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LinkedIn releases Skills on the Rise 2025 report: A look at 15 skills to stay ahead

Creativity and innovation, code review, and problem-solving are among the top skills that employers seek in 2025.

Three out of the top five skills on the rise in India are human skills. (Express Image/LinkedIn)

Still unsure of taking that programming course you spotted on social media? Perhaps now is the right time to take the plunge and add a new skill to your resume. LinkedIn has just released its Skills on the Rise 2025 list highlighting 15 skills that professionals should invest in to stay relevant in the rapidly evolving landscape of work. Based on the list, the top five fastest-growing skills that Indian companies are excited for while hiring are creativity and innovation, in the first spot, followed by coding review and problem-solving in the second and third spots, respectively, and pre-screening and strategic thinking in the fourth and fifth spots.

LinkedIn research shows that 25 per cent of professionals worry about not having the skills needed for the future. While 60 per cent are open to switching industries, 39 per cent have plans to learn new skills. Similarly, 69 per cent of recruiters in India report a skills mismatch between the skills professionals possess and the skills sought by companies.

“India Inc. is experiencing a fundamental skills reset. As AI changes the way we work, soft skills like creativity, problem-solving, and strategic thinking are no longer ‘nice to have’; they’re business-critical. At the same time, AI literacy is becoming a baseline expectation across all job functions. Employers are also doubling down on customer engagement and stakeholder management, making business acumen more valuable than ever,” said Nirajita Banerjee, LinkedIn career expert and India senior managing director.

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Banerjee emphasised that this year’s Skills on the Rise list is a must-have resource for professionals to identify and learn the skills that companies are hiring for in 2025.

Here are this year’s top 15 skills on the rise in India:

Rank	Skill
1	Creativity and Innovation
2	Code Review
3	Problem Solving
4	Pre-screening
5	Strategic Thinking
6	Communication
7	Adaptability
8	Large Language Models (LLM)
9	AI Literacy
10	Debugging
11	Customer Engagement
12	Statistical Data Analysis
13	Prompt Engineering
14	Market Analysis
15	Stakeholder Management

At a time when AI proficiency is becoming the most sought-after skill, some skills that set professionals apart are becoming increasingly valuable. There is an increased demand for creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and strategic thinking beyond traditionally creative fields like arts, design, and marketing. These skills are in demand in areas such as business development and education. The report also shows that communication, which has been essential in people-centric roles like sales and HR, is extending into IT, consulting, and finance.

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On the other hand, AI literacy has become a baseline expectation across job functions. As many as 95 per cent of C-Suite leaders in India are prioritising AI skills over traditional experience. Knowledge of large language models and prompt engineering has become a key differentiator for job applicants. With companies laying more emphasis on business growth, strong customer relationships have emerged as a top priority, making customer engagement a critical skill across sales, business development, and marketing functions.

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“AI literacy is becoming essential, with our latest data showing a growing demand for skills like Large Language Models and Prompt Engineering for tech roles in India. At the same time, foundational engineering strengths, such as Software Design and Code Review, remain critical for building high-quality, scalable solutions,” said Malai Lakshmanan, head of India engineering at LinkedIn.

Lakshmanan added that we are at a pivotal moment where mastery of core technology skills like design and coding is just as important as new-age AI capabilities for engineers.