Changing Skill Sets Required in Today’s Dynamic World of Work

In this article, Neeti Sharma, President and Co-Founder, TeamLease Edtech discusses various aspects of how required skill sets have changed in today’s workplace.

In today’s competitive job market, securing the most coveted and challenging roles requires a combination of traditional skills, new age skills, and soft skills. Today, employers are looking for candidates with skill sets that go beyond the basics. Furthermore, the most sought-after position in today’s competitive job market requires a unique blend of technical skills, emotional intelligence, innovation, and adaptability. In this article, we will explore the essential and critical skill sets that are required to remain competitive in today’s dynamic workplace.

Irrespective of the job role, soft skills are a critical and an essential component that most employers are looking for in their employees and prospective candidates. Some of the critical soft skills that are required to be effective in the workplace include leadership, adaptability, teamwork, decision making, time and team management, positive attitude, communication, work ethic, conflict, emotional intelligence, resolution, networking, critical thinking, empathy, and problem solving. Typically, soft skills are referred to as transferable skills as they are universally required for all job roles including those roles more individual-oriented.

Managing and leading from the front

The modern workplace is a mix of different generations and job seekers must have strong communication, leadership, and interpersonal relationship skills to navigate the challenges that may arise due to differing ideologies. Furthermore, challenging job roles require complex problem solving and candidates must possess the ability to approach these problems methodically, think critically, and devise innovative and sustainable solutions.

Most challenging roles require the ability to manage projects, lead multi-generational teams, and inspire, and guide others in order to achieve the collective goal. In this scenario, the ability to lead from the front is a critical skill that candidates must possess in order to stand out in the crowded marketplace. Quiet leadership is a valuable trait that employers look for in candidates and it involves being thoughtful, reflective, and offering opinions of value.

An Evolving Landscape

Most industries today are rapidly evolving and candidates must possess a continuous learning mindset in order to stay ahead of the curve. In today’s digital age, the ability to process new information, learn new tools, and adapt through upskilling, reskilling, or even unlearning is a critical component that employers look for. Employers are constantly on the lookout for employees and candidates who commit to lifelong learning, whether through formal education, online courses, workshops, or self-study. As artificial intelligence continues to make strides, most challenging job roles will be required to use AI-based tools, and candidates must possess the necessary skills and know-how to navigate these challenges.

Also read: How to Become a Artificial Intelligence Engineer

Focus on emotional intelligence

Most challenging job roles can also be high pressure jobs and therefore require a higher degree of emotional intelligence. More often than not, these job roles are associated with tight deadlines, demanding workloads, and complex challenges. While technical skills and expertise are critical to perform the role itself, emotional intelligence is increasingly being recognised as a requirement to be able to sustain in these roles in the long term. Emotional intelligence encompasses the ability to comprehend not just one’s own emotions but also those of others.

Candidates with a higher degree of emotional intelligence will be able to manage stressful situations more easily and de-escalate any conflicts that may arise due to differing opinions. This skill is critical to maintaining a positive workplace environment, especially at the middle and senior leadership levels. The most challenging job roles require quick decision making and emotional intelligence enables people to weigh options, anticipate reactions, and finalize the most appropriate course of action.

Emphasis on Technical Proficiency

In the recent past, technological advancements have changed the workplace and will continue to do so as we go forward. Most job roles require a certain degree of technical proficiency and this is true across industries and sectors. In India, the demand for technical skills is ever growing, especially with the advent of artificial intelligence. Be it, core technical roles or even sales and marketing roles, employers are looking for candidates with all-round skill sets.

In the tech industry courses such as blockchain, cloud computing, cyber security, machine learning, and data analysis are critical in understanding key concepts of this field, as basic coding roles are being phased out through automation. This is true even for traditional sectors such as manufacturing and logistics with robotics increasingly playing an essential role in the process.

Over the past few years, India has witnessed a shift towards a skill-based economy and most employers hire candidates with real-world and hands-on experience as opposed to just traditional knowledge. In the case of critical job roles, employers prefer candidates who can hit the ground running and require minimal training. In this scenario, a combination of technical expertise and a high degree of collective soft skills is paramount. Both existing employees and prospective candidates must ensure that they position themselves by acquiring these skills and therefore stand out in today’s dynamic job marketplace.

This article has been written by Neeti Sharma, President and Co-Founder, TeamLease Edtech.