Skills of managers vs experts
Forward thinking research released by Google in 2017 from "Project Oxygen" found that STEM (hard) skills, while important, were not the most crucial qualities for top performing managers. Initiated due to a large number of exiting staff citing management as a reason for leaving, the project analysed data on hiring, firing and employee performance over several years. Although necessary, STEM skills were not the top predictor of the best manager’s characteristics.
The top 7 characteristics were:
1. Being a good coach
2. Communicating and listening well
3. Possessing insights into others (including others different values and points of view)
4. Having empathy toward and being supportive of one’s colleagues
5. Being a good critical thinker and problem solver
6. Being able to make connections across complex ideas
7. STEM expertise
Nearly all of the top characteristics of high-performing managers at Google were what’s often referred to as "soft skills" or transversal skills, particularly in terms of intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. These skills are generally not explicitly taught or emphasised, especially in the education and training for those with technical expertise, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and skills development.
It's important to note, the Google data involves a subset of people who are already exceptional in their technical abilities (in order to secure a role at Google). Most employees are engineers and technical experts and so even in 7th place, STEM skills proficiency in this context would be well above average. The non-STEM characteristics were differentiating factors in Google’s highly skilled workforce.
Since Google's findings, an increasing body of evidence has identified the growing importance of cross-cutting skills to complement and amplify the effectiveness of deep expertise. For example, recent CSIRO research into Australia’s AI ecosystem released by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources. Analysis of job advertisements for AI related job postings in Australia identified that numerous interpersonal and analytical skills were as important as data science skills. Communication skills were sought most across all job postings.
Most frequently mentioned skills in AI-related job postings - Australia, 2024 (Source: Bratanova et al 2025)
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