This year has changed the labor market, the work environment, as well as the perspective of employers. The skills they are looking for may be different from those that used to be in the forefront
In companies that have moved their business to the online environment, relying more on technology, employers will look for people who fit or at least demonstrate the ability to adapt to such a work environment. In these companies even the recruitment processes have moved online.
Complementarily, training programs have become increasingly important, and diversity is treated with the responsibility it has always deserved.
In orded to prepare better for interviews or to know what skills to develop to maximize your chances to get hired, here are seven skills that employers will look for in 2021:
- Desire for development / evolution
In 2021, employers will seek to bring in people who demonstrate a desire for development or growth. According to the new trends, they prefer a curious person, with the desire to learn continuously and with an evolutionary mentality, to the detriment of someone who already has knowledge in that field but does not demonstrate the desire to learn more and develop. The fast pace of technology evolution also defines the pace at which users develop, which is why it takes people eager to outdo themselves and acquire new skills to keep up with this accelerated pace.
- Adaptability
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, this ability was always in demand. The pace of change until 2019 may seem slow compared to what 2020 has brought us, but the ability to adapt has always been an asset of successful people. It becomes even more important, as there have been significant changes in the conditions in which one must demonstrate it, as it happens with work from home, remote management, resetting working conditions, etc. An employee who adapts quickly and does it in a positive way, looking to contribute with ideas, with improvements, with optimizations, will always have an advantage, both professionally and personally. We have all had to adapt to a new work and lifestyle in 2020 and in 2021 the probability of still needing this ability is very high.
- Critical thinking
The dynamics we talked about above, as well as the acute process of decentralization, offer excellent opportunities to those who know how to turn challenges into opportunities and to those who know how to look at any new context with a critical perspective, without taking anything for granted, and are always concerned about how things can be done better. Employers will seek to recruit such people and will ask employees to innovate when faced with unique situations, to adapt and to analyze in detail the solutions found.
- Managing the ambiguity of the future
Even if we get used to a new life and work style, that can change again. In 2021, some things may return to the way they were before the pandemic, others may remain as they were in 2020, and some things may bring totally unknown contexts. We are in the process of change, therefore flexibility is a major advantage. Companies will look for employees who are comfortable with this state of ambiguity, who can take things as they are and who are not scared by the ambiguity of the medium and long future, but even motivate them to overcome these obstacles.
- Creativity
To be creative in a broad, everyday sense means to think “outside the box”. This ability has led to recognized results in companies around the world for hundreds of years. Whether we’re talking about Guttenberg’s printing press or the hole in the Colgate toothpaste tube, creative thinking in business has proven to be an essential skill for development. Creativity is not just reserved for artists or those who hold “creative” jobs, but it is a skill that can manifest anywhere. When times are tough, it can be hard to find your creativity, but it’s important to make time for professional innovation, because if you don’t discover new ways to be better than others, they will surely do!
- Communication skills
It is known that communication has become an essential component of any job for many decades. Communication skills are already a recruitment requirement, even for the most independent or technical jobs, because no one is really alone anymore, but social isolation and working from home have brought a new perspective on communication skills in 2020. The ability to communicate consistently, clearly and concisely, both in writing and verbally, both when the internet works well and when it doesn’t, with people you already know or see for the first time on your screen, is even more important. Also, the grammatical correctness and the clarity in expression bring an advantage to any person who wants to engage in any field, but especially in the one of customer relations.
- Emotional intelligence
The emotional intelligence is one of the qualities most sought after in potential candidates. Self-knowledge, motivation and empathy are the main criteria that employers follow when having an interview. Potential employees should demonstrate the ability to understand and manage their own emotions, but also those of the people they interact with, either their clients or colleagues. It is very important that they are receptive to feedback and also convey it in an appropriate manner. Emotional intelligence becomes even more important in remote work contexts, where many of the signals we transmit, often unconsciously, in physical interactios are missing.
The world and the labor market continue to evolve rapidly and we must all grow and keep up with change. Whether you want to get hired or advance in your career, or you are a professional looking to develop, or you are just starting out, we recommend that you develop these essential skills.
