Skills You'll Need To Thrive In The Future

What are the skills you need to survive and grow in the future workplace? We’ve been thinking about this a lot given how quickly things are changing… So we decided to pick the brains of an expert.

Mark McCrindle is an award-winning social researcher best-selling author and influential thought leader who loves nothing better than to delve into trends to figure out what the future has in store for all of us. 

You’re a dad yourself: what is the one message you want to give your kids given the future challenges they face?

The important thing for young people at this time is to be adaptive – to look at the changing world around them technologically educationally and globally and to be prepared to get the skills needed for this changing era. We can’t just look back at what our parents did or the mainstream jobs of the past because the world is changing quickly.

Being adaptive and responsive to changes and understanding the trends is key to remain futureproof.

Do you think there are specific skills that are more important or useful than others?

Definitely. Think about transferable skills they are those that are relevant to any industry job or career. People skills are essential particularly in a time of technological change with increasing automation and machine learning. People have the “people skills”; computers aren’t designed for that. So being able to communicate effectively to manage people to bridge generation gaps to connect across diversity to resolve conflict and solve problems and think innovatively – these are people skills and job skills and transferable skills and they are getting more important.

The other thing I would say is remain plugged into learning. Be a lifelong learner: complete school go off and do further study… Don’t think of studying as something that happens at the start of your life these days it must happen throughout our lives and careers. This doesn’t necessarily mean going back to formal education: just to remain a learner remain evergreen and stay in touch with training.

Do you think our people skills will help us manage the needs of a future filled with AI and “robots” – that it will help us to remain human and make the technology more “human” too?

We’ve done the same sort of analysis and you’d be surprised! There are now wellbeing managers you have office concierges and life simplifiers and organisers who can assist in that way. So they are focused on mental health and wellbeing and engagement. They’re the community activators: we're less connected with our communities and we need that connection we need people who can engage and connect people into community interactivity.

Download our soft skills infographic here!

Has our increased reliance on tech and the way that we’re interconnected digitally actually taken away from our ability to connect with others in “real life”?

Yes we think that technology will solve all our problems and you know “there’s an app for that” or “there must be a computer solution there”... But technology is a tool for humans to use to create and unify teams to engage communities and to create better outcomes rather than something that we serve.

The problem is that we think we need to slot into the world of technology but of course technology is created by humans and needs to do what it’s always done: make for better lives. So yeah we do need to keep it in the right context.

Given your knowledge and experience what would you say are the three general characteristics of Aussie Gen Zs?

They’re technical. They’ve been shaping this digital era which the older generations weren’t. Gen Z have only known the generation of the tablet the computer the smartphone and the apps and the connectivity it brings. That is actually a great upbringing because we’re living in a digital world. They are intuitive with technology because they’ve used it in their learning and formative years and in their social world: that gives them a great skill set for a world that uses digital tools for a workforce that wants technology and for a workplace that increasingly involves working from home and remote working.
 

The second thing is that they are visual in terms of how they consume content. That’s important as well. If we can all learn to communicate our information and marketing or give instructions in visual format, then it will get greater reach. That’s what mccrindle.com is doing with demographics and social analysis, we do infographics and visual reports and presentations with visuals. This generation will adapt to that: it’s the TikTok generation – they use visuals.

The third thing is that they don't just think locally but indeed globally. They connect and engage and interact there and will always get the best of what's happening around the world and bring it into their own role, which makes them future ready.

In terms of the broad challenges facing youth and other generations, what will impact the future workplace?

First thing: we’re in times of such rapid change, it’s not a job for life or even career for life anymore. Gen Z will have to be more adaptable than what we’ve seen with past generations, and that can be a challenge to some. We all find change challenging to deal with sometimes! At least this generation has learned to deal with change from a young age, and I think it will actually help to keep them more nimble, agile and greater at learning and applying that learning across different areas. That can be a positive, but yes, it’s a challenge as well.

Secondly is obviously about the economy. Gen Z are the first generation in 30 years that’s entering the workforce during a global recession: and a local one as well. That’s a bit of a challenge, but again, it comes with great opportunities, because in Australia we have an ageing workforce, in many ways we have ageing systems and industries…  This recession comes at a time where there’s generational transition; a new generation coming in and bringing their technological solutions and productive thinking and new approaches to a global world. The recession could be an opportunity for them.

The third challenge is probably that previous generations had a bit more stability in terms of life experience and just how structure defined their lives. Now we’re in an era of volatility and uncertainty, which can be a challenge, but this generation will gear up for that and can bring self-stability and some continuity amidst the blur of trends and changes.

What are you excited about in the future?

A lot! When I look at this generation, I see that they have a different leadership approach, they’re far more collaborative and that is brilliant. It is what people want these days – they don’t want that hierarchical authoritarian leader. They want to be consulted and engaged in the workplace and this generation brings that. They’ve been shaped in an era of diversity, not just generational but culturally and gender-wise, and they will adapt to that in the workplace and I think better engage across the very diverse workforce of today. They’ll bring some of that collaboration and participative approach to leadership in the future.

So, the different leadership style and different sense of diversity and being able to engage are two things that excite me. Probably one more thing that I see with this generation and the technology they have access to is that they can think in a new way. Often you need a 21st century generation to solve 21st century problems. Gen Z aren’t shaped in the old way of thinking. These are the only times they’ve ever known, so they will bring new perspectives to existing and emerging challenges. I’m confident that through the collaboration and global connection and the technology they bring that they will be well equipped for the world that we’re in.

If you were a Gen Z right now and you had a future in front of you and you could pick any career or job, existing or not, what would you want to do?

Firstly, I would do something entrepreneurial. Before I think about what I do, I think about how I do it, and that’s the opportunity that they have as well. You know, they can build something that they can shape, they don’t just have to look for a job. This generation can create a job: it’s the gig economy, they have the digital tools, they can start their own business and invest in it and really shape the world that they’re seeing and gain the skills that an entrepreneur requires.

They might be entrepreneurs within an organisation too, which is great. They don’t have to start their own thing, but they need to think like an entrepreneur. That’s the new opportunity that they have. As for what they do or what I would, I would look at the areas of needs and the areas of passion, and then see if you can line up what you are skilled to do with what you are passionate about doing – and also what you can get paid to do. If those three things align, you end up being unstoppable! You end up loving your work because it’s your passion, and it pays the bills as well.

So, if I was to do anything, I’d actually do what I’m doing now! Because I love data, I love looking at trends, I love being able to communicate those insights to organisations to make a difference and my team and I do it entrepreneurially. We don’t just have to think in a set structure. My advice and what I’ve tried to live by is to find what you are most passionate about, where you can be skilled to do something in an area of need and then get paid to do it. Align those, and your work life will be really fulfilling and make a real difference.