2023’s 10 Most In Demand Skills for Technology and Marketing

When 72% of our respondents to the MarTech Report said they viewed marketing talent as more essential than technology, we weren't too surprised.

Without people, the tech might as well just be a big lump of rock. There'd be no-one to optimise it, no-one to monitor it. Like our CEO Carlos says: "great tech doesn't take care of itself."

Upwork Unveils Top 10 Most In-Demand Skills for Technology, Marketing, and Customer Service Independent Talent in 2022 (Graphic: Upwork)

But the skills gap persists. In fact, only 28% of marketers viewing their in-house talent and tech as trained and working well. 

This means companies must focus on a combination of hiring and training, in order to keep up with the massive growths in technology we've seen in the last few years, and will continue to see.

Yesterday, Upwork revealed the 10 most in-demand skills for tech, marketing, and customer service independent talent on their site in 2022, mapping the talents employees need to focus on in the coming year. It also hints at upcoming trends in the market, and offers companies a chance to consider how they will move to acquire these skills - training, or hiring. 

Our data indicates that not only is there a huge demand for a broad range of professional skills, but also businesses big and small are shifting their approach to accessing talent and looking to freelancers to fill critical skills gaps.”

Companies have faced massive challenges in regards to retaining and sourcing highly trained talent, thanks to a number of different reasons. Digital transformation, both due to the pandemic and previous advancements, and an evolving labour market have shifted how people work, and how they will continue to work. And that's without even taking into account The Great Resignation, which saw millions leaving jobs voluntarily. 

“Every company is vying for the best talent to stay competitive. This often means looking beyond hiring traditional full-time employees to find independent talent that offer advanced skills in areas like technology, marketing, or customer service,” said Margaret Lilani, VP of Talent Solutions at Upwork.

“Our data indicates that not only is there a huge demand for a broad range of professional skills, but also businesses big and small are shifting their approach to accessing talent and looking to freelancers to fill critical skills gaps.”

So, what are these skills? And where should companies be focusing their hiring/training capabilities in order to remain the most competitive? 

Upwork’s top 10 most in-demand tech skills:

  1. Web Design
  2. WordPress
  3. Web Programming
  4. JavaScript
  5. CSS
  6. HTML
  7. PHP
  8. Shopify
  9. API
  10. Graphic Design

Upwork’s top 10 most in-demand marketing skills:

  1. Social Media Marketing
  2. Lead Generation
  3. Facebook
  4. SEO
  5. B2B Marketing
  6. Instagram
  7. Marketing Strategy
  8. Social Media Management
  9. Email Marketing
  10. Marketing Research

Upwork’s top 10 most in-demand customer service skills:

  1. Customer Service
  2. Customer Support
  3. Email Communication
  4. Phone Support
  5. Email Support
  6. Communication Etiquette
  7. Online Chat Support
  8. Answering Product Questions
  9. Data Entry
  10. Administrative Support

Alongside the list of most in-demand skills, the talents with the highest growth year after year are: Web Programming (43%), Web Design (31%), and Social Media Marketing (25%). The continued growth of these skills, which have turned from a 'nice to have' into a 'must have', shows that martech is no longer in addition to marketing - it is marketing. 

Why Talent Matters

The importance of talent can't be understated. At our recent #MarTechFest Global Websesh, when he was asked about the advice he wished he'd received as a young entrepreneur, Steven Bartlett pointed towards surrounding himself with capable individuals. 

“I wish someone had advised me on hiring really great talent. I thought success would come from my own ability. But in a business, you don’t touch most things.”

“The quality of your talent will be the single biggest prediction for your outcome…you are a recruitment company, and this is a talent war”.

So, what's the solution? 

The lack of the in-house skills required to ensure successful initiatives and solve some of the issues around tech integration is a problem that can be addressed through training and development.

In the last 6 months we have seen an overwhelming demand for certification in martech and marketing operations across all industries. From the world’s largest tech companies, to agencies to FMCG and beyond, companies are recognising the need to get more from their tech by upskilling”

Carlos Doughty, CEO & Course instructor, MarTech Alliance