7 key post-COVID-19 digital skills

The world of work is changing dramatically. New skills are becoming more important in the digital age post-COVID-19. Improving personal skills such as “trust” and “ability to learn” are worth it in any case.

The pandemic has shaped both our private and professional lives for the last 18 months. Thanks to COVID-19, we are all well aware that we are living an “VUCA” world, i.e. one where there is a great deal of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Increasing digitization and the VUCA world are challenging for both the management levels of organizations and for individual employees. In this changed world, new skills are required which are worth investing in. Here are seven skills which you will need in the digital age following COVID-19, according to various studies.

1. Trust

Many employees have worked from home for the past year and a half. It has only been possible to monitor employees to a limited degree. Trusting the motivation and commitment of most employees has been shown to be more than justified. This increase in trust between managers and employees should be retained as the “new normal”. According to a study by Fraunhofer IAO, trust is the most important skill management can have in the post-COVID-19 era.

2. Ability to learn

According to the World Economic Forum, 50% of all workers will require new skills by 2025. The majority of the jobs our children will have don’t exist yet. Digitization is changing numerous job profiles, life-long learning is therefore a basic prerequisite for career success. It is important to learn something new every day.

3. Good communication

In the hybrid world of work, respectful communication and interaction across all channels will play an even bigger role than before the pandemic. According to a study by Fraunhofer IAO, good communication, alongside trust, is the absolute number one skill that managers will require in the future.

4. Creativity

In the future, machines will be doing the particularly monotonous and repetitive tasks. Humans need to make more use of their unique selling point – their creativity. We need to be able to think new things and discover and try out new business models. That also includes challenging the status quo.

5. Agility

Customer needs and the corporate environment are changing more quickly. This is why companies are increasing their agility so they are able to introduce the necessary changes faster. However, this also requires greater agility and flexibility at the employee level.

6. Collaboration

Thinking in silos and pyramids no longer leads to success in a VUCA world. Customer-oriented organisation are characterized by their network structures with cross-functional teams. Collaboration beyond the classic tribalistic mentality is becoming more important in the new normal. Individual star players are becoming less important – only the team can win.

7. Media skills

The overload of information is increasing. We are spending more and more time consuming digital media. An informed company requires good digital information and news skills. Digital wellbeing is becoming even more important. We need to learn how to consciously deal with digital media.

Due to the current situation, Connecta Bern will again be held as a digital event in 2021. Connecta is renowned for shining a light on the diverse nature of digitization and this year will be no different with content presented across the three formats of Connecta Blog, Connecta TV and Connecta Talk. Find out more here: www.swisspost.ch/connecta.