Employers Say Adaptive Skills More Critical To Business Viability Since Covid-19 Pandemic: NTUC LearningHub Survey

• Adaptive skills have grown in importance since
  the start of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Effective communication topped the list of
  key skills needed for business viability and it has grown in importance since
  last year (voted
  by 68% in 2021 vs 48% in 2020)
• Teamwork is the second most important
  skill (55%), followed by Leadership (53%), Negotiation and Influencing skills
  (51%) and Digital Marketing (50%) 

SINGAPORE
– Media OutReach – 25 March 2021 – Since the
start of the pandemic, workforce competencies have had to evolve, resulting in
the increasing importance for adaptive skills in the workplace. In particular,
more employers say that Effective Communication is key to business viability,
making it the increasingly most sought-after skill (voted by 68% in 2021 vs 48%
in 2020). This is one of
the key findings in the recent NTUC
LearningHub‘s Employer Skills Survey report.

The survey, which was conducted in February 2021 with
business leaders across Singapore, aimed to uncover the most in-demand
skillsets a year after the pandemic. The findings include the top skills by
industry cluster: Built Environment, Essential Domestic Services, Lifestyle,
Manufacturing and Professional Services, and Trade and Connectivity.

As the job market evolves to
adapt to the long-lasting impact of COVID-19 on the workplace, more employers
require workers to possess both adaptive and digital skills that enable them to
work remotely in new environments. Effective Communication, an adaptive skill
that helps close information gaps in times of uncertainty, establish clear
expectations, and align purpose among employees, has become increasingly
important in industries including Manufacturing (74%), Essential Domestic
Services (71%), and Lifestyle (50%).

Overall,
while digital skills were voted by many employers, adaptive skills have topped
the list of competencies which are business imperatives while having increased
in importance. Teamwork is the second most important skill (55% in 2021 vs 52%
in 2020), followed by Leadership (53% in 2021 vs 45% in 2020), Negotiation and
Influencing skills (51% in 2021 vs 46% in 2020) and Digital Marketing (50% in
2021 vs 44% in 2020).

Commenting
on the findings, NTUC LHUB’s Chairman Eugene Wong, says, “As businesses adapt
new modes of working, effective communication is crucial for companies to relay
new systems and ways of doing businesses amongst their workforce. Teamwork and
decisive leadership are also key to navigating the new world order. In
addition, as companies push for digitalisation to attract and retain consumers
online, digital marketing remains a top skill. To future-proof a company’s
viability as well as one’s employability, it is imperative to possess a hybrid
set of coveted adaptive and digital skills.”

“COVID-19
continues to leave an indelible mark on the economy and jobs at large. To keep
viable, many companies which have been pandemic-stricken have had to pivot
business models and find new revenue streams. The workforce competencies
required to support new ways of doing business therefore have to evolve and
workers could stand to benefit from identifying these sought-after skills and
upskill themselves where necessary,” he adds.

 

To download the Employers Skills
Report 2021, visit: https://www.ntuclearninghub.com/employer-skills-report-2021/