Three factors to consider when constructing a more trained post-pandemic workforce

The COVID-19 problem, as well as the subsequent shift to hybrid working arrangements, has intensified the demand for new worker capabilities. According to 58 percent of respondents in our latest worldwide poll, bridging skills gaps has become a bigger priority since the pandemic began, and 69 percent said their organizations are investing more in talent development than they were before the crisis.

Surprisingly, the abilities most valued by employers are leadership and management of people, critical thinking and decision making, and project management. This implies that, in addition to striving to be more employee-centric, firms are still grappling with the new modes of working imposed by the virus.

The difficulties will only increase. For example, McKinsey predicts that demand for social and emotional skills (those that computers cannot replicate) would climb by 25% in the United States alone over the next decade, compared to an 18% increase previously predicted (see sidebar, “A software firm becomes emotional”). According to McKinsey Global Institute study, 107 million people may need to transfer jobs by 2030, an increase of 12 million over a pre-pandemic projection.

Companies must prepare their employees for a future in which new and growing talents and methods of working are expected, and where an embrace of continual learning is the key to professional relevance. And leaders must do so while also starting on a larger organizational experiment to see what the workplace will look like after COVID-19.

Senior executives may assist by researching the practices of firms that currently place a premium on workplace skilling. In this post, we will highlight three emerging concepts based on best practices. While just a few organizations have fully solved the hurdles, their experiences may serve as important touchstones for any organization seeking to begin developing its own more resilient, future-ready workforce.