Verbal communication skills are the most important element in building a personal brand, according to research from Kelly.

The Kelly Global Workforce Index which surveyed roughly 134,000 people in 29 countries, including almost 5,800 in the UK, found personal marketing, or branding, has become a feature of the modern workplace, with respondents revealing verbal communication skills (71%), technical knowledge (67%), written communications (63%), CVs (61%), personal attire (55%), and use of social media (37%) as the  most important in building their brand identities.

Kelly Services HR director, Katie Ivie, says: “As many individuals are moving out of the typical employment relationship, they are thinking about how to promote themselves and stand-out in the crowded workforce.There is also a high degree of awareness about the pace of change in the workplace and the ability to manage this change.”