With the arrival of the long-awaited vaccine, employers are starting to look ahead to 2021
As we move into the last leg of 2020, there’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel.
COVID-19 has played hell with our lives since March – impacting everything from our social lives to our working patterns.
With the arrival of the long-awaited vaccine, employers are starting to look ahead to 2021 and consider what it will take to survive and thrive in the New Year.
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With that in mind, HRD spoke to Dr Jarik Conrad, senior director, human insights & HCM evangelism at Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), to uncover what skills HR will need moving forward.
“Adaptability is going to be key in 2021,” he told HRD.
“We’ve learned the importance of adaptability throughout the past few months – so continuing to practice this will be paramount.
“We’re going through a very particular set of crises right now- and there will be others to follow. Having people on your team who know how to respond to chaos is important.”
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By this Dr Conrad means looking for employees with high emotional intelligence. Recent research from OfficeTeam found that 95% of HR leaders consider EQ to be essential at work – with three in 10 managers thinking employers place too little emphasis on EQ when hiring.
In today’s fast paced world, where business priorities pivot in seconds, having that ability to deal with change is mandatory.
“Having that skill to cope with stressful situations in a calm and rational manner,” he added.
“We need people who can solve problems, keep a balanced view of what’s happening around them, and not allow themselves to be overcome.
“We have a more nuanced idea of how emotions are driving our decision making – allowing us to make better choices.
“That whole cluster of skills that make up emotional intelligence are going to be important - interpersonal skills, stress management, self-awareness, they all contribute to resilience and the ability to bounce to bounce back from a crisis.”