Developing the right blend of technical skills and soft skills is the solution for workers and employers as technology transforms organizations, according to a new report by ManpowerGroup Inc. (NYSE: MAN) titled “Robots Need Not Apply: Human Solutions in the Skills Revolution.”

The report is based on survey data from 20,000 employers across 42 countries.

It found 86% of employers say their headcount will increase or remain flat in the next two years because of automation. However, the impact varies by function: IT functions anticipate the greatest hiring; administration and office functions expect the greatest decrease.

In addition, more than half of companies reported that communication skills, written and verbal, are their most-valued soft skill, followed by collaboration and problem solving.

“Digitization is happening at an unprecedented pace and every industry and function will be impacted,” ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jonas Prising said. “This is good news for people — providing they have the right skills mix to augment rather than compete with technology. As employers, we need to identify skills adjacencies that create clear career paths for people, from this job to that job, and we must develop faster reskilling programs with shorter bursts of on-the-job, experiential training. We're partnering with other employers to do just that.”

Prising said ManpowerGroup is working to reskill underemployed textile workers in Italy to work with high tech materials such as carbon fiber. It’s also working to upskill military veterans in the US in digital manufacturing.

Meanwhile, in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, ManpowerGroup showcased its latest innovations — the Digital Room which assesses digital fluency, hosted by the organisation's newest addition, Zara the avatar — and the DigiQuotient, a scientifically validated quiz that helps leaders assess readiness to lead in the digital age. Zara the avatar, supported by artificial intelligence, asks scientifically validated questions developed by ManpowerGroup's Right Management career and leadership experts.

"Transformation has to start at the top and leaders need to lead differently today than they may have done in the past,” Prising said. “Wherever companies are on their digital journey, the path is clear: they need to be more agile than ever to unleash human potential, develop skilled talent and pair it with the best technology. That's why we are pleased to be testing our new technology in Davos — the biggest gathering of leaders in the world — to help organizations assess readiness to lead in the digital age."