Even before 2020 forced us all into working from our kitchens, home offices, or bedrooms, the world was very much on its way towards removing the necessity for conventional workspaces. Today, younger generations have grown up with lectures and lessons online, while YouTube has also risen to become a better teacher – and imparter of skills – than school ever could.
Readying Yourself For The Digital Workplace
For the digital generation, whose lives almost exclusively exist on the web, the thought of working from home is far less daunting than it perhaps is for older generations. But in 2020, people of all ages are having to familiarize themselves with the digital workplace.
Jobs with a digital or tech-related component are surging, putting those without the requisite skills at an immediate disadvantage. Over the summer months, demand spiked by 36 percent for roles advertised in the digital tech sector, as hospitality, retail, and travel all began to suffer losses.
Utilize Free Tools
Thankfully, for workers of all ages, there has never been a better time to enter the digital workplace. The free, democratic nature of YouTube and e-libraries allow people to learn a raft of new skills relating to this world. Coding, for instance, has hundreds of explainer videos on YouTube.
Digitalization has even infiltrated the recruitment process, with LinkedIn coming to dominate the employment landscape. Every 60 seconds in 2020, LinkedIn users apply for 69,444 jobs through the social media platform. Naturally, with so many people using such sites, competition is fierce. And yet, adding an array of new digital skills to your CV could put you right at the front of the queue.
Be Willing to Learn
For many, acquiring new digital skills can be a daunting task, as it can feel like learning an entirely new language of terminology. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that people aren’t willing to learn and adapt. Consider using staff scheduling software.
It is frequently claimed that the most important skill of tomorrow will be the ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn. This is certain to be useful when it comes to the future of work, as the demands of 21st-century economies will require the workforce to be versatile, and quick to adapt.
Technological innovation isn’t going away anytime soon. So, the more you understand it, the faster you can respond to new trends or innovations. It is here where employers must be accommodating to their workers. Some will take longer than others to fully adapt to this brave new world. The slow transition must be handled delicately and thoroughly ideally via means of employee training.
Embrace the Benefits of Working From Home
Working remotely can be very beneficial for employees of all ages, and with government guidelines ever-changing, it is a reality that all of us should be prepared for. For those who believe that working from home is nothing but a brief inconvenience, it may be time to reassess that position. With the ever-pressing need to reduce travel for environmental reasons, as well as the ever-soaring cost of housing in major cities, the ‘work from home’ model is likely to stick around long after lockdown is lifted.
Some will still need to commute, but others who are capable of doing their job from their own kitchen may be asked to do so on a more permanent basis. The way we work is shifting profoundly before our very eyes. But, as the old model begins to slowly fade away, those who are ready for the future can reap the rewards now.
Originally published on the Workology blog.
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Jessica Miller-Merrell, is workplace change agent focused on human resources and talent acquisition. Recognized by Forbes as a top 50 social media influencer. She's the founder of Workology, formerly Blogging4Jobs. Follow her on Twitter, @jmillermerrell.
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