NTT Data Group launched the Professional of the Future study, which sought to capture the expectations of 3,249 employed professionals and 34 executive leaders from 10 countries worldwide, about the future of work five years from now. Also, according to the data, the survey traced the differential competencies of both leaders and employees, which should exist in 2025.
The big finding of the survey is that 80% of employees expect that, in the near future, companies will respect their personal life and their time with family, friends and hobbies. Along the same lines, the results show the desire of professionals to have the support of companies for their professional development; Specifically, just over 65% expect the companies of the future five years from now to invest in their education and development and almost 45% expect that the companies of the future by 2025 will offer them flexible benefits such as health insurance, food, transportation, life insurance, daycare, etc. Among other concerns of the professionals surveyed are: mental health, unpredictability and the human-machine relationship.
In the first place, regarding this type of health, at least 44% have a high degree of concern about whether the amount of work will affect people’s mental health and another 43% highlight a medium concern regarding the issue.
Second, the study noted that 48% of respondents have an average degree of concern that youth will be valued more than experience five years from now.
And third, 41% of those surveyed fear that technology could replace people in some roles. Regarding the above, the experts and executives interviewed underline the importance of professionals having a flexible attitude and a capacity to adapt to the environment, which allows them to learn and relearn from new situations and challenges.
Most desirable qualities
The research also identified that the most desirable qualities in employees in the next five years will be: learning ability, flexibility, good communication and balance. According to LeylahMacluf, director of Talent and Transformation for the Americas region of NTT DATA, in the study the interviewees highlight that knowledge is losing relevance in relation to soft skills, since the former can change rapidly. Likewise, almost 97 % of the respondents answered that they prefer to work in a different format than the traditional in-person.
Furthermore, less than 1.5% of respondents want work to return exclusively to the office. In relation to this, LeylahMacluf, pointed out that “teleworking demonstrated that it is possible to be productive without the need to be physically present in the office, highlighting benefits such as saving time with the family, escaping from traffic, reducing costs, among others. This does not mean that there is no one who misses social coexistence, but it shows that flexibility has become a professional desire”.
Necessary skills in the professionals of the next years
Regarding the characteristics of a high-profile professional in five years, 81% of those surveyed answered that professionals with creativity and analytical capacity will have a high degree of importance for companies in the future. 84% also believe that professionals who have a vision for innovation, manage to go beyond the obvious and have an open mind will have a high degree of success and 60% emphasize that understanding the importance of diversity as a driver of innovation It must be part of the skills of the successful professional. No less important will be the technological domain, which for experts and executives will be key, but only as a requirement to enter the labor market, not as a differential.
“Knowledge about the use of technology is not self-sufficient. You need the human side that creates, develops and manages that technology. We are talking about a human perspective on technology. The ability to create, analyze, criticize will come from the human side and not from the machine,”said the company’s director of talent and transformation.
