Ragan Research: The skills communicators need to future-proof their roles

Insights from the 2024 Ragan Communications Benchmark Report, an exclusive research project for Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council, paint a picture of communicators at the center of some of the most important conversations shaping the culture of their organizations.

But what skills and specializations are they embracing to future-proof their roles and ensure comms remains a strategic conduit?

It’s little surprise that the top-ranked specialization identified by respondents is generative AI (44%). Meanwhile, crisis or issues management (41%) and executive communications (33%) both occupied top spots. Both competencies function as strategic ties to the C-suite, and present an opportunity to upskill comms to ensure the function remains relevant to the business strategy.

How will these skills track alongside future expectations for communications roles? We asked respondents to find out.

Changes ahead