What used to be considered the “future of work” has already arrived. Covid-19 has brought about rapid changes to the workplace and the skills that are in demand. Companies are looking for people who can help them move forward in a radically different marketplace, with The Future of Jobs survey showing that 41% of companies plan to expand their use of contractors for task-specialised work. Candidates who can demonstrate key soft skills in addition to their core specialism will be in the strongest position. Here are the 5 top skills that everyone will want post lockdown.
Adaptability
The pandemic has accelerated changes that were already happening and businesses are now having to turn on their heel to keep up. Instead of business models that look to the past, companies must make decisions based on current changes in consumer demand. Take the massive shift that’s seen many high street retailers having to close up shop, while others take advantage of the boom in ecommerce by quickly shifting their operations online. Businesses need to be agile and adaptable according to the market, and it stands to reason that they’re also looking for these attributes in workers. As business models change, so do the types of jobs that are needed and the way we perform them. This means that people with the ability to adapt positively to change and identify the opportunities that it brings are a valuable commodity.
Courses on Adaptability
- Apply adaptability, Lynda.com
- Adaptability and resiliency – coursera
- Improving Team Adaptability – Udemy
Commitment to lifelong learning
Even before the pandemic, disruptive factors such as globalisation, automation and climate change were impacting the world of work. Adaptability isn’t just about embracing changes in how you work, it’s also about constantly learning new skills and updating old ones to stay relevant. According to the World Economic Forum, in just five years, 35 percent of the skills deemed essential today will change. Someone who’s going to succeed in a post-corona virus-world will need to be able to adapt to ever-evolving workplaces and have the ability to continuously update their skills. The good news is that improving your skills has never been easier, with a great choice of free and open online courses available.
Online Learning Platforms
Digital Literacy
The pandemic has brought about huge digital transformations around working from home and online trading that require people to be increasingly tech savvy. 84% of employers are set to rapidly digitalise working processes. From factories to legal firms, technologies like robotics, augmented reality, the Internet of things and artificial intelligence can help businesses become more resilient to future pandemics. People who can help companies exploit these technologies will be indispensable. In addition, there’s also a need for less specialised tech skills such as digital coding, web design and data analysis that can be learned relatively quickly and used to add value to existing roles.
Digital Literacy Courses
Emotional intelligence
At the other end of the skills spectrum, emotional intelligence is a key tool in the current world of work. With companies under pressure to make rapid changes, the ability to understand the potentially disruptive impact on workers in essential. Emotional intelligence is the ability to control and channel emotions, build stronger relationships, optimise positive behaviour in stressful situations and tap into positive emotions. Those with high emotional intelligence and empathy can inspire confidence, enthusiasm and motivation in others, which can then lead to beneficial outcomes.
Emotional Intelligence Courses
- Emotional and social intelligence – classcentral
- Managing emotions, uncertainty and stress, coursera
- Emotional intelligence at work, future learn
Creativity and Innovation
While the pandemic has seen first line survival skills like adaptability and resilience take precedence over creativity, this is set to change. As the dust settles, business that have successfully adapted their service model will start to focus on how to grow and differentiate their product in a hypercompetitive marketplace. While no one can accurately predict the future, the ability to consider a range of plausible scenarios that go beyond the limits of existing trends is key. With massive disruption leaving the marketplace wide open, radical, big-picture thinking is in order. This requires individuals with curious and creative minds who can cross reference many sources of information to think about the future. The ability to not only anticipate changes, but to ‘play out’ how these changes could apply to products and services will help to align companies with the most opportunities.
Sites for Creatives
Crises are often followed by permanent and social and economic shifts. By being proactive and ensuring you’re equipped with the right skills, contractors stand to gain access to the best choice of assignments. More news on companies that are hiring can be found here. If you’re starting a new contract, ContractingWISE has access to a wide range of hassle-free services that can help you with setting up a limited company or finding the right umbrella company for you. To talk to a member of our team, call: 0203 642 8679
