{"id":46215,"date":"2022-05-13T15:40:40","date_gmt":"2022-05-13T13:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=46215"},"modified":"2025-09-22T14:15:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T12:15:16","slug":"level-up-why-digital-transformation-calls-for-new-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/level-up-why-digital-transformation-calls-for-new-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"Level Up: Why Digital Transformation Calls for New Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first piece in this two-blog series<\/a> investigated how digital transformation means different things to different people, and examined the dramatic impact that digital technology is having on organizations today. In part two, you\u2019ll learn how people of all ages are equipping themselves to meet this challenge and opportunity, and discover which in-demand skills can help you better prepare for the future.<\/p>\n

How to future-proof your career against disruption<\/h2>\n

According to a recent GetSmarter survey, 59% of professionals are likely to change their job in the next 6\u201312 months<\/strong>. This is linked to the global pandemic and the rise of technology, which our respondents said were the top two factors expected to cause disruption in the next two years.

COVID-19 has led people around the world to reexamine their priorities and rethink the way they work. With the option of working from home, many employees are considering leaving their employer in what has been labeled ‘the great resignation’.1<\/sup>

The majority of our survey respondents also said they were very comfortable with change, which may be the reason why career paths are becoming increasingly non-linear<\/a>. Our research found that professionals expect to work longer, specifically older generations.

More than ever before, people have the option to evolve their skill set and pivot their careers. And digital transformation is the enabler spurring this on.<\/p>\n

Upskill to stay relevant<\/h3>\n

Disruption has started to extend beyond just career paths and working methods, it\u2019s now causing jobs themselves to hybridize. GetSmarter\u2019s 2020 The Future of Work Is Here<\/a> report revealed that professionals are choosing to combine their traditional skills with technical expertise<\/strong>, making them resistant to automation and highly in-demand. Thanks to user-friendly data analysis platforms and digital tools, people can now augment their critical thinking and leadership skills with technical knowledge.<\/p>\n

With a new influx of remote and digital working opportunities, longer lifespans, and hybrid roles, professionals no longer have to stick to their chosen career path. But reinvention requires upskilling<\/strong>. In a landscape that\u2019s characterized by transformation, continuous learning<\/a> now needs to be embedded within your work ethos. In this Great Career Reset blog post<\/a>, you’ll see how professionals are pivoting from a career plan to a skills plan. As jobs begin to adapt and react to technology\u2019s presence, digital transformation initiatives will start to have more of an impact on employees\u2019 day-to-day lives. Until now, industries have been revolutionizing as technology shapes their futures, but individuals are yet to feel the same kind of disruption in their work at a granular task level. The change, however, is fast approaching.<\/p>\n

GetSmarter\u2019s findings show that 65% of professionals prefer to upskill<\/strong>, rather than entirely reskill. But when we examine this at a generational level, our data shows that 57% of C-Suite professionals are reskilling \u2013 the highest amount out of all seniority levels<\/strong>. So despite executives being the ones to drive digital transformation strategy, they\u2019re feeling the gap within their skill set.<\/p>\n\n\n

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But beyond the C-Suite, the pressure to upskill is mounting for everyone: 58% of GetSmarter\u2019s survey respondents expect they\u2019ll need to learn new skills for their current job within the next six months<\/strong>. So despite individuals potentially not yet feeling the direct effect of technology and industry transformation, the majority of people realize that their skills will soon degrade and the only solution is to upskill more frequently<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Individuals have begun to take their careers into their own hands. In a 2020 GetSmarter report, 43% of respondents believed continuous learning was their own responsibility. A year later, the percentage has grown to 62%.<\/p>\n\n\n

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People would rather upskill of their own accord<\/strong> and feel that formal training provided by an employer is the least valuable source of upskilling for digital transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the GetSmarter respondents surveyed, 70% listed online education as the most useful method for gaining digital skills.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n

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Prioritize building these skills today<\/h3>\n

According to the GetSmarter Skills Hierarchy<\/a>, which was built from insights gathered from more than 100,000 students over 12 years, digital capabilities are now assumed skills for every job<\/strong> and should act as the foundation of your tool kit.<\/p>\n\n\n

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GetSmarter asked respondents to rank the above set of skills based on which will have the greatest longevity in their career in the next five years. Our findings show that analytical skills will become core competencies for any professional. These skills also have the most longevity, followed by digital capabilities \u2013 the skills you need to make use of typical office software, such as Zoom and Google Docs. Technical skills, like software proficiency, programming languages, coding, or digital marketing capabilities, despite being highly relevant right now and for the future, have the least longevity \u2013 meaning they\u2019ll need to be updated more frequently.<\/p>\n

This reflects the importance of people within digital transformation. The ability to lead a workforce through transformative change is, in some ways, more important than having a technical skill set or the technology itself<\/strong>. And without analytical abilities, leaders will struggle to discern how to prepare their teams for disruption.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Adopt a digital transformation framework to adapt your skills for the future<\/h3>\n

In the survey, GetSmarter also mapped the usefulness of skills currently versus in the next three years. This is what was revealed:<\/p>\n

Data skills:<\/h4>\n