Working from home is made possible by the internet and collaborative software such as Teams, Zoom, Slack, Google Suite, Asana, Trello and Figma (to name just a few). Of course, these technical tools also enable companies to hire more remote workers. We already mentioned this in our white paper on remote work from 2020.
However, alongside home office and remote work, hybrid work is now gradually emerging as a third important employment model. Hybrid jobs are those in which work is performed in the home office on some days and in the company on others. This has its advantages, as the employer still has personal contact with the employee and they do not feel exiled, disconnected or isolated. As a result, 86% of decision-makers in German companies believe that hybrid working will remain an important part of the working world even after the coronavirus pandemic ends. This is the result of a study commissioned by HR service provider Robert Half. A large number of job advertisements were examined for their requirement profiles.
In the context of remote work, many voices agreed that it is only productive if management communicates more frequently and much more empathetically with the remote workforce. There are now signs that hybrid work is also making new demands - only this time on the workforce. According to the study, the trend towards hybrid work means that applicants with hybrid skills are now increasingly being sought.
The hybrid nature of these skills is that they cross the boundaries of the respective job profile in some direction.
In practice, this means that we are now looking for applicants for technical positions, for example, who are also competent in interpersonal skills. In other words, anything but the cliché of the slightly autistic tech nerd.
For example, the demand for system analysts who can also deal with customer contact has risen by a staggering 290%. The number of jobs for system administrators who enjoy working in a team has increased by 167%. R&D managers who also support team communication are being sought 49% more frequently.
In addition to an affinity for numbers, people in finance and accounting are now also looking more for people skills. For example, accountants who also support customers are being sought 88% more frequently. Management and organizational analysts who can also lead teams are being sought 66 % more frequently. 33 % more jobs for managing directors and CEOs require the ability to adapt to different roles.
In the areas of assistance and commercial areas, on the other hand, basic technical knowledge is now also in demand. Office managers who can work with databases are being sought 29% more frequently. For secretaries, additional accounting skills are now required 21% more often. An additional 9% of assistant positions also require the ability to think analytically.
Despite the softening of the usual boundaries of established professions, professional specializations naturally remain relevant. However, it is now more often desired that they are expanded to include skills that compensate for the changing employment relationships. This is because they have increased complexity, which in turn calls for a corresponding change in the skills profiles of the workforce.
Basically, the qualities of a good standby person who knows how to help themselves with tasks and problems that lie outside their actual area of responsibility are now more frequently desired.
Robert Half advises against hiring additional all-rounders at all costs. Instead, a differentiated approach to the current circumstances and careful strategic personnel planning are recommended.
First of all, companies should carefully consider how they want to deal with the circumstances and what goals they want to achieve. After all, this will determine which skills the company in question will need to have available in the near future.
An audit should then be carried out to evaluate how well employees are prepared to achieve the company's goals and which skills gaps still exist. Based on this information, companies can then decide which positions and skills will be required in the future.
Some skills can only be brought into the company from outside in the form of temporarily hired specialists.
However, most skills gaps can be closed by reskilling current employees. Actively promoting the further development of employees saves the company the costs and uncertainties that arise from high employee turnover. This is because valuable experience remains in the company and employee loyalty is strengthened.
This way, companies remain in safe waters even in times of disruptive upheaval.
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