
By | Phyllis Furman
Does your workforce have the skills to compete in a rapidly transforming marketplace? It’s a question many companies are asking themselves these days and the answer is too frequently a resounding no.
Employers have been facing a troubling skills gap for years and the problem has grown as the pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technologies across industries. A recent Salesforce survey found that 76% of global workers don’t feel ready to operate in a digital-first world.
Companies aren’t just facing gaps in tech skills either. McKinsey estimates demand for social and emotional skills, such as leadership and empathy, could increase by 25% in the U.S. over the next decade.
“Every job is being flooded with new tools, new systems, and new applications,” says Josh Bersin, global industry analyst and dean of the Josh Bersin Academy. “People who knew how to do a given job two years ago, if they’re not continuously refreshing their skills, they’re definitely falling behind.”