The Most In-Demand Technical Skills for the Future of Work
As the world continues to rely on highly technical and continuously evolving technologies, the need for talent with the digital skills to match these advancements also increases.
Technical skills will never go out of style. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2020, “technology-driven job creation is still expected to outpace job destruction over the next five years,” and “human ingenuity is at the root of all shared prosperity.” In short, our modern era’s abundance of technological innovation can still be used to further bolster human potential.
As certain jobs become outdated and new ones are created, the work that people do will continue to change. Over the past decade, a set of ground-breaking, emerging technologies has signalled the start of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The WEF reports that “to capture the opportunities created by these technologies, many companies across the private sector have embarked on a reorientation of their strategic direction. By 2025, the capabilities of machines and algorithms will be more broadly employed than in previous years.” Accordingly, the talent that businesses will need to hire to keep pace with the shifting world of work will require experience and technical skill sets that are quite different from the ones we need today.
Here are the technical skills that will be the most sought-after in the future of work:
Software Engineering
The development of technology has increased the significance of software engineering. Every piece of technology we use requires us to be able to build, design, develop, and maintain code using software engineering techniques. It has altered almost every element of modern civilisation and keeps enabling us to accomplish amazing things. Simple web and mobile apps that provide outstanding value to users are the foundation of billion-dollar companies. So as the world continues to modernise, and technology permeates more facets of our lives, we will continue to need the technical skills of software engineers.
Good software engineers bring immense value to the technological future of any organisation. For instance, there is more to developing an app than just throwing together some code. The product must be constructed from particular criteria and solve a business problem in addition to the coding. Good software engineers can break down these needs and produce something helpful. To succeed, the talent of the future will require thorough training to be proficient in all concepts of Software Engineering, as well as the ability to master the necessary soft-skills.
Cloud Computing
Source: Planet Compliance
Microsoft Azure puts it best, “Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services – servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence – over the Internet (‘the cloud’) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.” Cloud Computing enables businesses communicate, share information, and collaborate on data outside the traditional methods all at the same time. Organisations can save money on storage, servers, and administration services by recruiting talent with the right cloud computing skills; these services can be shifted to the cloud at a low cost, improving operations. Cloud computing talent will create, build, and manage cloud-based apps to assist businesses with, among other things, customer analysis, solution design, and system debugging.
Big Data Analytics
Organisations may exploit their data and use big data analytics to find new opportunities. Interpreting data, updating spreadsheets, and pulling numbers for reporting are all technical tasks that great data analysts perform with great care, assisting organisations in data definition to address difficulties unique to their industries. This results in smarter company decisions.
Businesses that embrace big data and sophisticated analytics benefit in numerous other ways, including more effective operations, greater profitability and additional revenue prospects, more effective marketing, customer personalisation, and ultimately, happier clients. Good data analysts can gather, manage, and visualise data to develop effective analytics strategies that give companies an advantage over their competitors.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Knowledge of TensorFlow, Python, Java and Natural Language Processing tops the list of the most in-demand AI and machine learning skills. Talent that can harness the power of these technologies and tools will help an organisation deliver more relevant, personalised, and innovative products and services. The Boston Consulting Group posits that companies that have scaled AI across their businesses and achieved meaningful value from their investments typically dedicate 10% of their AI investment to algorithms, 20% to technologies, and 70% to embedding AI into business processes and agile ways of working. In other words, these organisations invest twice as much in people and processes as they do in technologies.
Web Development
Source: Tech IT Trainings
Web technologies have significantly transformed our lives and will continue to do so. The current internet was designed by web developers, and the websites we adore run because of them. Everything is now online, including service industries, education, healthcare, banking, real estate, and software. Full stack web developers are required to develop and update company websites, and they often employ a broad range of technical abilities to achieve this. A study by Evans Data Corporation reports that the global developer population will increase from its current 26.9 million to a staggering 45 million by 2030, signifying a 75% growth in developer numbers over the next decade. This means a developer’s influence has only just begun.
Digital Literacy
Digital literacy is not an option anymore – it’s imperative. Even individuals who are not in charge of developing software must embrace programming and digital literacy, be knowledgeable about data analysis and statistics, and build computational and algorithmic thinking skills. The ability to learn, work, and navigate in our digital world are all parts of digital literacy. These abilities include the capacity to utilise hardware, software, and apps safely and confidently. Talent with strong digital literacy skills can collaborate and communicate with ease. They also stay current with new technologies and are aware of their possible effects on their careers and businesses. Whether a company needs to hire freelance administrative staff or finance professionals, these hires must have a solid understanding of digital systems.
So What Does This Mean for Your Company?
Considering we’re on the cusp of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we’re still going to need people who can manage and interpret the technologies. Digital transformation is rapidly shifting the world of work, pushing the workforce towards learning new in-demand skills and adapting to future jobs. Greater technology adoption will mean a change of skills across the workforce. Skills gaps will also continue to widen. Companies need to ensure they have the right talent with the right skill sets to fill those critical gaps.
Are you hiring people with the right technical skills for the future of work? The ROOM is proud to connect you with highly trained tech talent including Software Engineers, Cloud Developers, and Web Developers and Data Analysts with skills for the 21st century.
The ROOM specialises in connecting individuals and companies across the globe with the skills and resources they need to thrive in the future of work. Visit The ROOM to access a pool of world-class, young, and agile digital talent.