Shift in hiring trends in agencies: The new skill sets key to becoming a successful communication professional

• The pandemic has led to changes and transformations in the way of business and our lives as whole.
• Change and shift in business strategies have led to rethinking hiring within companies.
• Akshaara Lalwani, Founder and MD, Communicate India writes about the skills one need to have to become successful communication mavens.

With the pandemic disrupting our lives a few months back, there have been several changes and transformations in the way of business and our lives as whole. From staying confined indoors to working remotely, change has been the only constant. While the last decade has seen significant increase in tech transformations across industries the pandemic seems to have accelerated the same.

Change and shift in business strategies have led to rethinking hiring within companies. While conventional hiring methods included a printed resume and a face-to-face interview today digital resumes and video conference interviews have taken over. The shift in hiring trends has caused a transference in the needed skill sets to be hired among professionals. For those looking to succeed in this market, here’s a list of skills you need to have to
become successful communication mavens:

Growth Mindset – There’s an old saying that says, ‘Learning never stops,’ this can’t be more true today. A recent report by McKinsey states that more than 800 million workers globally could lose their jobs by 2030 to robots. As emerging technologies lead businesses to automate mundane tasks across industries, it is more than necessary for us to be able to cope with the same and ensure that one stays relevant. Individuals that are motivated to accomplish higher goals by upskilling themselves and staying germane are the ones that will be able to succeed. This is where a growth mindset will play utmost importance.

Diverse Skillsets – Diversity in an organization is more than just gender, race and colour today. Diversity in terms of skill sets and experience can take a long way today. Businesses across industries are looking for employees that come with varied skills in order to keep up with the ever changing landscape of the market today. Employers are looking for specialized skills, best practices, technical know-how and sheer potential in every candidate they consider for the job. If you have the potential to make it, you will.

The Human Touch – Over the next decade, there will be a shift from the conventional means of business to automation and artificial intelligence, leading to an increase in social and emotional skills. Emerging technologies bring with it the need for employees who understand how it works and adapting to the same. A lot of our social and emotional skills are innate however, higher cognitive skills of ingenuity, decision-making and complex data
analytics will be in demand and the fastest growing.

Emotional Intelligence – The dynamics of today’s workplace is very demanding on any individual and hence candidates with a high emotional quotient are valuable to most organizations. According to the Goleman’s model, employees with a higher EQ are able to regulate and motivate themselves, reducing any possibility of procrastination, improving self-confidence and increasing focus on achieving long-term goals.

Businesses are dependent on their people more than anything, to engage and adapt to both internal and external changes, be innovative and creative. Individuals who upskill and are willing to adapt to the needs of the ever-changing business markets are the ones that can achieve more and succeed.

- This column has been authored by Akshaara Lalwani, Founder and MD, Communicate India.