The types of skills employers are seeking in 2025 are changing rapidly, with a distinct split between global and UK hiring priorities, according to new analysis from HR technology provider TestGorilla. The firm’s data, spanning 3.9 million skills tests completed by candidates worldwide, shows surging demand for both technical and cognitive skills, as businesses aim to adapt to ongoing technological and workplace change.
Technical focus
Globally, there is a marked increase in demand for technical skills. Artificial intelligence skills tests grew the fastest over the last year, with an increase of 166%. Coding Debugging saw a rise of 133%, followed by Computer Litreacy at 77% and Data Structures – Arrays at 73%. Financial Modelling in Excel rounded out the global top five with growth of 69%.
This reflects a worldwide trend towards building teams with AI fluency and advanced coding ability, as employers seek practical skills capable of meeting new business demands. It comes at a time when most employers are not directly assessing AI proficiency during interviews, even as more roles require it.
UK demand
In the UK, employers are prioritising a different set of fast-growing skills. Market Analysis tests increased by 198%, while Technical Support Help Desk Representative skills rose by 188%. Typing Speed (Lowercase Only) was up 164%, WordPress Administration increased 118%, and Project Management saw an 85% rise.
The pace of growth in UK technical skills testing suggests companies are targeting data-led decision making and digital operational delivery. This focus signals an ongoing catch-up with global trends in AI adoption, while still prioritising immediate, operational skills needed in the workplace.
Soft skills stability
Despite the rapid rise in technical skills testing, soft skills assessments continue to dominate in overall popularity. In the UK, the most commonly tested skills are Attention to Detail, Communication, and Problem Solving. Critical Thinking ranks fourth and the Big 5 (OCEAN) personality assessment is in fifth place.
The global picture is similar, with the Big 5 (OCEAN) personality test holding the top spot, ahead of Attention to Detail, Critical Thinking, Communication and Problem Solving. This emphasis on cognitive and interpersonal skills suggests employers want people who can work effectively both alongside technology and within teams.
Assessment methods
Organisations are increasingly questioning the effectiveness of traditional application and interview processes in determining workplace capability. Only a minority of employers currently assess AI skills in interviews, despite an uptick in demand for AI capability.
“This data shows that the global skills landscape is evolving fast, and employers are waking up to the reality that CVs and interviews alone can’t reveal true capability. As our 2025 State of Skills-Based Hiring report found, 71% of employers say skills testing is more predictive of on-the-job success than resumes. This difference is only going to increase as AI reshapes the world of work and the demand for precise tools to measure candidate proficiency grows. Organisations are increasingly looking towards skills tests as the most objective and fair way to assess technical proficiency and capacity to work alongside AI effectively,” said Wouter Durville, CEO and founder, TestGorilla.
AI-first approach
Another emerging trend is the shift to hiring for “AI-first” capabilities, as companies attempt to build teams able to excel in an AI-driven environment. There is a growing requirement for objective testing tools to identify both technical ability and the capacity for critical thinking among new hires.
“Most leadership teams right now are thinking about how to build an AI-first company, and, as a result, every modern recruiter is thinking about AI-first hiring. In other words, how to hire people who can excel in an AI-driven world. Skills tests that are designed to objectively measure technical ability and critical thinking, especially those with robust anti-cheating measures built in, are crucial for recruiters to have available as they build their AI-first teams,” said Olive Turon, Head of People and Culture, TestGorilla.
