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The 5 key transversal competences for young people at work in 2026

A critical analysis of the skills required of young workers. The importance of a balance between personal initiative and shared rules for company competitiveness

by Eva Campi*

13 January 2026

La convivenza di 5 generazioni in azienda

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Between wish lists and predictions of what will happen, even 2026 has begun with its rankings of skills, trends, must haves, and so on. I would like to share in this column, in which I often have the pleasure of writing, a reflection that starts with the selection of 5 transversal skills, considered fundamental, that I have seen appear, here and there, between the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 and that concern young people and the world of work. First, however, a little introductory hat. We are all aware that the transformation of production and organisational models is profoundly changing the criteria for selecting and valuing young people entering the world of work. However, at the same time, there are fewer and fewer so-called 'young people', which represents a not bad trade-off between the need to ensure a high quality of selection and the size of the pool to draw from.

In a context marked by (economic and geopolitical) uncertainty, continuous innovation and global competition, we all agree that technical skills are not enough to guarantee effective integration into the labour market. Identifying and enhancing transversal skills becomes today more than ever a critical factor of productivity, adaptability and organisational sustainability (I would add, not only for young people). Indeed, it is believed that in the near future all personnel management in the company - but not only, also the allocation of activities and division of workloads - will have to be based on skills and potential, rather than on qualifications. This approach will make it possible to quickly find and develop the skills the company needs to remain competitive, facilitate internal mobility and promotions, and facilitate the expression and realisation of each person's capabilities. It will (perhaps) also enable the promotion of more meritocratic systems (biases of various kinds permitting).

Let us therefore analyse these 5 competences which, as I wrote in the incipit, recur in the various 2026 wish lists: flexibility, team working, autonomy, complex problem solving and intercultural skills. Let us look at them together, trying to grasp their real meaning between ideal concept and critical boundary, that is, an interpretation that takes into account the possible distortions and exaggerations of the competences themselves.

Flexibility is one of the skills most in demand by companies. It creates value when it enables rapid adaptation to changes in context, priorities and working tools. From a managerial point of view, flexibility reduces the organisation's response time and facilitates the adoption of new operating models. However, excess flexibility can generate a lack of perimeter that leads to a lack of reference points and a possible loss of accountability; the continuous redefinition of roles and ambiguity of responsibilities, for example, can be considered as critical factors of 'excess' flexibility. Flexibility is only effective if it is anchored in clear objectives and defined, albeit evolving, roles.

Team working has now become a structural requirement, including the ability to collaborate in hybrid modes. Team working generates value when it encourages confrontation and the integration of individual contributions. The limitation emerges when team working becomes a flattening of responsibilities or a search for consensus at the expense of the quality of decisions. The risk is organisational conformism. The managerial boundary is clear: collaboration only works if individual responsibility and collective result coexist.

Another core competence is autonomy. In complex and distributed contexts, constant supervision is no longer sustainable. Companies value young people (and people, in general) who are able to take initiative, organise their work and manage priorities. However, autonomy loses value when it turns into context-disconnected action, refusal of coordination or subjective interpretation of rules. In such cases, autonomy degenerates into individualism and, in extreme cases, into operational 'anarchy'. Autonomy is only sustainable if exercised within a shared system of objectives, rules and continuous alignment.

Problem solvingcomplex problem solving represents the transition from an executive approach to a truly professional and professionalising one. Companies are looking for people capable of tackling complex problems, often under conditions of uncertainty and vulnerability. The value of this skill is evident when the initiative is supported by method, analysis and evaluation of alternatives. The boundary is crossed when the urge to solve leads to decisions that are hasty, unsupported or lack sound information bases. In this case, problem solving turns into improvisation. Competence only creates value if it combines initiative and analytical rigour with a good ability to foresee possible risks and their consequences.

Finally, intercultural skills are increasingly relevant even in seemingly local contexts. Multicultural teams and global markets require understanding and adaptability. The limitation emerges when the focus on cultural differences leads to renouncing common standards, rules and processes. Openness becomes organisational relativism. Intercultural competencies work when they value differences without compromising coherence and governance.

In a labour market characterised by structural mismatch between demand and supply of skills, these skills take on concrete economic value. According to the main international labour surveys, more than two-thirds of companies report difficulties in finding young profiles capable of operating autonomously, collaborating effectively and tackling complex problems in dynamic organisational contexts. In this context, a reflection often recalled also in the cultural debate comes back to the fore: the game only works when the rules and perimeters are clear. The same applies to work. Flexibility, autonomy and initiative only generate value if they are embedded in a context that defines shared objectives, responsibilities and limits. Without this oversight, transversal skills risk turning from levers of effectiveness into factors of disorder. For young people, this means entering organisations not as solitary performers, but as conscious players in a collective game. For companies, it means taking responsibility for designing contexts in which rules do not stifle energy, but turn it into productive energy. It is in this balance - between freedom and structure, initiative and boundaries - that the quality of work, the sustainability of organisations and, ultimately, the competitiveness of the economic system are at stake today.

*Partner of Newton Spa