Study: Conflict Management Skills in High Demand

An international survey by talent specialists Futurestep has revealed that conflict management skills are in high demand in industries consisting of a mixed labor force, where one-fifth of polled organizations said that skills in conflict resolution were in short supply. Due to the high rates of talent migration and the cultural diversity of the workforces, skills in conflict management are particularly necessary in heavy industries such as construction, manufacturing, and mining. Nearly 20 percent of survey respondents said that conflict management skills sets were the most difficult to develop in new hires.

The survey, Global Talent Impact Survey: Understanding the Race for Impact 2012, found that, even though conflict management skills were felt to be in short supply, employees throughout heavy industries that were good at motivating others were easy to find in the industrial sectors. And the prevalence of the motivational skill was crucial in helping the counter the lack of dispute resolution and conflict management skills.

Dinesh Tyagi, industrial market leader at Futurestep India, said, “We are seeing an increase in global talent migration, especially in industrial managers from European to Asian countries, which is resulting in a culturally diverse workforce. Conflict management skills are essential to ensure a mixed labor force runs harmoniously and employee relations are strong regardless of the difference in background and culture of its employees.”

The survey included managers from businesses in the U.K., U.S., France, Germany, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, and Australia, and spanned organizations across six sectors including consumer services, financial services, government and non-profit, industrial, life sciences, and technology.