As artificial intelligence and robots continue to share our jobs, almost every job will change, and the rate of change will accelerate as we enter the fourth industrial revolution.
According to Jobberman, Nigeria’s labor market is not ready for the disruption brought on by digital technology, and skill gaps are the main reason for unemployment. As a result, Nigeria must identify the gap and suggest solutions. In its report titled: “Digital Sector: Skills Gap Report”, it states that Nigeria’s digital economy has the potential to boost employment and lower the country’s unemployment rate. As employers search for both hard and soft skills when hiring new employees, the nation must invest in both digital and soft skills in order to fully realize the potential of the sector. The rate of digital skills training seems to be growing, however, soft skill training seems to have taken the back seat in Nigeria because it is a skill that is generally lacking among the workforce. This is because as technology advances, workplaces will automate manual, repetitive tasks, but humans will remain essential for tasks that require distinctly human skills that computers cannot yet replicate. Therefore, those who develop soft skills related to how you think, work, and relate to other people will be very successful in the workplace of the future.
The following are the top 16 crucial, soft skills needed in order to succeed in the workplace of the future:
1. Creativity – The capacity to imagine, and come up with original ideas
2. Complex Decision Making and Judgment – Understanding the wider effects of choices
3. Integration and teamwork: Integrating and effectively working with others through collaboration and teamwork
4. Interpersonal Communication Skills – The capacity to hear, comprehend, and communicate your thoughts.
5. Critical Thinking: The capacity to gather reliable information and use it to inform decisions
6. Empathy and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) – The capacity to recognize and regulate one’s own emotions as well as those of others.
7. Working in Gigs: Getting around the Sharing Economy (the flexible work environment of the future)
8. Flexibility and Adaptability – Having a flexible outlook and being receptive to changes in the workplace
9. Diversity and Cultural Intelligence: Being conscious of diversity, the fact that workplaces and societies are becoming more diverse, and the ability to connect with and collaborate well with people from various backgrounds and cultures.
10. Ethical Awareness – Recognizing how work and technology affect customers, employees, and other stakeholders in an ethical manner (including the environment)
11. Time management – Improving our ability to work effectively and efficiently
12. Curiosity and Constant Learning: Keeping a growth mindset and making sure we continue to learn and develop, both personally and professionally.
13. Managing the Brand of YOU and Networking – Creating connections, expanding your network, and upholding your reputation both online and off.
14. Leadership – Being excellent at managing teams (at the top of an organization, as well as throughout the company)
15. Finding a work-life balance and taking care of your physical and mental health are all aspects of looking after yourself.
16. Being able to accept and handle changes as they occur at work—Embracing and Celebrating Change.
