Recruitment or human resources (HR) managers know how difficult it is to find good employees; candidates either lack certain skills or they won’t fit in with the company culture. Business owners often focus on technical skills alone and don’t assess the qualities and characteristics that make up the ideal employee. This could end up adversely affecting culture, productivity, and may even protract training efforts.

Regardless of the industry or nature of the job, there are certain key qualities that hiring managers in all kinds of industries might look out for if they want their employees to succeed in the business world.

Key takeaways

• Both soft skills and hard skills are important for a good employee.
• The top core skills sought by employers in 2025 include analytical thinking, leadership, resilience, AI and big data, and talent management.
• Employee training and development can be a practical solution to address skills gaps in the current workforce.

What skills are employers looking for?

Both soft skills and technical skills, or hard skills, are equally important in an employee. Soft skills include the social expertise, personality and character makeup, communication skills, emotional intelligence, influence, and approach to work that an employee shows.

These serve to complement the hard skills — those abilities that have been learned and can be measured and quantified — and can make an employee more of an asset to a company.

The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report surveyed employers around the world to explore the exact skills and characteristics sought after. Some skills are seen as requirements for workers, deemed ‘core skills.’

In South Africa, core skills include analytical thinking, leadership, and resilience.

Top 5 Core Skills in 2025, South Africa¹

Globally, the top skills differ slightly. For example, 62% of employers in the UK identified creative thinking as a core skill in 2025. Other skills include motivation and self-awareness, technological literacy, and empathy and active listening.

Other skills were identified as ‘skills on the rise.’ These are skills employers expect to increase in importance over the next five years. In South Africa, top ‘skills on the rise’ include AI and big data, technological literacy, and resilience.

Top 5 Most Increasing Use Skills by 2030, South Africa²

8 skills and characteristics of good employees

Here are some of the top skills and characteristics of a good employee, combining today’s core skills and tomorrow’s sought-after skills in South Africa and around the world:

1. Analytical thinking

Analytical thinkers can break down complex problems and emerge with logical, data-driven decisions.³ These employees can find meaningful connections in data and help identify cause and effect relationships between data. Seven out of 10 companies consider it an essential skill in 2025, making it the most sought after quality in the World Economic Forum’s survey.⁴

Companies generate massive amounts of data, and employees who can analyze it effectively are invaluable. This skill leads to better strategies, more efficient processes, and a deeper understanding of business challenges.

Examples of analytical thinking in the workplace:

• Reviewing customer feedback to pinpoint areas for product improvement
• Using A/B testing results to optimize a website’s user experience
• Breaking down a complex project into smaller, manageable tasks

Economist Education
Critical Thinking: Problem-Solving and Decision-Making in a Complex World

2. Leadership and social influence

Leadership comprises a variety of skills that help create a sense of collective direction, confidence, and strategy. Good leaders can also wield their social influence to positively influence their team’s attitudes and behavior.⁵ Even without formal authority, these employees can build trust and push organizations towards a common goal.

Emotional intelligence plays an important role in these traits, too. Strong leaders are also compassionate and encouraging of others.

Examples of leadership and social influence in the workplace:

• Mentoring a new hire and helping them acclimate to the team
• Stepping up to resolve a team conflict constructively
• Leading a brainstorming session

Online leadership courses can help you develop specific management and interpersonal skills, such as conflict resolution and communicating for influence.

3. Resilience, flexibility, and agility

Resilience, flexibility, and agility include a variety of traits that center around bouncing back from setbacks, adapting to changing circumstances, and quickly navigating new challenges.⁶ Despite the stressors of the workplace, which could include anything from demanding economic conditions to rapidly shifting priorities, employees with these skills maintain their composure, efficiency, and problem-solving mentality.

Examples of resilience, flexibility, and agility in the workplace:

• Taking on a new role and responsibilities with a positive attitude
• Prioritizing tasks into a system based on what needs immediate attention
• Anticipating potential challenges and preparing contingency plans

4. AI and big data

Those who understand AI and big data know how to use technical tools to gain insights and automate tasks. It’s not just for data scientists; it’s about being literate in these technologies to improve your work.

Becoming comfortable with these tools will likely be necessary to keep up with shifting workflows and expectations: More than half of all LinkedIn members stand to see their jobs change in some way due to generative AI.⁷ Employees that have the technical know-how to engage with AI and big data tools deeply could be critical for companies that want custom solutions for their projects.

Examples of AI and big data knowledge in the workplace:

• Apply a machine learning model to predict customer churn
• Using a business intelligence dashboard to create a dashboard that tracks key metrics
• Writing an algorithm to automate a repetitive data entry task and save time

Online artificial intelligence courses can help you prepare for a changing workforce and expectations.

IBM
Generative AI Engineering

5. Talent management

Talent management is about attracting, developing, and retaining great employees.⁸ Workers with good talent management skills don’t need to work in HR to be positive forces in this area.

For managers, talent management could include the specific responsibilities that come with having direct reports — guiding professional development, onboarding new staff, and completing performance review, for example.

But even non-managers can exhibit talent management skills by helping cultivate an environment that rewards and supports talent.

Examples of talent management in the workplace:

• Helping to onboard a new employee and introducing them to the company culture
• Identifying an employee’s strengths and recommending them for a project where they can shine
• Establishing professional development goals with an employee and giving them time during the workday to pursue them

Yale School of Management Executive Education
Human Resources Leadership

6. Technological literacy

Technological literacy is the ability to effectively learn and leverage technology to solve problems and complete tasks. It extends beyond basic computer functionality to include things like new software, digital platforms, and online tools.⁹ Tech literate employees also demonstrate agility and speed when picking up new technical tools.

There are new technologies surfacing in the workplace constantly, but the most important tools in a few years may be things we don’t even know about yet. Businesses need employees who can not only adapt to rapidly developing tools, but help others do the same.

Examples of technological literacy in the workplace:

• Mastering a new project management software like Asana or Trello
• Troubleshooting a minor software issue on your own
• Discovering new technical tools that you can apply to your team’s workflow

7. Creative thinking

Creative thinking is the ability to come up with unique, innovative solutions to problems. In the workplace, a creative thinker can help challenge the status quo and improve products, processes, and services.¹⁰

Not all people are born creative, but creativity is a skill that can be learned through experimentation, imagination, questions, collaboration, and information processing.

Examples of creative thinking in the workplace:

• Proposing a new feature for a product to meet a customer need
• Discovering a new way to measure an initiative’s success
• Finding a low-cost solution to a budget constraint

8. Curiosity and lifelong learning

Curiosity and lifelong learning represent a desire to continuously seek out new knowledge, ask questions, and improve your skills.¹¹ These employees have a proactive mindset that drives their own professional growth.

Curiosity is also fundamental to project success: asking questions early and often can help identify hurdles before they happen and opportunities for improvement. When employees ask ‘why?,’ they can form a deeper understanding of their work.

Examples of curiosity and lifelong learning in the workplace:

• Taking an online short course to learn a new skill relevant to your job
• Seeking out feedback from managers and peers to identify areas for professional development
• Reading industry reports to stay informed about the latest trends

Recruiting vs. training

All over the world, businesses are seeing skills gaps emerging. In South Africa alone, more than 60% of businesses identify skills gaps as a key barrier to business transformation by 2030.¹² 

One possible solution is training existing employees to become proficient in new skills – both hard and soft — and in turn creating ‘good employees.’ This also means that a new approach is needed when recruiting. Hiring employees who show potential to be further skilled and who display some of the qualities listed above may be an effective tactic. 

Given that top talent is likely to become more and more scarce and in demand, employee training and development might well be the best and most practical solution.

Knowing what skills and characteristics to look out for, in existing employees as well as when recruiting new employees, will ensure that these desired qualities are nurtured and developed throughout the business, regardless of the job title or function. The skills of a good employee reach beyond technical acumen and business experience. While these are important to get the job done, how these tasks are carried out, and the interactions with other team members, are indicative of the attitude, approach, mindset, and adaptability of a good employee.

GetSmarter can guide you as your learning partner, and help your business to create a tailored upskilling plan to meet your unique needs.

[Empower your team with the right skills]

The post What are the characteristics of a good employee? appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

This technological shift, along with globalization, social values, demographics, and the changing personal expectations of today’s workforce has had a tremendous impact on the business landscape, disrupting models and radically changing where, when, and how work is done.² An ability to improve the effectiveness of the workforce, develop and move talent around the business, and manage human capital risks is crucial in the digital age. As a result, companies who want to grow and remain competitive need to focus on harnessing and adapting the talents of their workers, and their uniquely ‘human’ skills.

Navigating change: The Future of Work Is Here report

Much has been written about the future of work and the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) on the workforce. The scenario is often played out as if we, the human race, have no control over the outcome. But this is simply not true. The changes that we’re currently experiencing, including the shifting landscape as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, are ultimately driven by humans.

In light of this, GetSmarter, a 2U, Inc. brand, has produced ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report with the aim to help professionals and organizations navigate this change. The research unpacks findings from over 106 countries and 8,000 respondents. With insights gathered from more than 100,000 students over the past 12 years, the report provides a deep understanding of how the workplace is changing as attitudes and values shift. It also explores the rise in remote work and what it means for the future.

The 21st-century employer meets the 4IR

Humanity continues to embark on a period of unparalleled technological advancement, offering significant challenges and opportunities in the coming five, 10, and 20 years. According to Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, ‘’We are at the early stages of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Unlike the previous industrial revolutions­, the current one is not changing what we do, but rather, is changing us.’’³

In the 4IR, lines between the physical, digital, and biological worlds are blurred. Owed to advances in AI, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, genetic engineering, quantum computing, and other  intelligent technologies,⁴ the 4IR is paving the way for transformative changes in the way we live and work, radically disrupting almost every business sector. As AI and increased automation takes control of more repetitive tasks, the discovery of entirely new categories of jobs are emerging.⁵

From an employer’s perspective, retention of skilled employees becomes increasingly important as a strategic priority. Organizations need to recognize their current employees’ strengths and focus on upskilling to fill skills gaps and remain agile in an ever-changing workplace. As highlighted in the report, HR professionals and talent managers have both turned to reskilling and upskilling their teams to respond to the significant changes catalyzed by the 4IR.

A traditional approach to leadership is no longer sufficient in a world that is changing at an exponential rate. Examine how to mobilize individuals to move towards a vision and adapt to a changing context in the Leadership in an Exponentially Changing World online short course from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Anticipate the workplace of the future

Empowered by universal primary education, marked progress in adult literacy, improved healthcare, global access to social networks, and mobile money, the workplace is changing so fast that it’s hard for many organizations to keep up.

Digital technology has changed the way employees work with each other and their employer: teams are more matrixed, more remote, and more flexible than ever. This has upended the traditional worker-manager relationship, and has reshaped how employers and employees see one another. We are also living longer and navigating change at a more rapid rate, which means that we will need to master a variety of skills to keep up with the evolving workplace.

Despite emerging technologies being the most radical driver of change, other global trends are proving to be just as impactful.

Other important factors that will shape the future workplace include:

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion

In the age of intelligent technology, focusing on innate human needs is imperative to maintaining growth and remaining competitive. The demand for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is more than just another target to meet. Companies are called on to make meaningful cultural change in order to foster inclusivity.

There are many benefits to having multi-generational teams working together. Research shows that age diversity can improve cognitive performance,⁶ and can also lead to more creative thinking and innovation.⁷ By viewing age and generational differences as an opportunity, organizations can shift focus to the abilities, experiences, and knowledge of individuals, leading to innovation and productivity.

Over and above generational differences and gender and race parity, DEI also includes employees with diverse religious and political beliefs, education, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientation, cultures, and disabilities. Companies are discovering that, by supporting and promoting a DEI workplace, they’re gaining benefits such as innovation, creativity, and agility that homogeneous environments seldom do.⁸

Gain a clear understanding of your unique traits and attributes, which can be used as powerful leadership tools to help develop teams, drive innovation, and stimulate business growth in the Women’s Leadership Program from the Yale School of Management Executive Education.

• Freedom and flexibility

Previously, being able to work from home was rare and considered a ‘perk.’ As the population demographic and way of life changes, flexible and remote work is proliferating.⁹ Used to describe any role that breaks the traditional norm of a rigid 9-to-5, five-day week structure, flexibility offers more freedom over when, where, or how employees can fulfil their particular roles.¹⁰ Organizations are starting to recognize this and act on it – since 2016, there’s been a 78 percent increase in job posts that provide work flexibility.¹¹

Technology is partly responsible for this shift in work flexibility, not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic. Emails, conference calls, instant messaging, and video chats have enabled employees to stay in touch with their co-workers from anywhere. It might seem that this development is in favor of employees, and may not be attractive to employers who benefit from the controls of a conventional job environment. However, by offering flexible or remote working conditions, companies can also improve their competitive edge by attracting and retaining top talent.

• Work-life balance

The demands and desires of today’s employees have changed. GetSmarter found extensive evidence that people are choosing to move jobs in order to improve their work-life balance. Flexibility can be offered by the employer, but work-life balance can be created by the employee. No longer does a large salary bring satisfaction to employees with sought-after skills; rather, they recognize that time is as valuable an asset as money.

Essentially, people are looking for more than just a paycheck. They want purpose and meaning from their work, and want to be recognized for what makes them unique. Relationships also play an important role, particularly with a manager who can coach them to the next level.

• Lifelong learning culture

When it comes to workplace culture, there’s a large gap between what business leaders think is going on and what employees say is happening on the ground. Two thirds of leaders (68 percent) feel they create empowering environments – in which employees can be themselves, raise concerns, and innovate without fear of failure – but just one third (36 percent) of employees agree.¹³ In addition, employees care increasingly about workplace culture and believe it’s important to help them thrive (reported by 77 percent of women and 67 percent of men).¹⁴ They want purpose and meaning from their work, and want to be recognized for what makes them unique. Relationships also play an important role, particularly with a manager who can coach them to the next level.

Though technology and the workplace are changing, human nature isn’t. In GetSmarter’s studies of the world’s most successful organizations, we’ve learned that a culture of high employee development is the most productive environment for both businesses and employees. Gallup research shows that Millennials more than ever “want to be known for what makes them unique”, and demand that workplaces put their personal development first.¹⁵ GetSmarter predicts that companies will increasingly acknowledge the importance of culture as context for performance and employee engagement, with a focus on monitoring, managing, and curating a lifelong learning culture.

• Agility to change management

To grow a suitable candidate pool and foster a workforce that can adapt to change and innovate, it’s critical for human resources (HR) and learning and development (L&D) professionals to prioritize a culture of continued learning in their organizations. This will allow them to remain agile in the face of disruption and create a more engaged workforce that has the collaborative tools to drive innovation for the future. If employees are taught how to build a learning mindset, it will help prepare them for dealing with a constantly, even abruptly, changing environment.

In short:

• Over 70 percent of businesses believe their employees aren’t properly prepared for the future of work¹⁶
• There’s a shrinking availability of suitable skilled workers¹⁷
• It’s less expensive to reskill than to hire externally¹⁸
• The future of work is becoming very ‘human’ and harder to automate¹⁹

Earn the tools needed to create a company that is agile and competitive in a fast-changing marketplace in the Strategic Change Management online short course from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

• Whose responsibility is continuous learning?

Most respondents agree that continued learning should be a joint responsibility between the business and the individual. Our survey found that employees feel individually accountable for continuous learning whereas talent management and HR view it as being more of a business or joint responsibility. This misalignment may mean that employees are unaware that their employer is willing to support them to learn. On the other hand, HR and talent management may view continuous learning as too important for business to have no responsibility for. Refer to the graph below:

From an employee’s perspective, adopting an approach of ongoing learning is critical to adapt.

Discover the alternative workforce

According to research conducted by Upwork, nearly two-thirds of companies have remote workers, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic increasing this figure, with possible permanent effects.²¹ This has given rise to what can be known as the ‘alternative workforce’.

As defined in ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report, a remote worker is someone who is employed by a company, but works outside of a traditional office environment. Post-COVID-19, GetSmarter predicts that companies will expand the acceptability of remote work, and will provide more choice and flexibility to full-time contract employees to work wherever they can get their best work done, including away from the office.

A gig worker, defined in the report as someone who works part-time, on contract, and has no long-term employer-employee relationship, could work anywhere from a local co-working space, a coffee shop, or in a city across the world. While this is becoming an increasingly attractive option for those looking for more flexibility, GetSmarter predicts that the rate at which remote work is adopted will outpace the rate at which companies adopt the gig economy, with only nine percent of HR and people managers indicating that they hire ‘giggers’ to fill skills gaps that exist within their teams and organizations.

Overall, a recent Gartner survey of HR leaders found that 41 percent of employees are likely to work outside the office at least some of the time post-pandemic, up from 30 percent before the virus struck.²²

Study the frameworks and leadership skills needed to overcome modern workplace challenges and manage teams effectively. Sign up to the Oxford Executive Leadership Programme today.

What will the workplace look like in 2030?

Technology will play an even more important role in the workplace of 2030. Traditional work models will give way to more collaborative, horizontal structures as companies seek to tap into the power of technology to drive innovation and growth.

The participation rate of the workforce is projected to fall to 60% by 2030.²³ This increase, combined with the retirement of baby boomers, will result in a shortage of skilled workers in many industries. To address this issue, companies will need to focus on attracting and retaining top talent.

The future is now: Creating opportunity for sustainable business performance

In a time of rapid change and uncertainty, people have become the most valuable asset to companies. Being able to develop employees is viewed as a source of competitive advantage in the marketplace. Since this, in turn, is also a motivational element that keeps employees feeling engaged, it’s meaningful for organizations to implement a learning culture.

The ability to balance work and purpose, aided by technology, will be a key factor in shaping people’s lives over the next decade. If employers don’t keep up with this trend they’re likely to lose their best people, either to more agile organizations or to some form of self-employment. Companies can prepare for the future of work by aligning their purpose, culture, vision, and values to the needs of the changing workplace, and prepare for a new division of labor between humans, machines, and algorithms.

To navigate change and the future of the workforce, it’s vital to rethink learning and development in the workplace. Explore why learning and work is the new organizational ecosystem here.

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Leadership development plays a critical role in adapting to this dynamism, helping leaders to make faster decisions and successfully navigating crises like COVID-19.² For this reason, it’s a key priority for many corporate HR departments.³

However, in a survey of more than 750 learning and development professionals, almost half the respondents significantly decreased spending on leadership development in 2020, although more organizations offered programs to develop leadership character. Moreover, the same survey showed that there’s been little improvement in the impact of leadership development on critical business goals.⁴

The infographic below examines 13 problematic leadership development statistics:

The importance of leadership training

In today’s competitive economy, where human capital is scarcer than financial capital, a business’ competitive advantage lies in its ability to manage and allocate its talent. Good leaders will:¹⁹

• Define the roles that are critical to creating value for the company moving forward, and then assess the skills, attributes, knowledge, and experience of existing talent
• Identify the critical skills needed for multiple potential future contingencies to plan skills development accordingly
• Adopt new ways of attracting and sourcing talent in line with contemporary technological developments and workforce expectations²⁰

1. Leadership development drives a new leadership structure

Driven by increasing digitalization, connectivity, automation, lower transaction costs, and demographic shifts, the company structure that’s evolving today resembles a thriving ecosystem rather than the bureaucratic business construction of previous generations. Companies are adopting flatter leadership structures and operating models that enable agility and simplicity.²¹

In order to succeed, today’s business leaders must understand how and when to delegate effectively. Delegating tasks can empower employees to come up with creative solutions, grow beyond their present positions, and feel more satisfied at work. This also gives leaders the opportunity to focus on developing and growing their businesses.²²

2. Leadership development creates skilled, empowered leaders

The prevailing logic for supervisor training is to teach managerial skills – planning, budgeting, reporting, and task assignment – first, and then leadership skills later. Unfortunately, this often results in new supervisors being ill-equipped for tasks that require real direction, and an overall lack of sufficient organizational leadership.²³

Updating the way leaders work to be more in keeping with Industry 4.0 translates into a shift in leadership’s thinking from siloed or “hero” leadership, where only one person makes all the decisions and everyone follows, to an approach where colleagues from various functions, departments, and roles work collaboratively. In this context, leaders coach rather than command, and encourage innovation instead of simply overseeing execution.²⁴

3. Improved leadership skills lead to greater innovation

To bring transformation and innovation to their businesses, successful Industry 4.0 leaders are moving from managing unchanging teams to building diverse, international, and agile ones linked to projects rather than static responsibilities. Here, leadership is less about expecting respect for authority and more about motivating and guiding through influence. These leaders focus on building an environment of trust where people feel confident sharing ideas and taking risks.²⁵

Today’s best leaders also recognize the value of supporting employees in their personal lives. According to a Gartner survey, this sort of support results in 23 and 17 percent more employees reporting improved mental and physical health respectively, leading to a 21 percent rise in the number of high-performing staff.²⁶

The benefits of leadership development

Many organizations run leadership development programs to develop employees with potential so they can take on senior leadership positions.²⁷ It’s key for companies to design leadership development programs with their specific business objectives in mind, imparting the necessary skills to help achieve these.²⁸

The benefits of establishing a development program to grow leadership skills include:

Better financial performance

The development of leadership is immediately evident in several aspects directly affecting the bottom line. Companies can enhance their returns fivefold by developing people capable of improving customer satisfaction, exploring new revenue streams, and reducing costs.²⁹

Attracting and retaining talent

Leadership development programs provide a way for employees to grow within a company rather than move elsewhere to fulfill their desires for growth. Prioritizing these programs represent a commitment to developing high-performing employees, giving them a reason to commit their time and career to the organization.³⁰

While investing in leadership development might seem like an extra expense, it has the potential to demonstrate a return on investment of up to six times the program cost. Moreover, it can help improve workplace relationships by 77 percent and employee satisfaction by 51 percent.³¹

Training provider Lorman found that 70 percent of employees would move to a company that invested in learning and development, while 86 percent of millennials said they would stay with their employer if these programs were offered. A strong culture of learning can also increase employee retention rates by 30 to 50 percent.³²

Improved company culture

While most business leaders agree that a healthy company culture builds employee engagement, almost half of employees believe their companies’ leadership isn’t committed to improving their culture. One of the consequences of this disconnect is a higher staff turnover.

In order to build successful organizations, today’s leaders need to recognize not just how to create a positive company culture themselves, but also how to empower their staff to do so.³³

Better customer retention

Leadership’s ability to motivate, mentor, and inspire has a significant impact on the service provided by customer-facing teams as well as the level of perceived value. Companies that focus on developing their leaders and other staff members, particularly in terms of client relationships, can create a customer-centric culture that drives retention and repeat business.³⁴

Increased agility and ability to adapt to change

Change is integral to improvement. Therefore, a commitment to transformation should be part of any company’s corporate culture.³⁵ A study found that 86 percent of companies with formal leadership development programs are able to respond rapidly to changing market conditions. In turn, only 52 percent of companies with less mature leadership programs are able to do this. Moreover, 65 percent of companies with mature development programs see improved business results, compared to six percent of businesses that don’t have these programs.³⁶

As Industry 4.0 continues to take center stage in today’s workplace, it’s time for organizations to evaluate how their teams and technology can work together to add value and achieve business goals. Investing in strong leaders through leadership development programs drives innovation and improves financial performance, both of which are vital in navigating the evolving business world of Industry 4.0.³⁷

If you recognize the importance of leadership skills, consider enrolling staff members in the Oxford Executive Leadership Programme offered by Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. This eight-week programme explores core leadership themes, including power and influence, motivation, authenticity and adaptability, change, complexity, and diversity. In addition, it helps participants to reflect critically on their leadership approach through practical insights and tools. Find out what past participants had to say here. Oxford Saïd also offers various other online programmes that might interest you.

Similarly, the Leadership Development Program from the University of Dayton uses a holistic approach to help leaders become self-aware, confident team players, and organizational influencers. Over the course of eight weeks, participants will develop their people management skills, focusing on practical communication and collaboration, and effective team leadership.

The London School of Economics and Political Science also offers a Leadership and Change online certificate course, which is designed to equip business leaders with the tools and expertise to survive, grow, and thrive in times of transformation. This eight-week course helps participants to develop their authentic leadership strengths and gain the expertise to create coaching plans that apply widely accepted principles and models for professional development.

Boost your team’s leadership and interpersonal skills with a range of online courses

The post The Importance of Developing Leadership Skills in an Ever-Changing Workplace appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

Peter Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, defines a learning organization as a place where workers have the freedom to learn and the opportunities to improve and reach their collective goals. These organizations encourage a curious mind and welcome challenges to the status quo.¹

There are numerous benefits, but creating this kind of organization can be challenging.

One of the main obstacles standing in the way of companies creating a learning organization is the rapid shift toward mass digitization and the difficulty of staying ahead of changes, says Jake Wengroff, social business expert and author at Synapse. “The overnight need to digitize workplace systems and processes only served to accelerate the need for talent developers to upskill and reskill their workforces,” he notes.²

Training that’s applied inconsistently is another barrier to building an effective learning and development program. “Waiting until skills decline – or become totally obsolete – can create a dangerous, too-little-too-late scenario,” Wengroff continues. “The more removed the employee is from the skills or knowledge needed to perform a task properly, the more time and effort are needed to train that employee.”³

How do you make learning matter in your organization? Let’s take a closer look at the steps executives, team managers, and professionals working in learning and development can take to prioritize learning.

Peter Senge’s five disciplines of the learning organization

1. Personal mastery
   This occurs when individuals have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and a realistic perception of how to do it.⁵ Lifelong learning should be a focus within learning organizations to help employees achieve their goals and experience personal growth.⁶
2. Mental models
   Learning organizations and their employees should self-evaluate consistently to challenge limiting beliefs that may impact progress.⁷
3. Shared vision
   A shared vision is created through employee engagement and ensures that employees work towards business objectives because they share the company vision.⁸
4. Team learning
   Building on the previous steps, team learning enables members to expand their knowledge and fosters better collaboration, communication, and cooperation.⁹
5. Systems thinking
   This type of thinking reflects the observational process of an entire system and emphasizes how every action correlates to another.¹⁰ “By enhancing each of the other disciplines, it continually reminds us that the whole can exceed the sum of its parts,” explains Senge.¹¹

Through continual and open communication, these five disciplines of the learning organization can grow within a workforce. Note that it does, however, take a concerted effort where teams introduce and drive long-term training and development plans together.¹²

Three tried-and-tested learning methods

The practical steps on how to develop a learning organization is different for every business. However, the following three methods of training and development are worth considering:

1. Formal training

Companies can choose to do in-house training, though this is often cost- and time-sensitive, and usually outsourced. The benefits of formal training are that it’s easier to manage and more structured and consistent.¹³

2. Informal training

This kind of training encourages soft skills (communication, leadership, relationship) development through intentional recognition, meaningful feedback, and direct mentorship.

3. Rewarding learning cultures

Rather than only rewarding performance, companies promote a culture of growth and improvement to demonstrate that continual learning is valued.¹⁴

A learning organization is one of shared responsibilities. However, the role of team leaders and human resource managers is vital in creating a good company culture to foster this vision.

Gain the knowledge and skills to implement a long-term, collaborative learning strategy in your organization. Browse a range of strategic and practical online short courses to enrich your career in human resources.

Make a lasting impact on your workforce. Gear up with an online HR course.

The post Step-by-Step Guide on Creating a Learning Organization appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

To help understand the effects of this inflection point, GetSmarter surveyed 5,808 professionals from 128 countries. This uncovered several compelling insights, starting with our survey respondents identifying COVID-19 and remote working as the two most disruptive factors in the past six to 12 months. Interestingly, it also revealed that new technologies are expected to be one of the most disruptive factors to businesses in the next two years. Crucially, only 40 percent of professionals surveyed feel their company is currently doing enough to prepare.

However, the most important finding in the survey is that the success of a digital transformation is not totally reliant on just plugging in the latest technology. The innovation and resilience required for true success is dependent on empowering and inspiring employees. The transition into a business with technology at its center also entails a shift in the culture and mindset of the organization.³ Every single team member needs to be aligned, equipped, and motivated, and this starts with leadership and strategic change management.

Unfortunately, most companies don’t experience a smooth digital transition: 74 percent of transformation projects fail to achieve their full benefits due to a lack of employee contribution.⁴ This underlines how human capital offers both the biggest challenge and the greatest solution. The motivation isn’t just for HR benefits: successful digital transformation is proven to create tangible business value such as new revenue streams and lower costs.⁵

So, the question is: what is the right human capital strategy for success? While there are common requisites such as change management and leadership, there is no one-size-fits-all HR approach; every industry requires a bespoke treatment. Businesses need a customized talent strategy that focuses on upskilling and reskilling in targeted areas, emphasizes the right leadership skills, and underlines the importance of diversity and inclusion. The HR strategy must also form part of an integrated digital framework.

Transform your company’s human resource function into a strategic driver of change management and value creation.

Unlock an effective, sustainable competitive advantage through disruptive technology.

This practical guide looks at digital transformation case studies from three leading industries and explores the unique tech-based approaches needed to succeed. All three emphasize the importance of having the right blend of specific skills, talent, and leadership ability.

The impact of digital transformation on talent

In line with the trend shown in the great resignation, the GetSmarter survey reveals that 59 percent of respondents are very likely or somewhat likely to change jobs to another business area or function in the next 6–12 months. This emphasizes how hiring and retaining talent is so important for businesses in the post-pandemic area, especially for employees with technological skills. The demand for people with IT and digital skills continues to outstrip supply.⁶

This shortage of skills underlines how all employees need to be upskilled with a tech focus – not just those in the IT department. Unfortunately, most companies aren’t responding quickly enough, even though employees are willing to learn. The GetSmarter survey shows that 96 percent of respondents are considering engaging in learning activities to upskill themselves. Their top reasons for this: to gain a new skill that the business needs, followed by improving in their current role.

Everyone, including leaders and the C-suite, needs to develop their skills through reskilling and upskilling, and crucially, it needs to be done in a bespoke way to suit their individual career, goals, and industry. Our survey reveals that there is one area that all employees need to focus on: technical skills and digital capabilities, especially leaders, C-suite, directors, and older generation employees who typically rely more strongly on their leadership and interpersonal skills.

Based on the GetSmarter Skills Hierarchy, the graph shows that younger generations perceive technical skills to have greater longevity in their careers than the older generations. Conversely, the older generations perceive analytical, critical thinking skills, and interpersonal and leadership skills as having greater longevity in their careers. This reveals two crucial skills gaps. The younger generations need to improve their leadership, interpersonal, and critical thinking skills while the older generations need to improve their technical skills and digital capabilities.

This is a vital lesson for HR professionals and learning development managers; they need to identify the skill gaps in their organization and provide learning opportunities for their current employees rather than solely hiring new people. Given that the demand for employees with technical skills has outstripped supply, it makes financial and cultural sense to upskill and reskill existing team members, within the organization. Technology skills can no longer be highly centered in IT; they need to be ‘marbled’ across organizational functions and businesses and coupled with soft skills to achieve transformation success.⁷

There is a disclaimer in this talent strategy: the learning opportunities need to be chosen carefully. Only 51 percent of GetSmarter’s survey respondents said they find training provided by their employer to be useful. This speaks to the clear gap between what employees want and need to learn compared to what their employers are offering in learning opportunities. Most companies lack data regarding the skills they need for transformation and are not sure about how and where to develop such capabilities.⁸

Digital transformation can, and should, be focused on problems of greatest need to the company. Those priorities will lend a flavor both to the talent needed, and the upskilling that’s required.⁹

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Industry case study 1: Education

The GetSmarter survey revealed that the following skills are highest in demand in the education industry and should be the focus for upskilling within this market. The following case studies demonstrate how certain skills have been leveraged for successful digital transformations in three different industries.

The lesson: Use technology to empower both employees and customers.
California State University (CSU) is one of the largest public universities in the United States. It has almost 50,000 employees and 500,000 students enrolled across 23 campuses.¹⁰ One of its biggest challenges: collecting, processing, and analyzing the immense volume of data.

The solution was devised by their chief data officer, Brendan Aldrich, and it involved creating a ‘data lake’; an advanced form of cloud storage combined with in-depth programming. This centralized repository enables you to store structured and unstructured data at any scale. It allows CSU to store data as is, without having to first structure the data, and allows it to run different types of analytics – from dashboards and visualizations to big data processing, real-time analytics, and machine learning (ML) to guide better decisions.¹¹ The positives for CSU: employees have faster access to more information, they can analyze it more quickly, and they can help students more effectively. The students benefit too, as they have access to more digital functionality and learning support. It’s an effective, scalable digital solution to empowering the CSU team to work smarter and more efficiently – the perfect example of technology empowering both employees and customers.

Data lakes aren’t just used in education: the South American branch of the Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Andina, used one to increase the productivity of its analytics team by 80 percent. This allows the company to make decisions based on reliable data, promoting growth, maintaining its competitive advantage, and increasing the company’s revenue.¹²

Industry case study 2: Financial services

The lesson: Partnerships can share talent and technology faster, and have a cultural impact.
Deutsche Bank required a fast and global digital transformation to help it stay relevant in a market embracing cryptocurrency, blockchain, and other emerging technologies. Its response? To partner with Google Cloud on a 10-year deal. This is not just about moving banking services onto the cloud, it’s a versatile collaboration that will overhaul the bank’s technology, business model, the core value, and, crucially, its culture and approach to talent.¹³

Industry case study 3: Information technology

The lesson: All companies should choose innovation and technology as prime drivers.
Walmart, the U.S.-based retail giant, is not in the IT industry. However, there are reasons to justify its inclusion as an IT-focused case study. During the 2018 fiscal year alone, it spent $11.7 billion on technology, making it the third-largest IT spender globally behind Amazon and Alphabet.¹⁴ Coupled with that investment, the company has since teamed up with Adobe to offer businesses subscriptions to its proprietary e-commerce capabilities, as well as unveiled its own cloud-powered checkout system, mobile check-in technology, and app-based shopping.¹⁵

Walmart’s transformation goal is not limited to using technology to become an e-commerce business, it’s using it to transform all elements, from supply chain management through to the overall customer experience. “Digital conversion for us has to be about more than just serving the customer on the front end. It’s about more than e-commerce. We need to introduce digitization across all our functions and jobs so that we can be faster and more efficient,” says Doug MacMillon, Walmart’s CEO.¹⁶ Walmart uses shelf-scanning robots for stock-keeping, blockchain to track produce, electronic shelf labels for variability, (artificial intelligence) AI for product inventory, and more.¹⁷

However, the case study provides one crucial lesson for all companies: Walmart’s people working behind and alongside its digital platforms are the real secret weapon that will continue to power its transformation into a technology company.¹⁸

Understand how AI and machine learning is used in our everyday lives in this video with Professor Thomas Malone from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

The core focus on skills needed to future-proof success

As shown by all three case studies, it’s the mix of the right skills, leadership strategy, technology, and sound change management that results in digital transformation success. To help with the first two factors, HR professionals and learning development managers need to identify which digital transformation skills are highest in demand in their business and industry. Then, they need to upskill and reskill their workforce to fill skills gaps in the next two years. Concurrently, HR needs to clearly define career paths and offer professional development to all employees to help them advance in their careers. It also means establishing leadership development programs for the most promising employees.¹⁹ By offering learning opportunities to employees, it can also address and improve retention and employee satisfaction.

To assist with this, GetSmarter has created a Digital Transformation Skills Framework. It’s an interactive roadmap that uncovers the most valuable skills that are key to digital transformation. This is the foundation for a human capital strategy, and will help you upskill your workforce and address the knowledge gaps. Click on the different categories to see a detailed breakdown of the specific skills required.

Start the transformation

As shown by the case studies and survey results, it’s the human capital strategy that determines the success of digital transformation in business. Research shows that the greatest business transformation occurred when companies changed their people and talent strategies and focused on upskilling employees.²⁰

HR professionals and learning development managers have to work with their leaders to craft a human capital strategy that’s customized for the specific business needs, the demands of the industry, and long-term goals. Achieving this relies heavily on two factors: following the proven five-part digital transformation framework and harnessing strategic change management.

The reward? Successful digital transformation builds careers and thriving businesses, no matter what the industry is or the disruptions that are faced. Start defining the human capital strategy for your business with the course map below. Our Enterprise division offers talented Account Managers who can help consult on the best courses to suit your company’s learning development strategies and digital transformation goals.

Transform both your business and your career with insights from GetSmarter’s latest research into digital transformation.

Help your workforce unlock digital transformation success

The post Your Human Capital Strategy for Digital Transformation appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

Throughout these disruptions and transitions, eight megatrends have emerged that are shaping the future of work and impacting how businesses develop and engage with their employees.

With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), the staggering ramifications of the rapid integration of technological disruption and digital transformation has resulted in many businesses struggling to keep up with rapid innovation in the workplace. This, combined with widening skills gaps, is why actively investing in employee training and development is essential for both the growth of the business and the workforce that propels it. Filling the company’s skills gaps through the upskilling and reskilling of individuals or groups of employees, could be the difference between thriving or barely surviving through any change.

“Lots of companies don’t succeed over time. What do they fundamentally do wrong? They usually miss the future.” ²

– Larry Page, Google co-founder and computer scientist

What is employee development?

Employee training and development are terms often used interchangeably, across sectors, and encompass various employee learning practices. More specifically, employee training involves programs that enable employees to learn precise skills or gain knowledge to improve job performance. Employee development is a process whereby the manager and employee work together to create a development plan. This plan identifies areas to develop or enhance, and ascertains what actions or activities need to be taken to acquire and embed that learning. This development plan is aligned with the organization’s goals and ultimately serves as a template showing skills that the employee requires and how they can go about acquiring them. Now, more than ever, owing to the impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the COVID-19 pandemic, learning and development (L&D) in business is taking top priority in the workplace.

One of the biggest challenges faced by business leaders driving the adoption of disruptive technology, is insufficient internal skills when combining technology with technical proficiency. As industries innovate so new technologies emerge, which has a profound impact on education and development. The ability to merge new technology with creative learning methods will ensure that teams learn new skills or reskill dynamically, through a future-oriented approach.

Discover the five skills your team will need by 2025

The benefits of upskilling or reskilling your team

A changing world means that professional development will need to be constantly pursued and prioritized. Employers play an important role in supporting the acquisition of those skills. In fact, 54 percent of respondents from GetSmarter’s ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report agree that upskilling or reskilling is the joint responsibility of the business and the employee.³

Here are four reasons why employee training and development is important:

1. Positive employee retention

The hiring and retention of talent can be an ongoing challenge for employers, however one way to retain your staff is by providing them with career development opportunities. Including development program offerings in employment contracts establishes an employee’s sense of value within the company, fostering loyalty and ultimately increasing staff retention. Investing in your staff’s professional development is not only vital for team retention, but learning and development professionals worldwide have reported that they’re observing a stronger appetite for upskilling than ever before.⁴

More than half the professionals surveyed by GetSmarter in 2020 say they’re either somewhat likely or very likely to change jobs in the next 12 months. Even more notable is that 51% claim they may change job functions or business areas entirely.⁵

2. Training future leaders

Acquiring leadership talent can start from the initial acquisition, or human resources professionals can select current employees as managerial candidates. Having established leadership development programs ensures that a business is always considering future organizational goals and succession planning by preparing promotable talent.

3. Employee empowerment

Recent research shows that leaders who inspire, ignite people’s imaginations, and mobilize them with a compelling vision are more impactful than managers who simply focus on the bottom line.⁶

4. Increased workplace engagement

Regular development initiatives can help keep employees motivated, while frequent training programs will also establish regular re-evaluation of employees, skills, and processes. Assessing the current skills and abilities within a team will enable managers to strategically plan targeted development programs that consider any potential skills gaps.

How to create a high-impact employee training plan

Companies that immediately engage in employee growth and potential learning opportunities – from the moment an individual is hired to the moment they leave – will greatly impact future employee performance and dedication.

You can find out more about how to create an executive development plan in this GetSmarter article: How to Create an Executive Development Plan.

Here are four effective strategies for developing workplace talent: 

1. Target soft skills

The latest GetSmarter 2021 report, which focuses on resetting professional careers in a COVID-19 world, found that training for soft skills and enhancing interpersonal (or more human) skills is a key trend for talent development in 2021 and the foreseeable future.⁸ Driving this is a surge of industry change, automation, and technological advancements. The modern workplace requires adaptable, critical thinkers who can communicate effectively and are aware of their value as well as their areas of development. The GetSmarter Skills Hierarchy enables you to identify individual or group strengths and areas of growth, and can reveal skills gaps in your team that need to be filled.

Build leadership and interpersonal skills

2. Personalize employee development

A few years ago, delivering tailored and sophisticated learning experiences at scale seemed out of reach, but modern talent development technology has made learning personalization a reality.⁹ Approaching workplace development with a one-size-fits-all mentality is counteractive to a growing, diversified workplace – employees need to be assessed on and acknowledged for their specific skills, technological fluency, and learning approach.

Build employee development skills

3. Emphasize digital learning

Employers need to reduce resistance to learning by engaging talent through the existing platforms they already choose to spend their time on. Agile learning methodologies that focus on speed, flexibility and collaboration are the future of learning and development. This is the approach that will enable leaders to better manage skills gaps by ensuring people are rapidly upskilled or reskilled for the benefit of work and business performance.¹⁰

Build digital transformation skills

4. Create a strategic development plan 

According to the World Economic Forum, 50 percent of employees will need to be reskilled by 2025.¹¹ As the skills gap continues to widen, employers need to take the initiative in training employees to reskill and upskill them. The steps involved in creating a development plan begin with establishing business goals. Upskilling and reskilling efforts can sustain and fuel company growth. In planning for future growth, and creating training solutions that target those goals, L&D needs to collaborate with all stakeholders to identify current and future skills gaps.¹²

Create an employee development plan in just seven steps

Regardless of whether a company has existing, functioning training programs, employee development won’t ever be effective if the work environment doesn’t accommodate – and encourage – continuous learning. Organizations need to support a culture of constant development that is able to recognize overall industry change and provide relevant training to overcome the challenges that may arise from such changes.

The benefits and value of training and development act like a domino effect; leaders feel competent and can efficiently influence employee performance; skilled and engaged employees result in high job satisfaction, commitment, and thus retention; workforce improvement and engagement benefits an organization’s overall profit. Despite the type of training and development provided, it needs to align with future workplace skills, support the company’s business objectives, and be delivered in an innovative way that mirrors the digital transformation in the business.

GetSmarter can guide you as your learning partner, and help your organization create a tailored upskilling or reskilling plan to meet your unique industry needs.

The post Employee Training and Development: The Benefits of Upskilling or Reskilling Your Team appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

There’s no doubt that the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is central to this major shift in sought-after skills. Alongside several other key megatrends, the rapid rise of innovations like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, 3D printing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud computing is driving widespread change in the workplace. And in many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this transformation.² In a matter of years, certain jobs may cease to exist, many roles will be redefined, and several new occupations will surface and become the norm.

The question is: are you developing a skill set aligned with the trends of the emerging workforce and the jobs of the future?

A new focus on transferable soft skills

GetSmarter’s ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report shows that while technological advancements are powering much of the revolution, the skills that are rising most in prominence are of the softer variety – cognitive and interpersonal skills that are easily transferable from one role to another. As machines do what they’re best suited to – optimize, automate, calculate, replicate – professionals are required to play more into their uniquely human proficiencies.

As ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott is quoted as saying in the 2021 Deloitte ‘Global Human Capital Trends’ report:³

“We’re in a world now that’s all about people. We’re in a truly human moment where any connection that doesn’t absolutely lean into people will go nowhere.”

In line with this, the GetSmarter Skills Hierarchy supports the notion that many of the pioneering skills of the future aren’t strictly technical. Outlining areas in which employees and businesses need to focus their upskilling and reskilling efforts, it shows that although digital capabilities are fundamental, the proficiencies that actually set candidates apart are largely human-centric.

Guided by this hierarchy and global research, this overview outlines five of the most important skills you’ll need to develop in order to not just survive, but thrive, in the workplace of the future.

1. Digital literacy

Up to 84 percent of employers plan to swiftly digitalize work processes in the near future, with a fair number intending to use digital tools to connect employees and bridge divides caused by COVID-19.⁴ Over time, we’ve also seen many once-futuristic technological concepts – such as AI, machine learning, and virtual reality – grow in adoption, or become mainstream, and the world is currently witnessing a rapid rise in the demand for cobots (collaborative robots), which will see humans increasingly working alongside smart machines.⁵

As a result, going forward, professionals across industries and functions will require some degree of digital and technological literacy.⁶ At the very least, workers of the future will need a basic understanding of the application potential of various disruptive technologies like blockchain and IoT, and a degree of comfort with data interpretation and everyday software, like the tools included in the Google Workspace suite.

Considering the current pace of digital transformation, it’s key to develop such competencies now to lay the foundation for optimal performance in the wholly different world that we’re likely to face in 2025.

Of all the digital proficiencies to master, virtual collaboration skills are perhaps the most important. Even pre-COVID-19, research revealed that over 70 percent of professionals felt that video meeting capabilities and real-time collaboration tools were the technologies that played the biggest role in improving job performance and success at work.⁷ Since the outbreak of the pandemic and the rise in work-from-home arrangements, the ability to engage effectively with teams across geographic boundaries and time zones has only become more critical. 

It’s fairly safe to assume that by 2025, it will have become the norm to communicate and connect with colleagues virtually. So it’s worth familiarizing yourself with popular online collaboration tools, like Slack, Zoom, Asana, and Workplace from Facebook, now.

2. Analytical and critical thinking

GetSmarter’s recent research revealed that many professionals consider analytical or critical thinking to be the most valuable skill, both now and for the future. In the same vein, Deloitte’s 2019 Industry 4.0 readiness report showed that the most innovative technology, media, and telecom (TMT) companies value critical thinking skills over technical skills, and are focusing their efforts on developing this competency for success in the 4IR.⁸

The proliferation of algorithms and data science is, in part, responsible for this trend. We live in a world where we’re inundated with information, and the most effective workers in the future will be those who can apply logic and reasoning to analyze it, interpret it, evaluate alternatives, weigh up the pros and cons of different solutions, and identify the best way forward.⁹  Machines may augment our work by delivering insights, but humans will be required – more and more so as we approach 2025 – to think critically about the information provided to inform decisions, solve complex problems, and develop new ideas.

3. Self-management

According to a recent Gartner survey, 82 percent of company leaders plan to allow employees to work remotely some of the time going forward, even after the COVID-19 pandemic.¹⁰ This development builds on an already growing trend towards outsourcing, freelancing, and telecommuting. As a result, more and more professionals will be either working for themselves or away from the office, outside of the structures typically implemented to manage and motivate workforces.

This means that it will be more important than ever for employees to be able to self-direct. This involves taking on more responsibility, being self-disciplined and accountable, making important decisions on your own, and keeping your cool under pressure.

Skills in self-management – including active learning, resilience, stress tolerance, and flexibility – emerged as key competencies to develop in the lead-up to 2025 in the World Economic Forum’s 2020 ‘The Future of Jobs Report.’¹¹ The research suggests that employers of the future will want employees who have a growth mindset and can take initiative, motivate themselves, manage their time effectively, handle stress and criticism, keep their emotions in check, and adapt easily to change.

Adaptability is a self-management skill that is likely to be highly valued going forward, given that the rate of change in the world is only accelerating.¹² By 2025, workers will need to be adept at switching seamlessly between tasks, coping with variability, and reacting quickly and effectively to shifts in the workplace.

4. Social and emotional intelligence

As soft skills are becoming increasingly important, social and emotional intelligence will be key competencies to develop for future success. Professionals who are proficient in these areas can easily adapt their behavior to accommodate various styles of communication, diverse strengths and weaknesses, and different personalities. They’re also aware of, and in control of, their own emotions, and sensitive to the needs, feelings, and mental states of others.¹³

These skills underpin the ability to connect, collaborate, communicate, empathize, negotiate, persuade, and resolve conflict – all deeply human competencies that can’t be replicated by algorithms or machines. Social and emotional intelligence are also key to engaging effectively with colleagues from different age groups, which is becoming critical as changing demographics leave us with an increasingly diverse, truly multi-generational workforce. 

5. Leadership

Data from GetSmarter’s ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report also shows that leadership skills will become increasingly sought after in the future. Strong leaders are needed to navigate disruption, steer teams through rapid transformation and extreme uncertainty, and capitalize on emerging technologies. 

However, in the 4IR, it’s no longer enough to simply be able to guide employees to achieve organizational goals. Modern professionals must embrace responsible, adaptive, entrepreneurial, and values-based leadership practices.¹⁴ They need to be proficient in leading dispersed, remote teams; inspiring staff with empathy; promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace; fostering trust and transparency; driving sustainability; and prioritizing social responsibility.

The need for leadership capabilities doesn’t only apply to senior and more experienced members of the workforce. Today, many junior workers are required to take on management roles from time to time – even if just on a short-term project basis. In addition, GetSmarter data indicates that the younger generations are moving into leadership positions fairly early in their careers – 43 percent of millennials and 27 percent of Generation Zs are reportedly already people managers. This finding suggests that all professionals, across generations, experience levels, and industries, should be focusing on developing their ability to lead.

The next steps: Upskill today

The best way to ensure that you have the skills you need to perform optimally in 2025 (and beyond) is to commit to an approach of lifelong learning. Research for GetSmarter’s ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report indicated that employers consider evidence of continued learning on a CV highly desirable, and are starting to place greater value on online skills-based certificates. As HR professionals view continuous learning as a joint responsibility between companies and employees, it might be worthwhile starting a conversation with your employer about your upskilling options.

Online education and programs focused on continuing professional development also don’t only deliver technical skills. GetSmarter discovered that a sizable portion of HR managers agree that professionals can effectively learn interpersonal skills online, and indeed, more and more online courses are now dedicated to the development of these competencies.

Ultimately, keeping up with the changes to come will require a willingness to constantly reinvent yourself, while regularly adapting your approach to work and people, and a commitment to cultivating your own uniquely human capabilities.

Evolve your skills with a course suited to your needs. Browse the portfolio.

The post Five Pioneering Skills You’ll Need By 2025 appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

What is the 4IR?

The 4IR is the current era where countries around the world are adopting game-changing technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Most importantly, the 4IR doesn’t consider any of these technologies in isolation. Instead, it encompasses a fusion in which these high-powered tech tools integrate with our physical and biological worlds. Think ubiquitous computers, interconnected digital devices, intelligent robots, autonomous vehicles, gene editing, printing of organic matter, and even brain enhancements. An effective way of understanding what the 4IR is about is to consider it in the context of the previous three industrial revolutions:³

AI is responsible for driving many 4IR technologies. In the GetSmarter Disruptive Tech Survey, which engages global business leaders and working professionals to measure demand for different technologies, AI came out on top in 2018 and 2019. Today, AI remains on the list of 2021 technology trends, alongside:⁴

• Internet of Behavior (IoB)
• Hyperautomation
• Privacy-enhancing computing

Though Africa hasn’t digitally transformed as quickly as other developing and developed regions, there have been significant improvements in information and communications technology (ICT). Mobile technologies and services generate millions of jobs and contribute a serious amount of economic value to the region,⁵ proving that digitization helps increase efficiency and growth.

Many 4IR technologies offer Africa a space on the global stage for innovation, and local business leaders are realizing the opportunities technologies enable. The question, then, is how do we address the factors causing South Africa’s progress in joining the digital revolution to lag?

Demand for tech skills in South Africa is soaring, but supply falls short

As more and more global companies seek to obtain the widely reported benefits of AI, the demand for professionals skilled in data science and advanced analytics has grown exponentially.⁶ In South Africa, this demand far exceeds supply, leading to a particularly severe digital skills gap. In 2020, South Africa ranked 59th out of 63 economies in the Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook – its lowest ranking since the inception of the yearbook.⁷ In the IMD’s digital ranking results, which measure the capacity and readiness of the same economies to adopt digital technology, South Africa ranked 60. Its overall top weaknesses were listed as digital and technological skills, as well as higher education achievement.⁸ To compete globally, South Africa will first need to foster an economy that empowers its citizens with the necessary future-fit skills.

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COVID-19’s impact on digital transformation

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated a multitude of industries, but it has also forced many organizations to rethink the way they do business by digitally adapting to the new circumstances. In South Africa, only 37 percent of companies had a digital transformation strategy at the start of the pandemic, while only 23.5 percent of businesses had a functional plan for remote working.⁹ Since March 2020, the majority of organizations have had to shift their workforces to home, and those who’d already started their digital transformation journey were notably better prepared for the disruption. COVID-19 required businesses to fast-track their digital strategies, resulting in major overhauls to existing data security plans, IT systems, and cloud and project management software.

Though still in the throes of the pandemic, business leaders have been confronted by the critical importance of being digitally agile. Many 4IR technologies helped companies shift and adapt for remote working, and it’s these advancements that have again shed light on the digital skills needed by professionals, and the innovation that lies just beyond.

Start upskilling today

How we respond to the future of work largely depends on how we prepare today. With the 4IR bringing about a skills shortage, upskilling – or in some cases, reskilling – will be essential to keeping up with the rate of change.

GetSmarter’s ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report shows that digital capabilities are the most important foundational skills to have, to the point where it’s become assumed knowledge for every worker. The GetSmarter Skills Hierarchy also details how data has increased the demand for analytical and critical-thinking skills across job functions and industries.

The 2020 ‘Future of Jobs’ report from the World Economic Forum estimates that on average, organizations will require 40 percent of workers to reskill.¹⁰ Additionally, 94 percent of business leaders expect employees to pick up new skills on the job – a sharp rise from 65 percent in 2018.

In Africa alone, some 230 million jobs will require digital skills by 2030, which equates to 650 training opportunities, creating a $130 billion market.¹¹ To respond to this demand, higher education institutions will have to reorient their ICT and engineering courses to account for rapidly advancing technologies.¹² However, for the majority of African countries, there’s the added challenge of limited internet access.

The quality of African education systems and basic accessibility issues has prompted many organizations to take it upon themselves to prepare their workforce for the changes to come by facilitating a learning culture. With this support, employees are engaging with self-development tools offered by the businesses they work for. It’s this joint responsibility of learning that will ensure businesses, and professionals, are ready for the jobs of the future.

Alongside this, the South African government has also committed to a detailed proposal for catapulting the country into the 4IR.

The final report also proposes that incentives are provided for future industries, platforms, and applications of 4IR technologies, amongst other policy and council creations.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recognizes the 4IR’s place in driving new solutions: “As a continent that continues to be impacted by historically low levels of development, Africa can and must take advantage of technological advances to industrialize, pursue inclusive growth, and attract investment.”¹⁴ His aim is to have the nation fully harnessing the potential of technology by 2030, but in order to do so, we’ll need to respond “with agility and purpose”.

The path forward for South Africa

The exact time frame for the 4IR isn’t known, though Accenture expects that, by 2026, it could unlock around R1.4 trillion of value in South Africa across agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, and financial services.¹⁵

Ensuring that South Africa’s workforce will be ready for the future of work will likely require a combination of effort from various stakeholders. Mounting enthusiasm for the 4IR from different groups is a positive sign, but translating that energy into strong, cross-sectoral partnerships will be the key to effective digital skills creation.¹⁶

It’s clear that if South Africa is to become a legitimate participant in the digital revolution, it will need to make some fundamental changes first. Chief among these will be to combat the low levels of digital literacy in its workforce. Despite the daunting task ahead, South Africa has already begun to prepare to take this leap into the future with technological transformation rolling out across sectors. Beyond simple productivity improvements, 4IR technologies have also become a sign of hope in South Africa’s social and developmental challenges. It offers the opportunity for transformation, growth, and improvement, for both governments, organizations, and professionals. In more ways than one, the 4IR is a solution and tool to be harnessed, so that the future of work is one that’s inclusive and beneficial for all.

Ready to take the first step towards the future of work?

The post The 4th Industrial Revolution: Will South Africa Be Ready for the Jobs of the Future? appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

However, learning and talent development across industries has notoriously struggled to boost employee skills and adequately support their growth. In recent years, organizations have attempted to master this shortcoming through the notion of ‘learning in the flow of work’. This concept sees employees quickly and easily accessing short pieces of learning content on the job. GetSmarter’s 2020 ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report revealed that 28% of professionals (including talent and people managers, senior leadership, and C-suite executives) consider a looming skills gap to be the key trend shaping careers over the coming years.² And while workplaces have been able to harness a growing number of online resources to help fill this gap, simply learning in the flow of work alone isn’t enough to keep up with the rapid rate of change.³

This has been met with a groundswell of enthusiasm for more substantial skills advancement, with learning and development professionals worldwide reporting that they’re observing a stronger appetite for upskilling than ever before. ⁴

Respondents were also asked to complete the statement “My career path/vision is…”, where the majority (34%) selected the answer “is fluid, and changes frequently”.

This suggests a realization that employees’ career paths are no longer linear, but shift depending on their evolving needs and desires. With this in mind, organizations will need to strategically and purposefully invest in reskilling and upskilling their workforce to gain a competitive advantage and meet the needs of a rapidly changing world. To achieve this, a drastic shake-up of soft skills and, in particular, leadership skills will be needed.

In fact, according to GetSmarter’s 2020 report, critical thinking and leadership skills were viewed as being even more valuable for employees in the future than technical ability.⁵ Recruiters also agreed that the biggest skills gaps today lie in interpersonal skills (51%) and critical thinking (49%).⁶ The latest career outlook research suggests that the complexities brought on by COVID-19 have further magnified this viewpoint, with a third of respondents ranking leadership and soft skills as the most crucial focus areas for 2021.

Flexibility, fluidity, and embracing change

Businesses are moving towards fostering flexible, engaging spaces in which their employees can thrive. The disruptive impact of COVID-19 has arguably been felt most acutely in the workplace where, in a matter of months, preconceptions around the traditional nine-to-five desk job have been turned upside down. The pandemic has accelerated a new approach to careers, in which modern professionals question how, where, and when they work. Employees increasingly view the opportunity to work remotely as one of the positive outcomes of the ‘new normal’.

The advent of seamless, real-time communication has fostered a virtual, connected, and boundaryless workplace,⁷ where single companies increasingly rely on globally managed workpools,⁸ and millions appear ready to give up on the concept of fixed employers and employment altogether.⁹ For the business, the name of the game is flexibility and fluidity. 

Fostering a culture of engagement

In an era where reskilling has become a priority concern for 80% of executives,¹⁰ businesses must invest in continuous learning and foster a workplace where their employees feel motivated to pursue personal development. GetSmarter’s research reveals that 54% of professionals view upskilling as a joint responsibility between a business and an individual, with 69% of HR managers agreeing that online courses are an effective means of enhancing marketable interpersonal skills.¹¹ Fostering an organizational culture of learning and self-assessment not only helps close critical skills gaps, but can lower staff turnover and substantially enhance employee engagement and retention.¹² And with 57% of GetSmarter’s respondents indicating that they were either “likely” or “very likely” to change jobs (i.e. leave their current company for another role within their industry) in the next 12 months, the ability to develop and retain skilled staff is more critical than ever.

The power of trust

Trust has proven vital to a company’s future success. It enables organizations to design a culture that supports their workforce, enhances business operations, and aids the community. Organizations that implement measures to ensure their employees are safe, supported, and equal will stand out in the future marketplace.

Accenture’s future workforce research discovered that by meeting six key employee needs – emotional and mental, relational, physical, financial, purposeful, and employable – organizations can unlock individual’s full potential, a framework they’ve dubbed “Net Better Off”. They found that 64% of a person’s potential is affected by how they feel across these dimensions.¹³ By enhancing how your workforce feels across these dimensions and creating trusting relationships, you can not only improve your team’s ability to leverage skills and strengths, but boost business performance as well.

Their research also found that few companies are embracing best practices, such as enabling continuous learning, using technology to develop flexible work environments, and promoting employee well-being and equality, which could provide positive workforce behaviors and enhance revenue growth potential.¹⁴

Towards continuous learning

Ultimately, there is a heightened drive from both employees and employers to reassert some control over the future of careers through upskilling. For the working professional, the best response to uncertainty is lifelong learning, and the organizations that create a flexible environment in which this is encouraged are most likely to succeed.

How will you prioritize employee development in 2021? GetSmarter for business can help you take ownership and control of your organization’s future by assisting you in upskilling and reskilling your workforce. Explore which future-ready skills your employees should be developing and better understand their individual worth using the Career Navigator tool.

Prepare your employees for the future workplace.

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The post The Great Career Reset: Upskilling Your Employees for an Uncertain Future appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.

As a professional responsible for upskilling and reskilling your staff, are you equipped with the knowledge to create a culture of learning? It’s one of the best solutions for keeping up with the demands of an evolving world and should no longer be treated as an additional company benefit, but rather a necessity for survival.

GetSmarter explores the implications of a changing world in ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report. With over 8,000 respondents globally, the research sheds light on the driving forces behind change in business. The shift in skills and jobs has made upskilling overwhelmingly urgent – for both individuals and organizations – and continuous learning offers a competitive advantage that can’t be ignored. The businesses that adapt and evolve their culture and facility for lifelong learning will be the ones that stand out.

There’s a lot of uncertainty in navigating a rapidly changing future. Still, worldwide, businesses are recognizing the need to adjust and adapt organizational structures while addressing a shift in skills. As a result, continuous learning has become a necessity. Employers are now faced with an exciting challenge: our working world sits at a juncture where Industrial Age practices meet Information Age patterns. Employers are tasked with navigating a new age of work, with the current revolution bringing as much change in a decade as previously spread over a century.¹

How, then, do we navigate a culture of learning that’s relevant to every employee?

It’s time to adapt management practices

Younger professionals (Millennials and Generation Zs) – some of whom have never known a world without the Internet – are starting to influence the workforce. Communication is expected to be instantaneous, and the conventional 9–5 in-office work schedule is being called into question. With hours, locations, cultures, and systems being re-evaluated, traditional management practices are faced with radical changes in attitudes towards work. To attract, retain, and engage talent, organizations will need to embrace these values: 

• Equality
• Freedom
• Flexibility
• Work-life balance

Company culture has also become a differentiating factor among organizations, and acts as an effective drawcard in recruiting and retaining top talent. As a context for performance and employee engagement, a company’s culture will be increasingly monitored, managed, and curated by design, as opposed to being adopted by default.²

With digital transformation at the forefront, businesses need to guarantee that their workforce is equipped to meet tomorrow’s needs. Enabling a space of lifelong learning will also ensure that, despite an employee’s age, experience, or capabilities, acquiring new skills via learning initiatives is supported and encouraged.

The importance of continuous learning and professional growth

Continuous learning is now an integral part of working, and it’s not exclusively about remaining relevant in the job market.

Employers, learning and development (L&D) managers, and HR professionals need to address the economic inequality being created by the technical advances of the Fourth Industrial Revolution – especially for lower-skilled workers.³ A workplace culture that prioritizes the skills development of existing labor forces is a holistic solution to this challenge.

GetSmarter asked HR, L&D, and talent managers why they think it’s important to develop employees. Among the top reasons were: 

1. Gaining a competitive advantage.
2. Filling existing skills gaps.
3. Increasing employee engagement.

The survey results shed light on the critical need for L&D opportunities. As we navigate the future of work, training needs to be at the forefront and become a key component for addressing some of the challenges companies face in ensuring that their employees’ skill sets are up-to-date.

The value of lifelong learning to an organization

Employee development is also directly linked to business outcomes. ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report shows that companies with agile learners react quickly to the evolving demands of business, and are better prepared to leverage new ideas for a strategic edge. 

A culture of learning is a powerful solution to change, and it’s likely to set an organization up as a market leader. But the benefits don’t stop at business outcomes. Lifelong learning is critical to overcoming HR-specific challenges.

The value of lifelong learning to HR and L&D managers

When L&D managers were asked what their number-one challenge was, the majority said: employees who are unaware of their skills or performance gaps, followed by developing leaders.

Engaging employees through skills-development is a solution to some of the workplace challenges HR professionals experience, and thus worth prioritizing. Along with the strategic business benefit of professional growth, successful training programs also contribute to attracting and retaining top talent. Research shows that more than 92 percent of employees feel more engaged after being given learning and development opportunities.

How to enable a culture of learning

Luckily for HR professionals and employees, learning has become easy and accessible. With access to books, online courses, development programs, podcasts, and other available resources, making a habit out of lifelong learning is viable. The sheer extent of development and training programs (from micro online learning courses to more formal skills-based certificates) reveals how interconnected continuous learning and the future of work are.

The research findings reveal that 33 percent of respondents identify the value and role of continued learning and skills-based certificates in securing their current positions. This is supported by recruiters, with talent professionals identifying continued learning as one of the top elements they look for in a prospective candidate’s CV.

As a business leader or professional involved in getting your team up to speed with the latest skills and knowledge, you have access to online learning solutions. GetSmarter offers a range of courses within training, development, and change management to ensure you’re equipped to manage the demands of upskilling and future workforce needs.

Online learning has also proven effective in teaching technical as well as interpersonal skills. As the working world gets increasingly technology-driven, human-based skills rise in value – so much so that it’s become a differentiating factor within the labor market. Offering these learning opportunities helps address the skills gap your business may be experiencing, whilst also developing your talent’s capabilities and, in turn, contributing to your business’s success.

Though the urgency of upskilling staff may seem daunting, the responsibility doesn’t fall solely on the shoulders of HR and L&D professionals. Over half of the GetSmarter report respondents believe it’s a joint responsibility between the individual and the organization. Businesses that want to remain competitive have an obligation to not only provide training opportunities, but also to foster a learning culture that encourages employees to upskill themselves.

The skills gaps businesses need to address

Recognizing the gap in your workforce’s competencies is the first step to tackling them. However, there are varying perceptions regarding where skills gaps exist within organizations. Both HR team members and people managers believe leadership skills need the most attention. At the same time, individual contributors consider the most significant gap to be interpersonal skills, which include communication and negotiation.

People managers and individual contributors believe that digital capabilities feature highly, as opposed to those in HR who rank them as the least pressing concern. What is clear is that the need for soft skills, such as leadership and interpersonal skills, is likely to grow. Those in hiring positions shouldn’t necessarily focus on candidates with technical skills, but rather those with the capabilities that machines can’t mimic.

What to look out for on CVs

Recruiters who want to build a learning culture should look for evidence of continued learning on future candidates’ CVs. This indication of professional development reveals that the worker can adapt to the demands of change.

Interpersonal skills are now among some of the most sought after by employers. These include social skills, communication, collaboration, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, decision-making, and critical and analytical thinking capabilities.

Surprisingly, job titles hold far less weight today than they did in the past. Instead, a candidate’s expertise and willingness to grow their skills will be what lands them the job.

Of HR, L&D, and talent managers, 68 percent believe that skills-based certificates are a valuable signal of capability. Seventy-two percent believe that, with the increasing need to upskill and the current rate of technological change, skills-based certificates will become an even more valuable stamp of capability in the next two years.

Evidence of continued learning shows employers:

• A worker’s intent to learn and grow
• The right attitude and a willingness to adapt
• Experience and extent of knowledge
• A commitment to work

As we venture into a future of work driven by technology, characterized by change, and influenced by Millennials and Generation Zs, our capacity and facility to learn need to be stronger than ever. The traditional workplace model no longer suits the needs of an evolving labor force and advancing economy. This shift has brought about a desire for meaningful work and an organizational culture that supports growth, with professional development a prerequisite for keeping up with the rate of change.

HR, L&D, and talent practitioners are tasked with reshaping a corporate space that meets the needs of employees and businesses. To ensure a team is fit for the demands of a changing world, continuous learning needs to become as integral to business practice as shareholder meetings. Employers can no longer rely on simply hiring top talent – they need to create it.

Explore ‘The Future of Work Is Here’ report.

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The post Future of Work: Create a Culture of Lifelong Learning in Your Organization appeared first on GetSmarter Blog.