Skills of the future: what are the top trends?
Discover the top 5 future skills your organisation needs.
Digital transformation is profoundly changing the nature of work, with forward-thinking leaders recognising that we’re living amid what is referred to as: ‘The Great Acceleration’.
HR professionals had already been planning for the future of work for some time, however the Covid-19 pandemic has greatly accelerated the growing skills gap and the need to upskill employees across all sectors.
The World Economic Forum’s 2020 Future of Jobs Survey has estimated that by 2025, 85 million jobs will be displaced by shifting the division of labour between humans, machines, and algorithms. Millions of new roles will also emerge as a result of technological advancements in the workplace.
Download our Skills Revolution Report or APAC Skills Revolution Report for APAC regional insights.
What are the most crucial future skills?
BPP recently surveyed 1,500 professionals and asked them to identify the skills they think people in their profession need in order to develop over the next five years. We found that in industries like law, professional services and accountancy, automation is changing the nature of traditional tasks. Alongside this, there is an increased demand to understand not only how to use these tools, but how to manage the outputs and disseminate across key business stakeholders.
Data
Data is a fundamental asset to any organisation – with employees in every role and function being exposed to greater volumes of data; however, many are unable to capitalise on the data within their business due to a shortage of specialists with the fundamental data skillset.
To get the most out of data, it needs to be understood holistically. What information/data is being collected? How can it be used to develop and grow a business? What are the challenges?
Key data skills include:
Data extraction (the process of collecting or retrieving data out of sources for either processing or data storage)
Trend identification (collecting information data and looking for key patterns)
Data visualisation (the visual display of data in the form of charts, diagrams and others)
Data security (the protection of digital data)
Data analytics (inspecting and interpreting data to discover useful information to support growth and decision making within a business).
Digital
Digital skills involve understanding everyday applications, software and systems in order to work efficiently and share information effectively in a digital world.
The UK government has outlined 5 essential digital skills ‘for life and work’: communicating, handling information and content, transacting, problem solving, and being safe online.
Tech
There are many different types of technical skills but more and more rely on tech knowledge. Organisations look for individuals who are skilled in the areas of: programming, operating systems, software, and project management.
Communication
The ability to communicate effectively cannot be replicated by machines or algorithms. Effective communication is crucial within any role – knowing how to listen, show respect, offer and take feedback, and communicate ideas clearly and confidently.
Forbes recently cited empathy as the most important leadership skill, particularly in the post-pandemic era when many employees are experiencing burnout, stress, and the challenge of adapting to a new working environment. The ability to empathise with employees and colleagues creates a positive environment and experiences for teams and can “drive significant business results”.
Leadership and coaching
There are many different approaches to leadership. A strong and effective leader will have a variety of skills including communication, project management, problem-solving, delegation, empathy, conflict management, decisiveness, and motivation.
Many organisations invest in leadership and coaching training in order to fast track future leaders, however, as new technology changes the way in which teams function, these skills are hugely beneficial to individuals across a multitude of roles and levels as it opens up new ways of interacting and coordinating on a day-to-day basis.
Download our Skills Revolution Report or APAC Skills Revolution Report for APAC regional insights.
Building skills and empowering talent
As we identify the need to build both soft and technical skills, it is clear that these are entwined and must therefore be reviewed as part of leadership’s overall business strategy.
For HR leaders, understanding a capability strategy should not be limited to leadership and development functions, as it fulfils the need of the HR lifecycle. Identifying skill requirements can fill gaps through ‘recruitment’, ‘performance’, and ‘talent management’, while also providing a competitive edge for buying and building capabilities for employers in the future.
It is important that HR professionals begin to instate formal processes in order to revisit and address skills gaps to ensure these gaps are plugged and the business is able to adapt and grow in the ever-changing global workplace.
