Changes through digitalization are possible
Digitalisation is changing the framework conditions for companies and employees. Technology is developing faster and less predictably than before. Companies that do not continuously keep pace risk going out of business. To the same extent, the demands on employees are changing beyond the actual technical knowledge. New job profiles and professions are emerging.
Instinct and innovation as the key to success
New technologies often open up unimagined application possibilities. Further developments then take place at a rapid pace. Consumers react quickly and adjust their expectations accordingly. This means that you need instinct and the courage to change in order to remain competitive in the long term. Creative minds are needed here to identify the needs of the future before the technical prerequisites are in place. For all those who want to play at the top, reacting is not enough.
Digitization as an indicator of corporate culture
The pandemic has made deficits in digitization abundantly clear and also forced doubters to take action. Those who relied on presence and control and refused employees' desire for home offices or digital working were punished. Employee satisfaction and appreciation increase productivity. This is not new knowledge. However, the forced experiment has shown that presence and performance do not have to be directly related. As a result, so-called hybrid workplaces have already established themselves to the extent that it is hard to imagine the working world without them. What's more, the complete rethink is being followed by new structures.
Organize home office and/or mobile work legally and efficiently
The legal requirements are not insignificant. In particular, the home office is no different from the classic office workplace in terms of occupational health and safety standards. Although mobile working is less cost-intensive in comparison, it harbours risks in terms of data protection breaches or the security of company and business secrets. In other words, digitization is not a topic that can be pursued on the side. On the contrary, far more advanced companies are taking this development into account by creating new roles. In the English-speaking world, job titles such as "Head of Remote Work" or "Head of Hybrid Work" have already emerged. These are new management positions designed to develop and coordinate all relevant areas. At the same time, the growing expertise on the employer side has an impact on the range of tasks for employees.
Job profiles are blurring
The current job advertisements make it clear that HR managers are increasingly looking for a combination of skills that are not typical of the profession as compared to before. This means that technical knowledge is coming to the fore in the commercial area. On the other hand, technical employees are taking on communication tasks - including direct customer contact. Suddenly, soft skills make all the difference.
Further training is gaining in importance
Accordingly, the importance of initial training will decline. Instead, lifelong learning in the form of targeted further training will develop into a second pillar of qualification with equal rights. This also means that in the field of technology and IT, younger employees do not necessarily have to have a natural knowledge advantage over older ones. Digitalization requires a willingness to learn and flexibility from everyone involved in order to see change as an opportunity and to take advantage of it.
