As the future of work changes, it's more important than ever for employees to make sure they have the skills required to keep up. That was the message this week from People Matters TechHR 2019, Asia's largest human resources conference.

The remarks out of that Singapore event form part of a growing discourse around the impact technology and automation will have on the jobs landscape. It's estimated that by 2030, 75 million to 375 million workers (3 to 14 percent of the global workforce) will need to switch occupational categories, according to one McKinsey report.

While research from LinkedIn suggests that young people are more optimistic than any other generation about the shifting trends — after all, many of those jobs are expected to be replaced by new ones — the need to acquire new skills to keep apace with that change is undeniable.

CNBC Make It spoke to careers experts on the ground at the conference (as well as those responsible for the technology reshaping employment methods) to find out what they believe will be most important skills for the future.

Asking 'why?'

"When I think about being a millennial entering the workforce," said Peta Latimer, partner and CEO for Singapore at global human resources firm Mercer, "I think the two biggest skills that we need are the ability to ask why ... and then, secondly, to listen."

The "why?" is important for questioning norms and developing new ideas, but the listening is also crucial for understanding those norms "before you start criticizing."