The current pace of change in our world is overwhelmingly fast. New changes are happening almost every moment and indeed, things are VUCA – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. As the work landscape morphs along with this VUCA world, how can we plan ahead for jobs of the future?
This infographic by Institute for the Future illustrates six disruptive shifts and the skills that we would require to tackle these shifts effectively.
Since information/knowledge is highly accessible, cross-disciplinary skills, being able to abstract ideas and synthesise information would be what sets an individual apart. Soft skills are more sought after than ever and job seekers or graduates ought to not just build, but continuously upgrade their repertoire of skills to remain relevant.
LinkedIn’s talent research shows that half of today’s most in-demand skills weren’t even on the list three years ago.
Today’s graduates are entering a buoyant jobs market, but they face ever-greater competition from their peers. What trends are shaping the experience of graduate job seekers? What makes a graduate more employable? What can a graduate do to increase their value? Dr Paul Raymond from University of Liverpool answers these questions.
This article lists 4 soft skills wanted by employers and explains why they are in demand. Try solving the fill-in-the-blank or you read more to find out what is in demand.
Some skills may have been built through non-academic activities or work experiences rather than in academic education. Katelyn Donnelly of Pearson advised employers in a 2016 LinkedIn article to consider hiring talent for behaviour and attitude – not qualifications – and then provide the training needed to acquire the skills.
“Consider hiring talent for behaviour and attitude – not qualifications” –Katelyn Donnelly of Pearson
Increasingly, employers are also beginning to recognise this fact as they eliminate degree requirements for entry level jobs in their search for talent:
Some examples of companies that have embraced these other options: Brand-name firms like EY and PwC made announcements that they were eliminating degree requirements for some of their entry-level jobs in the U.K. in 2015 in favor of administering prehire tests and assessments. IBM is building pipelines of nontraditional talent. Technology companies like GE Digital and Intel have been seeking talent from other educational streams, such as coding programs.
The previous few articles discuss more about hiring the right skill fit. But what about existing employees? How should we equip them for the future? I think what is crucial is to foster a culture of learning – to be always hungry, voracious for new skills.
“Companies who effectively nurture their workforce’s desire to learn are at least 30% more likely to be market leaders in their industries over an extended period of time.”
This article from HBR teaches you 4 ways you can create a learning culture in your team – something essential in a time where things are changing constantly and knowledge becomes obsolete quickly.
This is a podcast from UpstartHR’s “We’re Only Human” series. This week, Dani Johnson from Red Thread Research talks about how we can take advantage of our human qualities at work. She shares 4 things that we can do but robots and AI can’t. The main bulk of content starts at 11:22 (You’re welcome).
BONUS:
SKILLS EVERY EMPLOYEE NEEDS FOR THE WORKPLACE OF THE FUTURE.
Enjoy 1.5 minutes of funky swing music accompanied with nostalgic shots in this video from Inc that sums up skills you will need for the workplace of the future.
