Soft skills are vital for getting hired, as well as getting promoted, according to an Udemy report released on Tuesday. The majority of HR professionals (67%) withhold job offers from a qualified IT candidate because of a lack of soft skills, another report found. And almost all HR leaders (98%) said soft skills were important for candidates hoping to enter the tech field.

SEE: IT Training Policy (Tech Pro Research)

The top soft skill companies are looking for in 2019 is conflict management, the Udemy report found. Conflict management is crucial for problem solving professionally and interpersonally, especially with so many generations now in the workplace, the report added.

Here are the rest of the top 10 soft skills for 2019, according to the report:

1. Conflict management

Most leaders have trouble facing and handling conflict, the report said, making this soft skill incredibly useful in the workplace.

2. Time management

Whether working on multiple projects, working around meetings, or balancing work and personal life, time management is crucial to master.

3. Stress management

High stress levels often lead to employee burnout, so managing these stress levels is important for being productive in the office.

4. Communication skills

Communication is important whether you are a CXO, manager, or entry-level employee. Effective communication keeps a company operating smoothly and successfully.

5. Company culture

Company culture is what leads an organization to be high-performing. Check out these companies for examples of healthy and successful company cultures.

6. Customer service

Most organizations exist to provide a service to a consumer. Companies must prioritize customer experience if they want their customers to come back and bring others with them.

7. Emotional intelligence

Some 23% of employees fail at their jobs within the first 18 months because of low emotional intelligence, the report said. Companies are looking for customers who are both tech smart and people smart.

8. Personal productivity

The top causes of work distractions are chatty coworkers, office noises, feeling overwhelmed by changes at work, and social media, according to another Udemy report. Employees must be able to tune out surrounding distractions and complete their work.

9. Storytelling

The ability to tell a story is important for communicating ideas and collaborating with coworkers, said the report.

10. Change management

As artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and automation pervade the workplace, employees must prepare themselves for navigating a slew of changes.

Check out this TechRepublic article to learn about skills developers can use to future-proof their careers.

The big takeaways for tech leaders:

  • Hiring managers are specifically looking for strong soft skills in new hires. — Udemy, 2019
  • Some of the top soft skills of 2019 include conflict management, time management, and stress management. — Udemy, 2019