As we enter the 4th industrial revolution, one of the many things that are changing are the skills needed to stand out and succeed in the future. Here are the 10+ most important job skills every company will be looking for in 2020.

1. The 10+ Most Important
Job Skills Every Company
Will Be Looking For In 2020

2. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
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IntroductionIntroduction
As the world evolves to embrace the 4th industrial revolution, our workplaces
are changing. Just as other industrial revolutions transformed the skillset and
experience required from the workforce, we can expect the same from this
revolution. Only five years from now, 35 percent of the skills seen as essential
today will change according to the World Economic Forum. While we're not
able to predict the future, yet, here are the ten most important job skills (plus
a bonus one) every company will be looking for in 2020.
The 10+ Most Important Job Skills
Every Company Will Be Looking For In 2020

3. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Data Literacy
Data has become every organization’s most important asset—the “fuel” of the
4th industrial revolution. Companies that don’t use that fuel to drive their success
will inevitably fall behind. So, to make data valuable, organizations must employ
individuals who have data literacy and the skills to turn the data into business
value.

4. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Critical Thinking
There's no shortage of information and data, but individuals with the ability to
discern what information is trustworthy among the abundant mix of
misinformation such as fake news, deep fakes, propaganda, and more will be
critical to an organization's success. Critical thinking doesn’t imply being
negative; it’s about being able to objectively evaluate information and how it
should be used or even if it should be trusted by an organization. Employees
who are open-minded, yet able to judge the quality of information inundating
us will be valued.

5. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Tech Savviness
Technical skills will be required by employees doing just about every job since
digital tools will be commonplace as the 4th industrial revolution impacts every
industry. Artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, virtual and augmented reality,
robotics, blockchain, and more will become a part of every worker's everyday
experience, whether the workplace is a factory or law firm. So, not only do
people need to be comfortable around these tools, they will need to develop
skills to work with them. Awareness of these technologies and relevant technical
skills will be required for every job from a hairstylist to an accountant and
everything in between.

6. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Adaptability and Flexibility
As quickly as the world is changing, the half-life of skills is constantly reducing.
Therefore, people need to commit to learning new skills throughout their
careers and know they must be adaptable to change. Important to this is
understanding that what worked yesterday isn’t necessarily the best strategy for
tomorrow, so openness to unlearning skills is also important. Additionally,
people must be cognitively flexible to new ideas and ways of doing things.

7. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Creativity
Regardless of how many machines work beside us, humans are still better at
creativity. It's essential that creative humans are employed by companies to
invent, imagine something new and dream up a better tomorrow. Tomorrow's
workplaces will demand new ways of thinking, and human creativity is critical to
moving forward.

8. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Another area where humans have the edge on machines is with emotional
intelligence—our ability to be aware of, control, and express our emotions and
the emotions of others. This ability will be important as long as there are
humans in the workforce since it impacts every interaction we have with one
another.

9. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Cultural Intelligence and Diversity
Organizations are increasingly diverse, and effective employees must be able to
respect differences and work with people of a different race, religion, age,
gender, or sexual orientation. Also, businesses are increasingly operating across
international boundaries, which means it is important that employees are
sensitive to other cultures, languages, political, and religious beliefs. Employees
with strong cultural intelligence and who can adapt to others who might
perceive the world differently are also key in developing more inclusive products
and services
for an organization.

10. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Leadership Skills
Leadership skills will be paramount for not only those at the top of a traditional
corporate hierarchy but increasingly for those individuals throughout the
company who are expected to lead in the 4th industrial revolution. Enabled by
the support of machines, there will be more individuals who are in decision-
making positions, whether leading project teams or departments.
Understanding how to bring out the best in and inspire every individual within a
diverse and distributed workforce requires strong leadership skills.

11. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Judgment and Complex Decision Making
Machines might be able to analyze data at a speed, and depth humans are
incapable of, but many decisions regarding what to do with the information
provided by machines must be still made by humans. Humans with the ability to
take input from the data while considering how decisions can impact the
broader community, including effects on human sensibilities such as morale, are
important members of the team. So, even if the data support one decision, a
human needs to step in to think about how a decision could impact other areas
of the business, including its people.

12. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Collaboration
When companies are looking to hire humans in the 4th industrial revolution,
skills that are uniquely human such as collaboration and strong interpersonal
skills will be emphasized. They will want employees on their team who can
interact well with others and help drive the company forward collectively.

13. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
BONUS
In addition to the skills listed previously that every company will be looking for
in the 4th industrial revolution, there are several
self-management skills that will make people more successful in the future,
including self-motivation, prioritization/time management, stress management
and the ability to embrace and celebrate change. Those people who have a
growth mindset, are adept at experimenting and learning from mistakes, as well
as have a sense of curiosity will be highly coveted in the 4th industrial revolution.

14. © 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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