The workplace isn’t the same as it was 30 years ago. In fact, the internet, which plays a huge role in our current workspace, wasn’t even available to the public until 1991! Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a working world without all this modern technology.
Technology has re-shaped the workplace in recent years and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down. And while digital skills are in increasing demand, there are also a range of soft skills you’ll need if you hope to adapt and grow with these changes.
So, if you want to boost your employability, these are the six skills you need for the future of work.
1. Problem-solving
As new technologies enter the workplace, many tasks will become automated and more efficient, bringing about new ways of thinking and completing tasks.
Therefore, being able to use these technologies to identify and solve problems is a key skill. For example, if you work in marketing, technology could help you to identify when customers are leaving your website, so you can figure out exciting ways to keep them engaged and convert them into a sale.
What’s more, businesses need workers who can think on their feet; many will have to solve problems that don’t even exist yet. Future problems might range from smaller issues such as working around a technological fault, to dealing with wider issues such as climate change and becoming more sustainable.
2. Innovation
Innovative ways of thinking are what drive businesses forward. Employers want workers who can master new technologies, understand and solve complex new problems and come up with new ideas to help them stand out from the crowd.
In the era of the internet, it’s beginning to feel like every niche is becoming saturated. As such, employers want innovation and a continual stream of exciting new ideas and ways of approaching their products and services.
3. Adaptability
The workplace is always changing and this means that companies are looking for people that can adapt to these trends and work with new systems – not against them.
Everyone has different ways of working and being adaptable is all about being open to new methods of learning. At times, this may mean compromising your working style to adapt to your role, the business and any new changes that you’re facing.
Sometimes this may feel frustrating, especially when you’ve done something a certain way for a long time. But in the end, it’s all about getting the best results!
4. Resourcefulness
This is all about doing more with less. At the moment, there’s a big focus on how companies can produce less waste and be more sustainable. So this is a skill in big demand.
If you’re resourceful, you’ll be able to take a past system and see how you can make it better. Therefore, it often requires an imaginative and optimistic outlook.
What’s more, businesses want to get the most for their money. Therefore, they’ll favour the employees who understand how to do this and help the company to achieve its goals.
5. Creativity
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘think outside the box’, but how can this play a role in the workplace? Creativity isn’t just for musicians or poets – it’s important for any role. Injecting creativity into even the most basic task can help to shake things up and create something great.
This will become even more important in the future, as the priorities of organisations change to meet customer demands. Therefore, if you can show you think creatively, you’ll certainly be more employable.
6. Critical thinking
It’s a skill often emphasised in the academic world, but it will become even more significant in the future workplace.
Critical thinking is how well you can evaluate ideas and come up with structured and reasoned arguments. It also involves actions such as turning data and research into insightful interpretations.
But an important part to any great critical thinker is being logical and reasoned too. After all, what’s the use in ideas that aren’t practical and can’t ever be put into action?
Don’t panic if this sounds complex – it’s actually easier to put into action then you think. For example, using past data to evaluate how well something did or didn’t work.
This is already happening in many organisations, for example, businesses analyse revenue to see how the company is performing and decide where it can be improved.
In summary
The workplace is evolving fast, which means that companies are looking for individuals with the right skills to meet future demands. So if you want to future-proof your skills, focus on developing the above qualities.
1 comment
very inspirational post, we have to execute all this thing to our life to get success
Thanks,
regards,
Mary Neagle.
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