Benefits of including a job skills list
Including a job skills list in your job descriptions is one of the first steps toward transitioning to a skills-first hiring process, which is one that prioritizes candidates’ skills over education and experience.
Skills-first hiring, also known as skills-based hiring, offers many benefits for employers, such as expanding the candidate pool, expediting the hiring process, increasing employee retention and improving morale. When you clearly identify what job skills are required for success in positions, you’ll find it much easier to identify relevant strengths and areas of improvement in candidates so that you can evaluate them fairly.
Top 25 job description skills examples
Although beneficial skills vary widely from job to job, some skills are generally more in demand than others.
According to Indeed data for 2023, here are the top 25 skills that were most commonly listed in job descriptions on Indeed.¹
1. Communication skills
Included in 26.63% of job postings
Communication skills are the ability to express yourself and convey ideas clearly. A job may require oral and/or written communication skills.
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2. Customer service skills
Included in 14.35% of job postings
Customer service skills are abilities that enable employees to interact positively with customers to satisfy their needs and resolve their problems in a pleasant and professional manner.
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3. English skills
Included in 8.26% of job postings
English skills is the term for using correct grammar and appropriate vocabulary when speaking or writing the English language.
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4. Management skills
Included in 8.02% of job postings
Management skills are abilities that allow candidates to give direction, delegate responsibilities, enforce policies and perform other tasks while overseeing the work of other employees.
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5. Microsoft Office
Included in 7.12% of job postings
Microsoft Office is a suite of software, including spreadsheet, presentation, email and word processing programs. Someone skilled in Microsoft Office is usually proficient with all these programs.
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6. Computer skills
Included in 7.08% of job postings
Computer skills generally refer to an in-depth understanding of operating systems, programming languages, software programs, networks and other technologies.
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7. Microsoft Excel
Included in 6.72% of job postings
Microsoft Excel is a commonly used spreadsheet program used to store, organize, analyze and generate reports on large data sets.
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8. Organizational skills
Included in 4.20% of job postings
Organizational skills are the ability to develop systems and processes that allow you to complete multiple tasks correctly and in a timely manner.
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9. Restaurant experience
Included in 4.14% of job postings
Restaurant experience is the term for having previously worked at a food service business. It implies that candidates have knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of front-of-house and kitchen staff.
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10. Leadership skills
Included in 4.11% of job postings
Leadership skills are abilities that allow employees to motivate others, direct their activities and aid in their professional development.
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11. Microsoft Word
Included in 4.06% of job postings
Microsoft Word is a word processing software program used to create, format and edit written documents.
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12. Time management
Included in 4.01% of job postings
Time management is the term for being able to allocate your time so that you can complete tasks within established deadlines.
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13. Analysis skills
Included in 3.89% of job postings
Analysis skills are a set of abilities that enable candidates to interpret data and use it to solve problems and gain new insights.
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14. Supervising experience
Included in 3.82% of job postings
Supervising experience is the term for previously serving in a role that involved directly overseeing the work of other people.
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15. Computer literacy
Included in 3.42% of job postings
Computer literacy is the term for understanding how to use a computer and peripherals, such as a mouse.
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16. Writing skills
Included in 3.24% of job postings
Writing skills are abilities that permit employees to create succinct written documents that accomplish established goals, such as explaining a concept or making a persuasive argument.
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17. Sales skills
Included in 3.23% of job postings
Sales skills are abilities that enable candidates to recommend products and services to customers based on their needs and to encourage them to make purchases.
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18. Bilingual
Included in 3.10% of job postings
Bilingual is the term for being able to communicate effectively in two or more languages.
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19. Spanish
Included in 2.75% of job postings
As a skill, Spanish is the ability to communicate in the Spanish language using correct grammar and vocabulary.
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20. Microsoft PowerPoint
Included in 2.57% of job postings
Microsoft PowerPoint is a software program for creating and giving presentations.
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21. Nursing
Included in 2.08% of job postings
Nursing skills are the ability to deliver direct care to patients, monitor their conditions and respond to their needs.
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22. Driving
Included in 2.02% of job postings
Driving as a skill is the ability to operate a motor vehicle safely in accordance with traffic laws.
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23. Microsoft Outlook
Included in 1.94% of job postings
Microsoft Outlook is a software program used to send and receive emails, manage a personal calendar and schedule meetings and appointments.
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24. Commercial driving
Included in 1.91% of job postings
Commercial driving is the ability to legally operate commercial vehicles, such as trucks, buses or delivery vans.
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25. Basic math
Included in 1.89% of job postings
Having basic math skills typically means that you can add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers and fractions.
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How to choose which job skills to list
As you can see, there are many job description skills examples that you might consider using when you write job descriptions. To be useful to candidates and your organization, a job skills list in a description should only include the most important qualifications. Following these tips will help you determine which job skills to list and which to leave out.
1. Identify essential skills
Begin by brainstorming points to include in your job skills list. Once you’ve compiled your list, review it skill by skill. Think critically about each one and determine which skills are the most essential for success in the position.
2. Consider your training program
Once you have a list of essential job skills to list, consider your new employee training process. Determine which skills new hires will develop during training to decide whether they’ll need to possess those vital qualifications before the onboarding process. For example, being able to use a POS system may be essential for a retail salesperson, but if your new hire training includes a course on how to use yours, you may not need to include it in your list of job description skills examples.
3. Seek input from your team
To get a different perspective on what job skills to list, consult your team through a position-specific employee survey. Ask your employees to rate how important the items on your job skills list are to their success on a scale of 1 to 5. When you review the answers, you may find that certain skills aren’t as relevant as you believed, while others may be more important than you anticipated.
¹Indeed data (US), Dec 2022 – Dec 2023
