By Shekhar Sanyal, Country Head and Director, IET India
Many experts are saying that the worst of the pandemic is behind us but the same cannot be said about the impact that the pandemic has left behind. As businesses start picking up the pieces and rebuilding, one of the key challenges they will grapple with is around reskilling their workforce for success in a post pandemic normal. What corporate honchos are realizing quickly, is that the skills that were at the top of their list have been displaced by a set of new skills hereto unseen. Hard skills seem to be taking a back-seat or are not suffering from a demand-supply mismatch. On the other hand, a new set of key skills (or the lack thereof) is being sorely felt as businesses start their revival journey.
Right at the top of the pile is the ability to manage a distance economy. This is not a single skill but a set of skills which is now becoming critical for a business. They involve remote management skills which by itself is a suite of skills including skills like conducting remote meeting, managing performance virtually, understanding virtual cues etc. For example, over the last 24 months, two very diverse set of professionals have gone through a crash course on virtual work. Both teachers and doctors have always worked on a 100% face-to-face interaction and a large part of their success was based on the trust and relationships they built with their students or patients. These two professions had to radically change the way they have worked overnight. At the height of the pandemic, almost 100% of cohorts that these two professions touch, were happening virtually. Even today a significant part of the work that they do has turned virtual for the foreseeable future. According to the latest numbers available only 7% of the initial medical diagnosis is now being done face to face with the remaining happening online. Both teachers and doctors had to learn about building trust and customer confidence virtually while dealing with a global crisis.
Online shopping and other on-demand services are part of regular life, as are changed food preferences and healthier lifestyles. Businesses all over the world have started to pivot based on changing consumer preferences and demands. The pandemic has also changed the supply chain ecosystem. There is high probability that most organisations will now move production closer to the point-of-sale triggering a re-distribution of skills and talent.
In short, the resurgence of business is seeing three major shifts:
• Understanding the distance economy
• Pivot based on changing consumer demands and trends
• A re-imagined supply chain
These shifts will require organisations to think about what they need to do revive their business. Starting with relooking at the skill-sets required for the revival. For example, if you are moving from a brick-and-mortar business to a predominantly online version, the investment in tech and supply chain skills will be higher than before. Marketeers will need to focus on gaining skills around creating digital demand. All functions will need to get comfortable with data analytics and data-led, real-time decision-making.
The second area that organisations will need to look at is developing cognitive skills like empathy, creativity and innovation. Remote working will also require higher skills in project management. A highly volatile and constantly evolving landscape would require adaptability, flexibility and resilience.
The third imperative is for organisations to start their reskilling programs now. Do not wait for the landscape to settle. Decide on your revival strategy and map the skills required to male the strategy work. Create focused reskilling programs for each role and implement it now.
Finally, however much the temptation, do not compromise on your L & D budgets or resources. However, rethink your L&D strategy. If you spend your dollars in skilling your employees on the pre-pandemic skills based on your pre-pandemic strategy you are fighting a losing battle. Reskilling employees on a mixture of revival strategy linked skills and distance economy skills will possibly make a difference on how fondly or sadly you look back to the aftermath of the pandemic.