The 7 in-demand skills employees currently need

Employees need to adjust in a rapidly changing world and workplace. Technology has transformed how we work, and as a result, there is a need to grow more people-focused, in-demand employee skills through further training.

With remote and hybrid work being the show-stoppers in the modern workplace, employees have discovered that working from home isn’t a bad choice. Productivity and reduced expenses for both employers and employees have made companies opt for remote work models or more flexibility.

But this new approach brings significant changing in employee training and L&D. Employee skills must be readjusted, so the focus is on workforce skills that make remote work easier and build resilience.

The in-demand skills your modern workforce needs

If you’re wondering what type of employee training you will offer this year, it’s necessary that you target on the following in-demand skills:

• Communication
• Time management
• Collaboration and relationship management
• Bias-free mindset
• Innovation
• Critical thinking
• Resilience

Let’s see in further detail all the whys, the whats, and the hows so that you will effectively manage to develop such skills among your modern workforce.

1. Communication

The majority of employers believe that strong communication and collaboration employee skills must be among their top priorities.

According to a TalentLMS, Workable and Training Journal survey, communication and collaboration are the most essential soft skills that employees are lacking. This might come as a surprise to you as these two in-demand skills are much needed in the workplace. When teams can’t effectively communicate, there is no way they can progress.

And since remote and hybrid work models have come to stay, your teams need to boost these skills and address the challenges that arise when working remotely. Remote work has also made room for more diversity and talent among teams, so there are more opportunities for growth. But it’s essential that your people can communicate and work harmoniously to make full use of this capability.

You should also focus on written communication by leveraging the right channels (like Slack or Skype) as many people work asynchronously, or in different time zones. To achieve that and manage to bridge any gaps, you should invest in the right training sessions and build strong teams.

Moreover, train your teams in active listening and communication with assertiveness and empathy. Encourage them to put personal effort into the development of their communication skills. As a result, your employees will learn to respect each other and view their differences as blessings, and not obstacles.

2. Time management

Time management skills have become particularly important in the remote or hybrid environment. But they’re essential in-demand skills for in-office teams, too.

Employees that fail to deliver on time can cause confusion, stress, and delays between teams. So, delivering tasks at the right time is a skill not to be underestimated.

Efficiency in time management impacts employee productivity and overall well-being. When your people have the ability to prioritize tasks and manage their time can effectively control their workload. This results in better performance, better work-life balance, and less stress.

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3. Collaboration and relationship management

Everyone loves working with easygoing people who bring a positive contribution to the company’s culture while keeping high-performance levels. Employees who fit in perfectly with the rest of their teams are just as important.

It’s necessary that your people have the know-how of being respectful, demonstrate teamwork, manage difficult situations, or be culturally sensitive (particularly in remote environments).

So, to ensure your people possess teamwork and social employee skills, ask yourself whether they get along with their coworkers, clients, and customers. But parallel to that, you should offer employee training to help your people in managing complex relationships or challenging communications.

4. Bias-free mindset

With more and more companies expanding their teams overseas, cultural diversity and sensitivity is becoming more and more necessary. People who are aware of cultural differences and different backgrounds tend to be more open to alternative ways of thinking and approaching communication.

Thus, it is essential that you create an inclusive environment at work by training your people to develop and foster a bias-free mindset. Through training your employees will get a better understanding of all the benefits of working seamlessly in diverse settings and you will get to minimize any communication barriers.

5. Innovation

Times are really challenging for a lot of businesses worldwide. They are in a constant state of fighting for survival, and in order to achieve that, organizations are striving to find innovative ways to stand out from their competition.

Employees with strong innovation skills are much more likely to be hired in the first place. This is why innovation is one of the most important in-demand skills your teams need. But you can train your people and encourage them to solve existing problems, develop new products or services, and bring new, innovative, out-of-the-box ideas that will take your business to the next level.

Boosting creativity and curiosity through training can bring higher innovation capabilities to your teams by making your people approach issues from unconventional perspectives rather than sticking to the default and usual way of doing things.

6. Critical thinking

Things are moving fast in the modern workplace. Sometimes quick decisions must be made while handling remote clients, for instance, or when you’re struggling to find ways to improve performance among dispersed teams. Thus, it’s necessary that you’re able to look at things from various perspectives and carefully examine them.

The ability to think critically, use reasoning, and make solid decisions are some of the top employee skills organizations are looking for in all their employees. The professionals who excel in these areas can help organizations save time and effort while trying to achieve business goals. Assist your people in growing these skills by offering L&D opportunities for developing in-demand skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.

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7. Resilience

Mistakes or failures are common in every workplace. What really matters, though, is how fast your employees can bounce back and not get discouraged when things aren’t going exactly as planned. Your people need to know how to stay in control and keep working towards the goals of your organization no matter the challenges they may face.

Developing soft skills of resilience is fundamental for any organization that strives for progress and successful results. Explore whether your people possess such employee skills and make sure you assist them in developing them whenever needed.

Developing in-demand skills in the modern workplace

Employee skills training and learning and development must be one of your top priorities each and every year. Offering in-house or online training through an LMS platform is the best way to do so.

With the right LMS, you have the ability to create and design top-notch online training courses for your teams no matter where they are located and allow them to learn at their own pace. Make sure the platform you choose offers ILT support, instant messaging, and gamification so that your employees will be assisted and highly motivated in every step of this learning journey.