According to the International Labour Office (ILO), since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, nearly 305 million full-time employees worldwide have lost their jobs. Even though things have started to improve, there is now an urgent need for professionals to upgrade their skills to adapt to the needs of the global labour market.
Unfortunately, this is not the only issue the global labour market is currently facing. According to the "Hopes and fears 2021" report by PWC, thousands of employees around the world still fear losing their jobs for various reasons. Remote work, which seems to have become the new normal since the start of the pandemic, and automation, are raising uncertainty. According to this report, 60% of employees believe automation is a potential risk for their respective jobs. More than half believe that traditional jobs will no longer exist in the near future and that some skills will only be in demand temporarily. Thirty-nine per cent of respondents also believe that their current positions will become obsolete in the five coming years.
The state of the global labour market
Unemployment has been on the rise in most countries over the past year, but some countries have managed to recover in recent months. Indeed, several countries, such as the United States and China, saw a significant rise in the number of job ads just a few months after the start of the pandemic. A study by the ILO reveals that no less than 1.8 million new jobs were available in different sectors in July 2020, including internships. Figures keep on increasing in spite of current health restrictions. Most jobs are available in the field of retail and sales even though many other activities have resumed their activities in recent months.
There are also countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand that are hiring foreign talent according to their skills shortage lists. Many positions in a range of sectors, including IT, healthcare, engineering, construction, etc., are waiting to be filled. But what about those who are looking to boost their career abroad amid the crisis but don't have the skills listed?
Improve your soft skills
You probably stand a chance with your degrees, work experience, including prior experience abroad, or trophies you might have received throughout your career. But in the COVID-19 era, it takes a lot more to stand out among hundreds of thousands of job seekers, whether or not they are graduates and have experience. According to a recent analysis by LinkedIn, employers worldwide are now keener on hiring candidates with multiple soft skills in addition to their educational background and experience.
The most sought soft skills currently include communication, ability to solve problems, analytical skills, customer service, and leadership. With the rise of remote work in virtually every country, companies need to ensure good communication, and not just verbal, at all levels, for smooth running. Independence and flexibility, but also team spirit, each contributes to problem-solving. Employees must be able to understand and perform their tasks and identify and correct their mistakes so that the whole team remains functional.
The ideal candidate must be able to ask the right questions and seek and analyse the answers to find the best solution. This also contributes to leadership skills. They must be able to identify their priorities and bring together the team members around a common idea. Employees who are directly involved in customer service must inspire trust from customers and within the company through lessons learned and by coming up with quick but secure ideas.
Continuous training at the workplace
The pandemic has profoundly transformed the global labour market, including the needs of businesses. Continuous training can therefore help employees meet these needs. According to the “Hopes and Fears 2021” report, 77% of employees surveyed are ready to acquire new skills or be fully retrained. Forty per cent say they had the opportunity to improve their digital skills during the crisis. Most of them believe that improving their digital skills will help them adapt to changes within their business.
Continuous training offers a lot of benefits to both employers and employees. Employees stand more chances of keeping their jobs and developing their skills within the company; improving their working capacity; being more productive; acquiring a qualification or a certificate that is recognised in the business or the industry; increasing their employability in their industry, and adapting to changes. It helps businesses remain competitive and anticipate changes in the market. Companies providing continuous training to their employees generally look more attractive to potential candidates.
In spite of the labour market transformation and the rise of remote work, many sectors still rely heavily on their physical workforce. Once the restrictions are lifted and all economic activities have resumed, businesses will need a workforce that is trained and adapted to new market needs. Therefore, potential candidates should consider upgrading their skills if they wish to stand a chance in a global labour market that has grown even more demanding.
