Digital skills required to be future-ready

Being future-ready is a perpetual process. However, the real game changer has been Covid-19, which brought about a significant change in work cultures. The pandemic accelerated the pace of adoption of various new-age technologies while also giving people the opportunity to introspect their ability to adapt to the changing times. 

Today, technology is everywhere. From catering to our personal needs to enabling enterprises with newer technology is an inevitable element. With it evolving exponentially, companies are engaging in a race to adopt the same. As most of the IT population worldwide is working from home, it is necessary to leverage cutting-edge technologies to ease workflow. 

Here are a few essential skills an employee needs to keep in check to remain employable and competent:

• Digital literacy and computational thinking - As we live in the golden age of technology, what we know today might become obsolete tomorrow. Along with the constant evolution of our traditional technologies, we are witnessing the massive explosion of various emerging technologies and the fresh opportunities they bring to the market. Post pandemic, companies worldwide are rapidly adopting state-of-the-art technologies to meet the needs of their customers and employees. Being digitally literate offers capabilities beyond what was once thought possible when it comes to emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and data science. A majority of job vacancies now require you to be at least aware, if not a master, of the growing new-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, People Analytics, Data Science, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Virtual Reality, etc. Therefore, employees need to catch up with the latest technological skills in their preferred domain that are driving businesses today.

• Flexibility and Adaptability - Employees need to be open-minded about learning and adapting to new technologies and processes. They must be ready to accept any rapid changes in their working environments, work well under pressure and be able to hone their skills and talent to focus on the best output even during tough times. Always expect the unexpected.

• Emotional and social intelligence - For everything that can be replaced by digital technologies and artificial intelligence, emotional and social intelligence remain uniquely human capabilities. Lockdown showed that while we could work from the comfort of our homes, it also greatly hindered the ease with which we could actively communicate and collaborate with our teammates or co-workers to complete the day's job. Sharing ideas, designing new plans, and spontaneously experimenting for business growth greatly takes backstage when working from home. Future jobs are going to include working closely with others, so having empathy, the ability to collaborate, as well as excellent communication skills is something employees most definitely are going to need.

• Communication skills - Effective communication is one of the top required skills while working in a team to collaborate productively and avoid misunderstandings. As most organizations follow work-from-home or hybrid models today, it's very important to maintain clarity in e-mails and virtual meetings to improve productivity.
• Workplace Automation - Automation involves applying processes or systems using technology to do predictable workflows without involving too much manual effort. Nowadays, in the workplace, automation has become more software-driven. Groundbreaking technologies like Digital HR, Cloud Computing, Machine Learning, & Business Analytics are successful in bringing about a tectonic shift in workplace processes.

• Artificial Intelligence- Considering its enormous advantages, Artificial Intelligence finds a wide range of applications in everyday life. Whether you're connecting with a colleague on LinkedIn or buying a product on Amazon, you can find its presence everywhere. According to Markets and Markets, the AI market is expected to grow to a USD 190 billion industry by 2025. Machine Learning, which is a subset of AI, is also being used extensively by various industries, creating a demand for skilled professionals.

• Extended Reality - Extended Reality comprises technologies like Augmented and Virtual Reality that bridge the enormous gap between the physical and digital worlds. Augmented Reality has proved its worth in all industries, as it brings the elements of the virtual world to the real world. Meanwhile, Virtual Reality is an immersive technology that allows viewers to see through the eyes of another individual.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, as the world gets more technologically advanced, it is imperative that individuals aggressively absorb new skills. Presently it has become an integral component of the workforce.  In order to acquire skills, new dimensions have been added, with a special emphasis on artificial intelligence and digital literacy. Industries are searching for candidates who are prepared for the future and can adjust to the requirements of the constantly changing working mechanism.

The article has been written by Mansij Majumder, HR Head, UNext Learning