The traditional workplace has changed. The rapid rise of digital transformation and machine learning means that certain roles are shifting into hybrid jobs or being completely replaced by technology (like telemarketers or chatbots for example). The skills that cannot be replicated or replaced by machines are our innate human skills, also known as soft or interpersonal skills.

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The traditional workplace has changed. The rapid rise of digital transformation and machine learning means that certain roles are shifting into hybrid jobs or being completely replaced by technology (like telemarketers or chatbots for example). The skills that cannot be replicated or replaced by machines are our innate human skills, also known as soft or interpersonal skills.

The importance of soft skills for the workplace

GetSmarter’s 2020 research revealed that although technology is one of the biggest catalysts for change, ultimately the impact of this change is human.¹ While technical proficiency hasn’t diminished in value, there’s a growing understanding that true resilience calls for a broader set of skills.² These skills need to be more ‘human’ or ‘softer’, such as creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.

In general there is a lack of sufficient interpersonal or soft skills in today's workplace, as highlighted in GetSmarter’s 2021 research. The findings suggest that COVID-19 has further magnified this trend, with a third of respondents expecting leadership and soft skills to be by far the most important competencies in 2021.³ This is creating a new hierarchy of skills, where soft skills reign supreme. This denotes that the ability to work well with other employees may trump technical ability. The result is a shifting skills gap.

The necessity of upskilling/reskilling for the future

Roles are en route to adapting to a new division of labour between humans, machines, and algorithms.⁴ With each new or lost skill, jobs must evolve. And with each new technological innovation, particularly within automation, business processes have to restructure and strategies need to be relooked. While technology is bringing about significant change in the job landscape, it won’t render humans irrelevant. Instead, automation is expected to bring about more than double the jobs it could potentially 

displace.⁵ Of the 133 million new positions to emerge by 2022, these are the roles that will be most in demand:⁶

• People-centric roles
• Technology-supported roles
• Skills in emerging technologies

As automation becomes more common in the workplace, people will have the capacity to be more creative and innovative. Essentially, humans will have the space to become better humans.

Add to your skills with online learning

Employees will have to change with the changing world in order to stay relevant and stay employed. These disruptive changes have left a shifting skills gap – a gap able to be bridged with a commitment to continuous learning and upskilling or reskilling. 

Find out more about why you should future-focus your career with the latest GetSmarter report, 'The Great Career Reset'. 

                                                                                   The Great Career Reset

• ¹(2020). ‘The Future of Work Is Here’. Retrieved from GetSmarter
• ²(2020). ‘The Most In-demand Hard and Soft Skills of 2020’. Retrieved from LinkedIn
• ³(2021). ‘The Great Career Reset’. Retrieved from GetSmarter
• ⁴(2018). ‘The Future of Jobs Report’. Retrieved from the World Economic Forum
• ⁵(2018). ‘The Future of Jobs Report’. Retrieved from the World Economic Forum
• ⁶(2018). ‘The Future of Jobs Report’. Retrieved from the World Economic Forum