Which skills do employees need to develop in the midst of Covid-19?

Published by rosica

Today’s Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed our lives, especially how we communicate, socialize and work with other people. Unfortunately, the virus consequences had led in increasing people’s need to ‘exist’ more in the virtual world, both professionally and personally. Regarding the professional aspect, many organizations, companies and businesses were ‘forced’ to make rapid adjustmentsin their system of operating, in their process of making decisions and strategies for efficient work.However, during this Covid-19 crisis, the employees, who are actually the ‘heart’ of a company, organization or business, also need to professionally improve themselves.

So, which skills do employees need to develop or upgrade within them in the midst of Covid-19?

  • Digital Skills

Developing basic digital skills is crucial whether the work is at the office or at home. It is of the utmost importance for every employee to have knowledge of the simple technological tools that he/she can use in order to finish the needed assignment properly. Additionally, being digitally- experienced will give employees a better insight of today’s technology. This can help them to better adapt to the future technological developmentand later efficiently apply it in the company where they work.

  • Cognitive Skills

The sudden shift of work environment has also influenced the process of problem solving, analyzing, and creating innovative solutions in the workplace. Increasing the remote-online work during the Covid-19 pandemic has redefined the accustomed approach of dealing with work challenges. Today, many CEO’s and Managers have to rethink, evaluate and choose the best option for their company or business to remain ‘alive’. For this reason, it is essential for employees to improve their cognitive, reasoning skills in order to offer anoriginalviewpoint for a successful work in their company.

  • Social and Emotional skills

The restriction of socializing and interacting with other people will undoubtedly have effects upon our developed social and emotional skills. This is why, in order to strengthenthe established professional relationsor develop future client relationships, each CEO Manager or Leader will have to offer creative ways for advancing communicational and interpersonal skills that include developing emotional intelligence and empathy in his/her employees.

  • Adaptability and Resilience skills

To be able to adapt to the current crisis is what makes an employee a valuable employee. A self-aware and self-confident employee will use today’s new experiences as a source of learning and a method to build self-reliance within. This self-reliance ability will help them to properly manage time, create healthy boundaries, and take care of their own mental wellness.

Concluding Thoughts

The coronavirus outbreak and containment measures will have a long-lasting impact on the overall economy. Organizations will have to make prompt changes in their structure of management,operation, planning and accomplishing work assignments,as well as returning safely staff to work. On the other hand, employees will have to be professionally equipped to work remotely. They will also have to try, explore and learn new creative-online methods for working, due to the virus changing circumstances.Therefore, companies need to invest more in creating strategies that will focus on digital, cognitive, socially-emotional, adaptability and resilience skills, because these are fundamental skills, regardless of an employee’s role, that companies can consider them a “no-regret” investment.

References:

This article is written by: 
Ljupka Janevska – FB profile 

Photo: Unsplash.