Effectively countering the effects of a pandemic

08/20/2021

The beginning of 2020 is when the COVID 19 pandemic began. The event was quickly referred to as a black swan, a fortuitous event that could not be prepared for. The economic situation of most countries around the world deteriorated significantly. This was the result of sanitary restrictions that were introduced, which became more severe the more the epidemic spread. You may remember the crisis of the 1990s referred to as the crisis of the decade? The current economic crisis is referred to as the crisis of the 100s. Virtually every industry has suffered losses - sometimes, unfortunately, irreparable. Entrepreneurs had to adapt quickly to the new situation. The whole trouble is that, as we wrote earlier - it was a black swan and, as a result, there were no response schemes. The companies that adapted the fastest and most acutely - coped best with the viral wave.

Transferable competencies

It is these competencies, among the most desired skills by employers, that are now gaining more and more importance. Transferable competencies are those that are needed in any industry and enable you to adapt to new tasks and operate smoothly in a business environment. We are talking about soft competencies and, according to the "Talent Shortage 2021" report conducted by the Manpower Group, it turns out that they are the most difficult to acquire, and they are what allow organizations today to achieve concrete results in a dynamic and uncertain market. Knowledge, expertise and expertise in a given field remain crucial, of course, but only in combination with the skillful use of soft competencies do they constitute a kind of "team" that allows employees to achieve optimal results at work. One without the other simply cannot exist.

The pandemic has set new expectations

Let's take a look at the top five most desired competencies listed by employers in 2021 according to the Manpower Group Report:

  1. Responsibility, reliability, discipline,
  2. Logical thinking, problem solving,
  3. Initiative,
  4. Critical thinking, analytical skills,
  5. Resilience and flexibility.

The remedy is development

Comparing the above list with the results of the 2018 survey, the order is virtually unchanged. They have only gained in strength of demand. This is a direct result of the pandemic situation. In other words, it can be said that the global situation has increased the competence gap in the above-mentioned areas. At this point, sanitary strictures have weakened, as an increase in collective immunity is noted. So it is not hard to see that companies are making the most of this time in order to make up for their losses as efficiently as possible. To do this, you need employees with the competencies in question, which turns out to be a huge problem. The mentioned skills should therefore be developed among your employees! Fortunately, there are very many companies on the market that offer development in these areas. A key element of this type of training is the variety of development activities, which include not only workshops and training, but also individual development sessions, which are a combination of coaching, coaching and mentoring. Development programs should be comprehensive, conducted by specialists who are also active practitioners in their fields. It is also extremely important to conduct an appropriate competency survey of participants, before the main part of the training itself. Thanks to this procedure, trainers will be able to catch any competence gaps and adjust the discussed issues both in terms of content and sheer sophistication. We are then assured that the content discussed will be firmly grounded in reality, and will address the real challenges of the program participant. Effective programs are those that are "tailor-made."