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EURES (EURopean Employment Services)
  • News article
  • 30 June 2020
  • European Labour Authority, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
  • 3 min read

8 essential skills to succeed in a post-COVID-19 world

Researchers speculate how the world will change after the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of them agree that workplaces won’t be the same as before. Here are 8 skills that we expect to be essential for workers and businesses in a post-coronavirus world.

8 essential skills to succeed in a post-COVID-19 world
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Leadership

The spread of the coronavirus may be slowing down, but remote working is becoming more popular. With more offices allowing their employees to work from home, good leadership skills are becoming essential. Team leaders and managers need to be able to inspire and motivate their colleagues and encourage collaboration from a distance. Additionally, with the growth of the gig economy, teams are becoming more fluent, requiring initiative and proactivity from everyone involved.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and be aware of your emotions and those of others. It has several components – awareness, perception and regulation, but essentially, it’s about leading through empathy, influence and collaboration. The post-COVID-19 world can be full of uncertainty and challenges, and companies will need emotionally intelligent leaders to help their workers navigate through these difficult times.

Technology skills

We have seen that technologies like robotics, augmented reality, the Internet of things and artificial intelligence can help businesses become more resilient to future pandemics. People who can help companies exploit these technologies will be indispensable in the future. From factories to legal firms – the labour market will increasingly require workers with adequate technology skills.

Digital and coding skills

The COVID-19 crisis has shown us that businesses with a strong digital presence are less vulnerable to economic downturns and pandemics. Therefore, people with skills in the area of digital marketing, web development, web design and coding can be invaluable in helping companies stay afloat during difficult times. With a growing number of businesses becoming digitally based, the opportunities to put digital skills to work are countless.

Adaptability

The lockdown has brought about many unexpected changes in our lives. The way we work will undoubtedly change and workers who can adapt quickly to changes will be of great value to their employers. Adaptability isn’t just about embracing changes in your work duties – it’s also about constantly learning new skills and updating old ones to stay relevant in the job market.

Creativity and innovation

We have seen the importance of creativity and innovation during the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses that have been able to come up with ways to deliver services online or quickly shift their production have served as role models to many. In a post-coronavirus world, human creativity will be essential.

Data literacy

Companies that understand business trends are better suited to respond to unexpected situations. But to do this, businesses need professionals with data literacy, who can interpret the information and suggest solutions based on it. For this reason, people with data literacy will be more valuable to employers than ever before.

Critical thinking

With fake news and disinformation flooding the internet, companies will need to rely on critical thinking to make informed decisions. Media literacy and the ability to objectively evaluate information from different sources will be in high demand.

Read this article about how six European companies used some of the skills above to survive the crisis and move forward.
 

 

Related links:

How businesses are adapting to the crisis and preparing for a future after COVID-19
 

 

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