The skills that UK employees believe will be important to their careers in 2018, and those that recruiters deem most valuable, are vastly different, according to survey data from Michael Page.

The survey, which polled nearly 1,200 workers and 240 recruiters, showed that when asked to choose which transferrable job skills they consider valuable to their career for 2018, the ability to problem-solve came out on top for workers, whereas recruiters labelled adaptability the most valuable skill.

Michael Page’s survey found that the most valuable career skills for 2018 are adaptability; commercial awareness; proactivity; concise communication; and teamwork. The survey also revealed that the most underestimated career skills for the year are commercial awareness; stakeholder management; calculating and communicating ROI; concise communication; and strategy and change.

“In the current competitive job market, it’s not only important for candidates to show they can do the job today, they must also show they are likely to be an asset for the future,” Corinne Mills, careers coach and MD at Personal Career Management, said.

 “Ultimately, recruiting staff is a business decision and this survey is a useful reminder to candidates that they are more likely to be appointed if they are attuned to an organisation’s business imperatives, and have the commercial skills to succeed,” Mills said.