. The share of respondents who rated the demand for their skills as high declined slightly. At the same time, the proportion of those who perceived the market as more demanding and reported seeing only few options increased.

These findings complement the insights from the Competence Compass. The desire for further development arises less from a sense of abundant opportunities and more from the need for orientation. Skills therefore serve not only as qualifications, but also as a way to assess one’s own position in the market.

In an environment that is perceived as more demanding, it is no longer sufficient to match profiles purely against requirements. What matters is taking potential, capacity for development, and context into account. This is where we see our role: bringing professionals and companies together in a way that ensures competencies are not only a good fit, but sustainable over the long term.

Technical know-how remains essential.
But without soft skills, the foundation for long-term success is incomplete.

Continuing education is not an end in itself, it is a chance to stay flexible and relevant.
Coopers supports your development with a clear focus on what drives people forward. Because people have always been, and will always be, at the heart of what we do.

Feel free to reach out if you would like to walk part of your journey together. We would be happy to hear from you.

Your Coopers Family
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