By Angelina Tang
It’s a well-known fact that the workplace has been considerably altered due to the pandemic, but what exactly does that entail? Due to the shift towards online and remote work, an increased emphasis on digital literacy has emerged, but on the other hand, the reopening of in-person work after the absence of consistent social interaction for so long has created a gap in demand for workers with soft skills.
Digital literacy is a no-brainer when it comes to pandemic work. When everything you do is online, people have had to adapt quickly and learn how to navigate a computer. From the basic ability to use Word and spreadsheets to the ability to make a website, these skills became crucial to job performance during the pandemic when everything was remote. However, now that pandemic restrictions have been lifted and businesses have opened up their offices, the need for digital literacy skills has not disappeared. Hybrid models have become increasingly common, since companies already have a digital workplace plan left over from the pandemic, and since hybrid models allow for increased worker capacity and accessibility to prospecting workers who live internationally. As a result, digital literacy has maintained its status as a sought-after job skill in workers. Even within the office, improvements in technology make work easier, so knowing how to use newer computers and software is always beneficial for all parties involved.
In addition to that, however, we have also seen an uptick in demand for soft skills in the in-person workplace. Due to long periods of time away from physical society, it’s no doubt that our social capabilities all decreased during the years spent in quarantine. Yes, we had Zoom calls and Facetime and phone calls, but none of those compare to real-life interaction with a human body in front of you. Socializing is a skill that must be practiced; as such, emerging out of the pandemic, many people have found themselves suddenly lost in how to interact with other people, and this includes in the workplace. Soft skills, or people skills, are in demand, as they are necessary for proper workplace communication and productivity yet are lacking, especially in teenagers and young adults who lost critical development time for their socialization due to the pandemic.
