In this current world of work, mastering AI tools and people skills is your ticket to standing out in a competitive job market. With APAC facing an 77% talent shortage, employers want candidates who can combine human connection with tech savvy. Whether you’re a job seeker in IT, Retails, Financials or others, this article shows you how to leverage AI tools and people skills to land your dream job.
Why people skills are now business-critical
In 2025, soft skills, or people skills, are business-critical. With nearly 77% of APAC employers reporting talent shortages in 2025, the pressure is on candidates as employers now look beyond technical expertise. This is where people skills—also called soft skills—become your selling advantage. Why? As AI automates routine tasks, human skills set you apart.
Career durability means having the people skills, mindset, and knowledge to stay relevant and productive over time. As highlighted in the 2025 Global Workforce Trends report, it’s built on five key pillars: hard skills, soft skills, applied tech skills, institutional know-how, and a growth mindset. Mastering applied technology helps workers use modern tools to work smarter and faster.
LinkedIn 2024 Talent Strategy also lists communication, adaptability, and collaboration among the top 5 in-demand soft skills across all job types. If you’re not actively developing these capabilities, you’re already behind.
The demand is real—and growing
Based on Q3 2025 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, 37% of APAC employers are hiring for company growth, and 24% cite the need for new skill sets to stay competitive. With the IT industry showing the strongest hiring outlook - 36% of IT hiring managers now prioritize candidates with strong people skills over technical ability.These industries don’t just need tech-savvy professionals - they need emotionally intelligent collaborators.
How to build and showcase your people skills?
So, how can you build and demonstrate strong people skills? Here’s a smart roadmap to get started:
1. Reflect and self-assess
Start by identifying your current strengths and gaps. Stay updated with the latest workforce reports and career tips from experts to evaluate your communication style, emotional awareness, and leadership presence. Knowing your gaps helps you focus your growth.
2. Practice empathy, not just efficiency
Employers now value how you work with others just as much as what you deliver. Use real-life interactions to build active listening, openness to feedback, and cross-functional collaboration.
3. Build micro-habits
You don’t need a course to improve. Daily habits like summarizing what others say before responding, recognizing team wins publicly, or managing stress in a group setting all compound into powerful interpersonal credibility.
Supercharge your job search with ai tools in 2025
AI isn't replacing human connection—it’s helping you show it better. Here’s how:
Resume optimization
Use AI tools to highlight people skills in impact-focused language. Instead of vague phrases like “worked in teams,” go with an impact-driven ones like “led weekly cross-functional meetings that improved collaboration KPIs by 25%.”
Interview coaching
AI-powered mock interviews (e.g. with feedback on tone, pace, clarity) help you fine-tune your communication style. Combine that with STAR methodstorytelling to make your answers memorable.
S – Situation: Briefly set the scene or context
T – Task: Describe your responsibility or the goal you aimed to achieve
A – Action: Explain the specific steps you took
R – Result: Quantify the positive outcome of your actions. What did you achieve?
Smart job matching
Leverage AI-driven platforms like LinkedIn AI search filters to find roles where people skills are critical—and valued.
LinkedIn Branding
Use generative AI to draft a compelling profile summary, but personalize it with examples that reflect authenticity, like "I lead with empathy and always listen twice before speaking once."
Finding jobs that truly value people skills
In 2025, employers across APAC face a 77% talent shortage, especially in IT, Engineering, Sales, HR, and Logistics. Roles in these fields – especially those involving collaboration, client interaction, or team leadership – demand strong people skills. For example:
For FMCG candidates: FMCG professionals need strong people skills like communication, adaptability, and cross-functional collaboration to thrive in fast-paced environments.
For IT/TECH candidates: IT professionals need people skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and clear communication.
For E-commerce candidates: E-commerce professionals need people skills like agility, customer empathy, and cross-team coordination.
These are the roles where your people skills aren't just appreciated—they’re essential. Check out Manpower’s career resources for more job search tips.
Tech gets you noticed. People skills get you hired.
In 2025, successful job seekers don’t just adapt to change—they lead with humanity and scale with AI. With labor markets tightening and hiring expectations rising in all key industries, employers want candidates who connect, adapt, and inspire – skills AI can’t replicate.
Master the tech, but let your people skills do the talking.