Last week in Part 1, we covered some interesting points. In case you missed it, you can find it here. From Career Thought Leaders’ 2021 Career Industry Trends White Paper, I have extracted many fascinating insights. In some cases, I have extrapolated from the career coaching profession to the general employment situation.
Two New Occupations Will Appear
To provide for the now huge remote workforce, a new type of small business tech support business will emerge. Another consequence of the large remote workforce, urban designers will be challenged to repurpose the buildings left empty by the disappearance of retail and other users of commercial real estate.
Fractional Leadership Will Expand from Start-Ups to Established Organizations
Part-time C-Suite players have long populated the start-up arena. We see more established companies embracing this concept to gain the value of expertise without paying a full-time salary for the higher level of talent.
Having an Online Portfolio is Becoming a Must-Have
Using LinkedIn as a platform, career professionals are seeing rising expectations on the part of hiring managers to see more depth into candidates’ backgrounds. This career portfolio will reflect workers’ experience and capability through certifications, project case studies, work products, and any other material that proves work skills and accomplishments. Having this portfolio can also facilitate the shifting between roles within an organization as well. This online portfolio will require a demonstration of writing abilities and other diverse skill sets, including sales, consulting, and marketing skills. Ingomu Coach Maureen Jenks, highlighted in the previous Herman Trend Alert, sees that some employers are requiring LinkedIn profiles: the more robust, the better.
More Reductions in Force to Come
Though the early pandemic shutdowns had a greater impact on more frontline workers, some companies will eliminate more professional and mid-level positions in 2021 – after discovering that their mid-level people were not needed. Due to advancing technology, accountants, lower-level manufacturing roles and some customer service jobs will go away. Layoffs also will change the face of higher education. Finally, due to the pandemic the hospitality and travel industries have seen the greatest declines.
Certain Careers Will Experience High Growth
Schools and colleges are hiring online instructional professionals to support their teachers. Due to the introduction of technology and data collection, additional growth will be seen in project management, digital marketing, data analytics, and customer experience/engagement. Moreover, COVID-19 has spurred growth in food service, supply chain and delivery, and segments of high tech, healthcare and education. With the increased societal emphasis on social justice, there has been an uptick in diversity and inclusion positions and these positions are gaining in importance and influence within organizations. Employers are continuing to be challenged to fill frontline, entry-level positions in food service, hospitality. Shortages of truck drivers and long shoremen are having devastating effects on our supply chain.
Increased Emphasis on Emotional intelligence (EQ)
Besides answering behavioral interview questions, applicants will be asked to talk about other situations – including hypothetical ones that demonstrate high levels of EQ. Employers that understand the value of EQ know that it helps people navigate the increasingly stressful and virtual workplace. Many career coaches report that their clients do not understand the importance of EQ, how to communicate it, and how to build the related skills.
Advancing Technology will gain Greater Traction
Artificial intelligence and other automation continue to increase effectiveness and efficiency. This enhanced technology is supporting coaches to be better and provide improved outcomes for their clients. Artificial intelligence (AI) will create, replace, and evolve jobs. As AI affects jobs and roles, rather than being eliminated, many jobs are being transformed. Research in Australia indicates 60 percent of students there are studying for jobs that will be highly automated in the next decade.
The Human Side of Enterprise
Career coaching clients will still value the human touch in career services for the foreseeable future. According to Cengage, as we move into the future, the highest workforce demand will be for the “uniquely human skills” that cannot be replaced with technology: listening, attention to detail, communication, critical thinking, interpersonal skills, and active learning.
“Zoom Towns” will pop up throughout the United States
With the advent of more remote work, many full-time virtual positions allow people to live anywhere with high bandwidth. Remote workers will continue to move to high-connectivity areas with high-quality web access. Expect magazines and news organizations to start ranking the “Top 10 Zoom Towns” or places to work remotely.
Special thanks to Marie Zimenoff and Career Thought Leaders for this valuable contribution to our understanding of the evolving workforce and workplace. To read the entire report, go here.
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