Upskilling for the future world of work

Discover which skills will be in demand in a post-COVID-19 world. 

Great people are part of the Grayce story, but we also look at talent strategies for the future world of work. Talent strategy and skills development should form part of your business continuity planning as we navigate a different world of work, one that has been altered forever this year.

So many organisations have seen real challenges recently that have forced them to adapt and accelerate digital transformation. Aligned with this shift there will be additional skills coveted post-pandemic that organisations really need to look at developing for the long term. In this article, Regional Director, Miranda Di Rosa discusses the skills we believe will become increasingly important for organisations.

1) Adaptability

Arguably, adaptability has been the most significant skill that almost everyone has had to cultivate over the past few months. We’ve all had to welcome uncertainty in order to create new ways of working in line with government guidelines to keep everyone safe.

Whilst this is constantly evolving, people who are flexible, adaptable and able to bounce back when faced with problems will be a valuable asset. Indeed, this is proving to be beneficial with the organisations that we're partnered with. Grayce Analyst, Emma
Hooker says, "My client uses Grayce Analysts because we’re flexible and malleable workers who can adapt to our environments and to different stakeholders."

2) Digital literacy

Now the working world has been forced to embrace digital collaboration and communications tools, digital literacy becomes an essential skill. Expertise in a particular software or programming language can be extremely beneficial, but as the half-life of a technical skill is around two and a half years, it’s important to recognise that digital literacy requires continuous improvement to remain relevant and to maintain the pace of digital change we’ve seen during the pandemic.

3) Communication

Digital transformation involves the whole organisation. Communication is key to making real, lasting
change. People and cultural change are at the heart of major transformation. Strong communications skills become a must, from Managing Directors to CFOs, your team need to be able to explain complex processes to stakeholders across the business with ease and confidence.

4) Growth mindset

In-demand skills are changing all the time. So, it’s important to nurture growth mindsets in your organisation. These are people who are committed to continuous learning and development throughout their careers. A curiosity and willingness to learn are essential skills that have likely helped many organisations evolve their offering. As digital and technology evolves, you need talent who are ready to evolve their skill set along with this.

5) Emotional intelligence

A key takeaway during the COVID-19 outbreak has been accepting your employees and colleagues as professionals – and as people. With much of the population dealing with pandemic-related challenges, along with balancing work around home schooling, EQ has proved to be just as important as IQ. Wellbeing and mental health concerns have come to the forefront and talent who can interact with people in a compassionate, empathetic way will be essential going forward and as we make our way back in to the physical workplace.

6) Critical thinking

Organisations have overcome a whole host of new challenges in recent months. The success here is down to critical thinking and decision making. Critical thinkers will identify, analyse and solve problems systematically.

7) Resilience

We know this period of time has been a huge test of resilience for many organisations. The path to successful innovation inevitably has some missteps. Organisations need talent who can consistently come up with new ideas, as well as bounce back if they aren’t successful on the first try. Innovation is a learning experience for everyone. So, talent that can embrace feeling uncomfortable is essential. Resist fearful thinking to cultivate an environment where it’s okay to fail in order to allow resilient talent to add real value to the team.

8) Creativity

Creativity is often assumed to only be a key skill for the likes of designers and writers. But a creative Data Analyst, for example, can create narratives and tell stories with data that translate their findings into a digestible format for a range of stakeholders. Being creative means thinking outside of the box, going beyond traditional processes to imagine new solutions to organisations’ challenges. Creative thinkers will keep pushing your operations and projects forward by providing new insights and drawing inspiration from current digital trends.

9) Innovation

The speed of innovation and the worldwide scale demanded in response to this global pandemic is entirely new. Customer behaviour and demands are likely to look very different post COVID-19. So, having talent with an innovative approach will enable you to stay one step ahead. Critical thinkers armed with curiosity will help to unravel existing problems and imagine new ways of working.

Grayce Analyst, Akbar Hussain says "One of the reasons that my client takes on Grayce Analysts is because we’re always willing to dive in the deep end and be an advocate for innovation." Innovation in any industry is an ongoing process that is well supported by Agile methodology. This means delivering change incrementally and assessing what’s working and what isn’t. Then adjusting the plan as you go.

10) Collaboration

No one can deliver successful change on their own. And even an excellent idea cannot be executed without a strong team. Talent that takes a collaborative approach will be able to communicate their ideas to a range of stakeholders, ensuring the whole team is onboard with transformation projects.

Grayce cultivates all of these skills in the emerging workforce on our graduate Development Programme, shaping the next generation of leaders and well- rounded professionals. Grayce Analysts are supporting clients throughout the pandemic, and for whatever the future may hold.

Find out more about how Grayce supports leading organisations nationwide