The concept of employability skills in contemporary interdisciplinary scientific discourse

Technological progress is transforming the structure of the organizational environment: hierarchical structures are replaced by teams and project groups; work is no longer based on following predictable instructions, units are more diverse. The above factors influence the change in requirements for potential employees. Although the demand for personnel with developed intelligence and highly specialized knowledge does not change, the need for workers capable of productive interaction and regulation of their own efficiency is increasing more and more. The purpose of the article is to analyze the world theories on employability skills to reveal the possibilities of expanding the prevailing in Russian science view on individual’s opportunity and ability to seek and find job. The methodological approach of this study includes a systematic review of scientific literature from the field of economics, sociology, and psychology. Special attention is paid to the search for empirical indicators. The review shows that the perspective on employment can be supplemented by the personal responsibility viewpoint: modern economic realities dictate the need to narrow the gap between personal qualifications and the demands of the labor market through self-directed investments in human capital. Employability skills are personal qualities necessary for a today’s worker, which ensure their employment and career development. Employability skills can be attributed to general human capital. These non-cognitive characteristics can be divided into individual (necessary to improve own performance) and interpersonal (necessary when interacting with other people). The authors propose to consider four basic employability skills, which are research proven to increase economic outcomes. Individual skills are associated with the ability to set a goal (self-management) and “force” oneself to achieve it (self-control); interpersonal skills are associated with the ability to speak one’s mind, gain understanding, hear others (communication), and cooperate for the common good (teamworking). Based on the analysis carried out, empirical indicators that can be used in future studies on this issue are singled out.

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