The consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers attempts to answer this extremely interesting question to the best of its ability in a recently published global study. This study examined the general well-being of employees and simultaneously presents four possible future scenarios for the postmodern world of work.
Increasing demographic change and ever-advancing technology are fundamentally altering the future of work and presenting employees with significant challenges. Surprisingly, however, the study found that an overwhelming 74 percent of surveyed employees worldwide are prepared to acquire the necessary skills in a rapidly changing work environment, and even, if necessary, to embrace opportunism and consider, for example, complete retraining. Furthermore, the researchers concluded that the vast majority of employees participating in the study believe they are responsible for their own professional development and do not delegate this responsibility to their employers.
These are key findings from the PricewaterhouseCoopers study "Workforce of the future: the competing forces shaping 2030," which, according to the company, surveyed approximately 10,000 employees worldwide on a wide range of topics related to the potential state of work in 2030. The study's authors state that this result confirms the trend among employees toward continuous professional development in order to keep pace with advancing technology and remain competitive in the labor market.
The study authors analyzed possible scenarios for the year 2030 in detail to determine how competing forces, including automation, will shape the future workforce. They observed that 65 percent of respondents believe that technology generally improves their career prospects, although it is also interesting to note that employees from the US and India are more confident in this regard than those in Europe. Nevertheless, almost three-quarters of the study participants believe that technology will never be able to fully replace human intelligence.
Furthermore, it should be mentioned that 37 percent of participants expressed some skepticism towards digitalization and fear that their jobs are at risk due to future automation. This figure was 33 percent in 2014.
Therefore, it is not surprising that 56 percent of those surveyed believe that the respective governments should take appropriate measures to protect jobs from the threat of automation.
“Fear stifles confidence and the willingness to innovate. Employers must involve their employees in the technology debate. Only then can they understand the potential impact of technology on their future jobs, prepare for it, and pursue further training as needed. Companies must not underestimate these impending changes,” says Bianca Flaschner, Leader Human Resource Management People and Organisation at PwC.
What will be expected of employees tomorrow?
Digitalization and the transformation of the modern workplace are unstoppable and therefore require adaptation from every individual who doesn't want to be caught off guard by this change. In line with this new environment, in addition to many familiar skills, new competencies are in demand, which are becoming increasingly important in the world of work 4.0. Interdisciplinary skills, in particular, are becoming ever more relevant, yet these are often not sufficiently emphasized in education and training.
Extremely important skills in the context of digitalization include, among others:
- creativity
- flexibility
- critical and systemic thinking skills
- complex problem-solving skills
- Transfer capacity and decision-making ability
- As well as a willingness to learn
Of course, how well an employee fits into the company and the existing team is also extremely important. It is often the case that other applicants are simply perceived as a better fit for the company, and the rejection is not necessarily due to a less-than-ideal resume.
Skills in areas such as coordinating processes, managing communication, and making independent decisions will also become increasingly important in the future. Although the networking of information technologies, automation techniques, and software is making tasks ever more demanding and complex from both a technological and organizational perspective, it is also becoming increasingly important to maintain an overview amidst numerous distractions, such as new messages on Slack, colleagues requesting support, or friends actively planning their weekends on WhatsApp, and to focus on the currently important tasks and set priorities.
The term "digital detox" is also relevant here, and it is becoming increasingly important in the world of work 4.0. This means trusting in one's own abilities without technological support and sometimes taking a break from digital advancements in order to relax.
In an increasingly complex digital world, it is often necessary to withdraw and rediscover harmony with oneself, away from technology. Therefore, it is advisable to deliberately take time out, such as vacations, and put away smartphones and tablets during this time to recharge, which can then be invested in further creativity and innovation.
One effective method for imparting these valuable skills is entrepreneurial mentoring. This allows experiences to be shared across generational, hierarchical, and departmental boundaries, thus helping to strengthen the skills of both younger and more experienced employees.
So what soft skills are needed to remain competitive in the job market in the future? We've compiled 10 classic and 10 new skills.
1. focus
Especially in today's world, numerous distractions make it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the same task for extended periods. Whether it's your smartphone, an interesting YouTube video, or that attractive colleague next door, the sheer number of things that can prevent you from focusing on your work is endless. That's why it's so crucial these days to have the ability to maintain full concentration on the task at hand despite these distractions, in order to perform at your best and create the optimal conditions for success. To develop this skill, it's important to give your full attention to even seemingly simple tasks, thereby regularly practicing focused attention and laying the foundation for success in more important projects.
2. empathy
High empathy is an extremely important skill for interacting with other people, whether in a private or professional setting. Those with high empathy are usually better team players and often easily convince others of their own ideas and visions.
3. curiosity
Curiosity is the driving force behind creativity and success. Those who are curious constantly broaden their horizons and thus continually gain new, fruitful experiences, which can often lead to interesting and highly promising ideas. Someone who always remains in their comfort zone may miss numerous opportunities and positive influences that could prove beneficial to their career.
4. self-consciousness
Self-confidence means always being aware of one's own strengths, weaknesses, and characteristics, believing in oneself and one's abilities, and always accepting and respecting oneself without losing sight of opportunities for improvement. Strong self-confidence is of enormous importance, especially in professional life, and also has a significant impact on all other areas of life. However, self-confidence always comes from within and cannot be compensated for by money, success, or prestige. Conversely, strong self-confidence is a guarantee for achieving precisely these goals.
5. Conflict resolution skills
Conflict resolution skills mean being able to accept other opinions and to engage openly with one's fellow human beings, and always acting diplomatically, kindly but also firmly, confidently and in a goal-oriented manner, even in the face of disagreements.
6. Ability to accept criticism
Handling criticism constructively plays a crucial role in numerous workplace situations: whether in teamwork, projects, or when holding a leadership position. Being able to not only give criticism, but also accept it, reflect on it, and implement constructive feedback, is an extremely important skill for a strong and successful personality and often generates fruitful results leading to groundbreaking changes.
7. Communicative competence
Strong communication skills help to communicate ideas, wishes, and concepts clearly and in detail, and also contribute to consensus-building in discussions. Furthermore, they project a sophisticated, trustworthy, and likeable image to others.
8. Leadership qualities
Even if you are not already in a leadership position, good leadership qualities are extremely important in earlier stages of your career, for example to motivate your team, to stand out through strong leadership skills and thus enable yourself to get promotions or simply to lead by example.
9. Ability to think critically
Critical thinkers are always welcome because they often operate outside the box, question routines, and thus contribute to a culture of optimization by using their imagination, argumentation, past experiences, and available resources to understand problems and ultimately solve them.
10. Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is an important quality that everyone should strive for, demonstrating that someone has earned the respect of their surroundings through their actions, is valued and respected by them, and has been able to convince others through their character. This character trait is particularly important because true trustworthiness is difficult to find and is therefore always highly regarded.
Digital skills you should acquire
In times of digitalization and a constantly changing world of work, continuous development and the acquisition of new skills are essential. This is particularly important in light of the increasingly crucial cooperation between humans and machines, which raises the question of where humanity finds its place in this utopia.
To not only survive professionally in this world, but to be successful, requires acquiring skills and abilities that will be in demand in this future world of digitalization and that are compatible with the ever-increasing presence of machines and artificial intelligence. Integrating these innovations into one's own production will become increasingly important for entrepreneurs and established companies alike, and requires a forward-looking and attentive perspective on the impact of current developments on the coming decades.
1. Technological understanding
A very specific mindset is becoming increasingly valuable for entrepreneurial success in the future world of work: Technological understanding combined with entrepreneurial thinking are attributes that will be required of innovators in a constantly digitizing world. This includes, among other things, a solid understanding of mathematics, strong programming skills, and detailed ideas about how successful business models function in the digital world.
However, this foresight must not result in vague speculation, but rather be based on facts and be as predictable as possible. Predictions of changes in the business world and technological advancements should be as precise as possible. This is, of course, not an easy skill to acquire, and precisely for that reason, it is a valuable and increasingly important skill in the professional world.
2. Programming languages
The job portal Stack Overflow recently published statistics that beautifully illustrate how quickly companies' requirements regarding programming languages changed between 2015 and 2016, recording the largest increases for ReactJS, Docker, Ansible, Apache Spark, and Sys Admin. The largest percentage declines were experienced by AJAX, Backbone.js, LAMP, Apache, and jQuery.
This illustrates very well how rapidly requirements in the modern working world can change and thus suggests a need for attentive, constantly educating, technologically skilled employees.
3. Mobile Marketing
The world is more mobile today than ever before, a fact reflected not only in global web traffic, which now accounts for over 50%. But mobile is more than that: it's the merging of digital assistants with the real world, whether for shopping, learning, or experiences. Numerous forms of this integration now exist, from QR codes to couponing, augmented reality, and customer journeys, which are almost entirely mapped onto smartphones, from search to decision, purchase, and after-sales service.
4. Virtual reality, augmented reality and gamification
Virtual Reality (VR) refers to a real-time (visual) representation that is either fictional or depicts a world that is not physically real (e.g., a beach on Bora Bora experienced in Bern). In contrast, Augmented Reality (AR) describes the "enhancement" of the real world. While it also involves a computer-protected environment, it encompasses more than just the enhancement of reality. In Augmented Reality applications, apps or other programs transfer new, computer-generated information, such as text, video enhancements, or graphics, into the user's reality via a connecting medium—for example, a smartphone. Virtual content and reality practically merge, creating an overlay of reality. Especially when combined with playful approaches, i.e., gamification, this offers a completely new world of possibilities.
5. Automation
Contrary to popular belief, automation can do much more than simply execute tasks automatically. Many still confuse automation with the simple automatic sending of emails and working through lists. It's much more about guiding customers through their customer journey and building long-term relationships by using clever automation to gradually connect decisions and contacts.
6. Data Analytics and Growth Hacking
Digital worlds generate data, and while this data isn't "Big," it is "Smart." Today, it's crucial to understand which data represents the origin and which represents the effect. The key is combining and understanding this data to develop new models, which can then be used, for example, in growth hacking. Growth hacking, in turn, reflects a mindset that first tests on a small scale what is possible on a large scale and then scales it up accordingly.
7. Social Media and Digital Marketing
Social media and digital marketing are almost classic disciplines by now. But why list and differentiate them at the same time? The opportunity lies in their dynamism. Social media are increasingly replacing traditional media like newspapers and TV; we are shifting our sources of information more and more into digital ecosystems, but we don't necessarily want to be bombarded with advertising in the traditional way. This necessitates a fundamental understanding of new advertising formats within digital marketing, as well as the ability to distinguish which digital marketing tactics work for which customer groups and on which platforms.
8. SEO
93% of internet users search before they think – this saying may seem exaggerated, but let's be honest: anyone with Google today doesn't need to lug around a thrift store or dictionary. Searching is convenient, searching is easy – and as providers, companies, and employers, we primarily want to be found. Google and Bing are constantly evolving, and Amazon and YouTube are serious search engines in other areas, so this discipline must also be understood and mastered.
9. Digital Design and UX
The greatest potential lies in the interactions on these platforms. It's crucial to understand how social interactions, mobile platforms, and user behavior are intertwined. Digital design and the understanding of UX have fundamentally changed and accelerated in recent years. This increasingly involves technical possibilities and anticipating, almost thinking ahead, potential interactions to avoid friction, such as dropouts and frustration.
10. Community Management
Finally, the world has shifted from mass communication to tribe communication. We now operate more within specific topics and groups than as a large, general audience. The scattershot approach no longer works, and it's essential to engage and, above all, nurture your communities—fans and customers alike—with relevant content and activities. This has become a new discipline in customer management or client relationships, one that also involves content creation, interaction, and empathy.
Fazit
In today's world of rapid technological development, companies must remain agile to fully leverage this change with all available resources. This also requires a specific mindset regarding the process of technological advancement. A deep understanding of technology and a certain degree of foresight are becoming increasingly valuable for companies and should be key criteria when recruiting employees. Anticipation and technical understanding are becoming increasingly important attributes for both entrepreneurs and employees.
