Employers will prefer “deep” skills over generalist skills, according to the London Business School’s Professor Lynda Gratton.

At yesterday’s launch of Phase 2 of The Future of Work, Gratton predicted many changes in the type of skills that will be needed by 2020.

Findings from Phase 1 of the research consortium revealed that as employees become more transient in the workplace, only the really deep skills — developed skills that are not superficial or general — would be transferable in future work.

The research consortium is made up of 43 companies representing the US, India, China and Europe. Over a six-month period the consortium will be discussing the future of work — what will work look like in 2020.

For more from Prof Gratton and The Future of Work, click on the video clip below. Further coverage will be in Recruiter 10 November.