It would be reasonable to assume that a health scare will not have any impact on work culture, yet the novel coronavirus pandemic has done just that — it has brought a paradigm shift in the workplace. Many jobs are becoming redundant; an increasing number of employers are looking for comprehensive skill-sets that would reduce cost and hiring. With every new crisis comes new technology, and dependence on such technology is opening up new career avenues.
The one constant through the changes is the dependence on technology, the rapid adoption of the digital way across the globe. The new work culture created a demand for upgradation of both skills and tech infrastructure. Digital devices and robust network connections became the lifeline for the dispersed workforces. “The emphasis on soft skills is gaining importance due to the change in the work environment. As companies have transitioned to digital and remote working, they prefer employees with skills such as time management, communication, teamwork, critical thinking, flexibility and adaptability,” says Narayan Mahadevan, founder of BridgeLabz, a platform that bridges the talent gap and provides skilled engineers.
Being active digitally is now more a necessity than an option. The reliance on e-commerce, cloud systems and mobile apps has increased. Also, organisations are scrambling to secure their endpoints amidst a more progressive and malicious cyber threat landscape. This means app developers, people who build and maintain websites, cloud storage experts and cyber security specialists are in demand.
“During the pandemic, the dependence on e-commerce sites and mobile apps has increased. This means the technology needed to build and maintain these apps and sites is also in great demand. This has led to many tech companies hiring software engineers with experience in mobile application development,” says Mahadevan. “The companies that are hiring have revised their expectations as well,” he adds.
The hiring process too has witnessed a drastic change. Companies are collaborating with incubation labs to train their talent such that an employee is ready to assume his or her role without any assistance or support system. Since it is both time and cost-efficient, the trend is paving the road for a new phenomenon. Remote training and hiring of employees, which one couldn’t imagine a few years ago, is becoming the norm. Cross-country hiring and remote engineering solutions have become commonplace. To top it, permanent hiring seems to be on a hiatus. Today, companies are hiring interns or consultants to bring down liabilities in this economically challenging period.
“Right from our working style to hiring style, every aspect has witnessed tremendous change,” says Mahadevan. “The impact of the pandemic on tech employability has been immense. Online learning has taken centre stage and the talent stuck at home is trying to learn new skills to keep themselves employable. The talent has also witnessed the importance of soft skills in communicating better through emails and other online channels. Live learning has become the new normal,” he adds.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that job descriptions have expanded in meaning and the nature of skills required. Constant upskilling is the only solution in such a competitive and evolving landscape. Many companies have realised the need for professionals with advanced and specific skill-sets. They will continue to opt for those who are agile and creative. The pandemic has defined a new era that has accelerated the adoption of digitisation as business models and working patterns are being re-imagined to maintain continuity.
A more flexible workplace has been born, a trend that’s going to stay. While a 30-second commute increases productivity on many levels, engineers have to constantly upskill themselves in collaboration, communication, adaptability and cross-cultural management. With data being a driving force behind most decisions, another important skill-set that every engineer must cultivate is data literacy — the ability to work with and interpret data,” says Shekhar Bhattacharjee, founder of Dalham Learning, India’s first education platform offering social science and liberal studies to undergraduate and postgraduate students of engineering and management.
The future workforce will be expected to work from home, be digitally-savvy and work hard on social skills too, to encourage team work and group learning.
The rise in the use of AI has been a saving grace during the pandemic. The market is expected to grow to a $190 billion industry by 2025, with global spending on cognitive and AI systems reaching over $57 billion in 2021. New jobs will be created in development, programming, testing, and support and maintenance, to name a few. AI also offers some of the highest salaries — over $1,25,000 a year (machine learning engineer) to $1,45,000 a year (AI architect).
Focus on developing strong employability skills following the aptitude, communication and technical skills (ACT) framework. Employers will always have a need for creativity, innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
