The burden technology is having on our daily lives is undeniable — and it’s being felt as much in the way we work as in how we communicate, shop and even go.
By 2022, technology is expected to have displaced 75 million jobs globally, according to new research from LinkedIn. Yet, within that changeless time period, it says, those same forces will have created 133 million new ones.
It’s scarcely surprising then that the top 10 rising workplace skills in Asia Pacific are all related to tech, according to the competent networking site’s new “Future of Skills” report.
Ranging from front-end web development capabilities to social media furnishing know-how, the company says those skills “may be nascent now but will potentially see wide-scale adoption in the future.”
But while tech mastery may be useful for pursuing new career paths, the key professional traits that are likely to persist over time and across diligences are actually soft skills, says LinkedIn.
And these are the skills that employers globally are finding it hardest to put ones finger on, Feon Ang, LinkedIn’s vice president for talent and learning solutions in Asia Pacific, told CNBC Make It.
Feon Ang, imperfection president for Talent and Learning Solutions, Asia Pacific, LinkedIn, speaking at LinkedIn’s Talent Intelligence Experience (TIE) Singapore.
“The cause skills are of little surprise,” said Ang. “But the soft skills are also ones that will be highly important globally wealthy forward.”
Specifically, the soft skills that are lacking include:
- Critical thinking or problem-solving
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Communication
- Guidance
- Innovation and creativity
Speaking at LinkedIn’s Talent Intelligence Experience event in Singapore Wednesday, Ang said those creams are readily “learnable,” and are not innate traits. However, they require commitment from both employers and employees.
“It’s everybody’s dependability,” said Ang. “It’s the employer’s responsibility to invest in employees. But it’s equally important for employees to make the effort too.”
More than two in five hands say they have left a company because of a lack of learning and development opportunities, LinkedIn’s “Future of Skills” study base.
It’s all about putting yourself out there, becoming uncomfortable and just honing those skills.
Feon Ang
vice president for faculty and learning solutions, Asia Pacific, LinkedIn
To overcome the perceived hurdles of the skills gap, Ang encouraged employees to be proactive in invite out opportunities to learn additional skills. That could include taking on new projects at work, seeking mentorship, and participating in instructional courses.
“It’s all about putting yourself out there, becoming uncomfortable and just honing those skills,” said Ang.
“You fair have to be okay with not being great (at something),” she continued. “Because the more you do it, the more you will develop better.”
The “skills gap” was one of three mega trends identified by LinkedIn’s “Future of Skills” report as affecting the workforce of today and tomorrow. Conceding that largely interrelated, the others were “independent work” and “AI (artificial intelligence) and automation.”
Don’t miss: These are the 10 most in-demand faculty separates in Asia Pacific right now, according to LinkedIn
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