How Tunisian companies are reinventing their talent policy in the face of the soft skills revolution
The competitiveness of Tunisian companies is no longer measured solely by the technical skills of their employees. A profound transformation is underway in the criteria for selecting, managing, and retaining talent, where behavioral skills, more commonly known under the Anglo-Saxon term soft skills, now occupy a central place in human resources strategies.
This movement, observable worldwide, takes on a particular resonance in Tunisia, as the national labor market combines an abundant pool of graduates with a persistent shortage of profiles endowed with the relational, cognitive and managerial aptitudes that employers demand.
A global shift in hiring criteria
The World Economic Forum confirms, in its Future of Jobs 2025 report, that seven out of ten employers consider analytical thinking and critical thinking to be essential skills, placing this cognitive-behavioral capability ahead of resilience, flexibility, leadership, and social influence.
The organization also estimates that 39% of the world’s fundamental workforce skills will be transformed or become obsolete by 2030, compared with 44% in 2023, a trend attributed to the rise of lifelong learning programs. This skills gap now represents, for 63% of employers surveyed worldwide, the main barrier to transforming their organization, ahead of budgetary or regulatory constraints.
LinkedIn’s professional network notes that more than 90% of recruiters today consider behavioral skills to be as decisive, if not more so, than technical skills in their hiring decisions, a shift that redefines the traditional hierarchy between degree, experience, and soft skills.
The Tunisian paradox
