If we’ve learned one thing from the COVID pandemic, it’s that the old way of doing business isn’t going to cut it. Legacy approaches are likely to be too slow, too incremental, or too difficult to scale given the challenges ahead. The pandemic crisis and subsequent move to hybrid and remote working models have accelerated the need for new workforce skills.
We think the examples that rose out of this recent McKinsey survey on the topic of workforce skills (linked below) make the process of ‘up-skilling’ more palatable but it will be a lot of hard work. Breaking down long-standing silos between talent acquisition and talent management is just one monumental challenge facing those looking to embrace a better way of working.
A few key takeaways of note:
- Fifty-eight percent of respondents said that closing skills gaps has become a higher priority since the pandemic began
- 69 percent said their companies engage in more skill building than they did before the crisis
- The skills companies prioritize most are leadership and managing others, critical thinking and decision making, and project management
Many companies face large, and growing, skills deficits. Those few companies who approach skill building in a more integrated way are quietly gaining an edge on rivals.
Read more from the source: McKinsey & Company, Published by: Jutta Bodem-schrötgens
