10 Soft Skills in Demand During the Pandemic

Are you equipped to face the future of the workplace? In recent months, the coronavirus has greatly changed the world we live in, which has also resulted in the adaptation of hiring strategies from companies around the world.

To meet today’s challenges, role requirements have changed significantly. Employees with the foresight to market themselves in a new way could find a wealth of new opportunities waiting for them. Follow along as we list ten soft skills that are likely to be of high demand in a pandemic world.

1. Versatility

Covid-19 has changed the way organizations operate and work. The business landscape was already changing quickly, but the pandemic fast-tracked it. “Jobs for life” are a thing of the past, and professionals that are going to make it in a post-pandemic-world will need to be flexible, versatile, and able to adapt their skill sets to ever-evolving workplaces.

2. Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is an important asset to have in the current workforce. Due to the fact that remote jobs have become the new norm, even with a slow return to offices underway, the virtual setting has changed the ways individuals decide to hire and work.

Employers now have access to a wider pool of applicants, since prospective employees can now be located virtually anywhere. One would think this would make it easier to find a job, but in reality, it just makes the job-hunting process all the more competitive.

“No company wants an employee who’s going to burn themselves out,” says Mitch Goldstein, President of The Mason Group. “So, having the discipline, not just working efficiently but being able to find the right balance, is an essential skill to ensure they’re not putting themselves under pressure.”

3. Creativity and Critical Thinking Skills

In recent years, the world has only grown in terms of people’s imaginations and creative minds. As such, creativity and innovative thinking become very important facets of the modern working professional.

Creativity, and by consequence creative problem solving and critical thinking skills, are unique qualities to have. These skills set potential employees apart and could help an individual become more worthy of a job than another without them. Creativity can inspire employees to work with each other and it encourages collaboration as well. Creativity also ensures workers to be risk takers, for fear of blending in and sticking to the status quo.

4. Empathy

In a world where there are more applicants and fewer jobs, one way to set yourself apart from the herd is with empathy, a very important emotive skill.

Empathy is important because it helps individuals understand and relate to how others are feeling so they can respond appropriately to the situation. Empathy isn’t always the first skill managers think about when they are interviewing candidates, but it is slowly making it to the top of the list of soft skills that hiring managers and leaders require.

Within organizations, empathy helps with management and collaboration, as by understanding another person’s perspective, it forges an interest in and appreciation for others. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes can facilitate a compromise between two points of view, thus having the ability to take into consideration how other people at work might like to be treated can make you more productive and successful.

5. Social and Emotional Intelligence

The ability to connect with and understand others and being able to relate to their emotions is a very useful skill in today’s working environment.

Beyond basic communication, it allows for a deeper level of connection between individuals, that allows for further and more profound levels of interaction and collaboration. This can only make a work team more synchronous and cohesive, in turn creating a more positive atmosphere and workplace dynamic.

6. Negotiation

Good negotiation skills are a pivotal part of the workforce, as they relate greatly to overall business success. The ability to negotiate effectively will help you build better relationships within your company, and deliver more thought out and well-planned solutions, rather than short-term solutions that are not satisfactory.

Good negotiation skills will also make it easier to exist peacefully in your work dynamic and habitat and can also help you avoid future problems and conflicts altogether.

7. Cognitive Flexibility

Cognitive flexibility, the ability to think about multiple things at once, becomes a very important skill to master during the pandemic. It has become clear that the pandemic is not going away any time soon, and that even when it does, it will have changed some aspects of life so greatly, that they will not go back to the way they were originally run.

As such, it becomes difficult to juggle both work and family life, all while dealing with the pandemic and all the problems it has created. This is why the ability to focus on multiple things at once becomes an integral part of the job process and work life as a whole, and candidates who are able to master this skill can ensure their success, and have yet another positive skill to add to their resume.

8. Virtual Collaboration

Virtual collaboration is a necessity in the modern-day workforce. It provides coworkers with the tools they need to work with others from any location, which drastically reduces downtime and allows people to be productive when it suits them best. When successful, virtual collaboration also enables individuals to communicate better with their colleagues and brainstorm ideas together from anywhere and at any time.

9. Coordination and Organization

Coordination and organization are two very important aspects of the new working world. Working at home brings forth its own set of unique challenges, so making sure that you stay diligent and on top of all of your assignments ensures that your company is able to thrive during these challenging times.

If you are looking for a job during the pandemic, showing you have these skills and are able to stay focused and organized, all while working at home, will set you apart from other candidates.

10. Leadership

With the current remote workforce, strong and determined leadership becomes a very important necessity. Without a strong hand and a clear and organized business vision, an employee’s ability to effectively and efficiently accomplish their tasks becomes that much more confusing and challenging.

Clear and concise instruction and guidance is necessary in order to keep employee’s on track and able to complete their work to the best of their abilities. Working professionals must therefore have strong leadership skills that can work to both inspire and encourage their teams moving forward in day-to-day working life.

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