Dive Brief:

• With the growing popularity of cryptocurrency, like bitcoin and ethereum, the blockchain skills needed to support them are in big demand, reports CNBC. Freelancing firm Upwork told CNBC that blockchain is its fastest-growing skill category. Upwork posted 2,200 blockchain-related job openings in the fourth quarter of last year; it had 96 such posts a year ago.
• According to LinkedIn, 5.5 times as many people report having blockchain skills as did in October 2013.
• Upwork's job requests range from assistance with launching cryptocurrencies to helping an employer understand how to construct prototypes and take advantage of blockchain technology.

Dive Insight:

There's much speculation among businesses, and recruiters in particular, about what kinds of jobs technology will take away and what kind it will create. Blockchain isn't a single skill, but refers to a ledger that cryptocurrency — and increasingly, more aspects of connected technology — relies on. It eliminates third parties from transactions between the currency holder and receiver.

The sudden explosion of blockchain tech (and subsequent need for people who can manage it) reflects the general challenges recruiters face right now regarding the speed at which tech development is moving. Technology breeds more technological advances a nd employers that want to stay on the cutting-edge must be ready for the changes to come — including preparing for jobs that don't yet exist.

But the current struggle for employers is finding people with the right skills and ensuring candidates can actually deliver what's in their profile. To that end, more recruiters are turning to personality and skills test to better understand candidates.