The nature of your work is changing. And, while the future may be uncertain, one thing isn’t: new IT skills are in high demand. So, which four IT skills can help you take on the future of work?
Technology is transforming the nature of work. New IT trends and staffing trends are taking hold across every industry. New business opportunities are being built. And new job titles are popping up in IT departments everywhere.
While the future may be uncertain, one reality isn’t: new IT skills are in high demand. In the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there’s never been a better time than now to prepare for everything the future of work will bring.
By 2024, more than one-third of the IT skills that are essential to today’s tech teams will be outdated. An accelerating pace of technological innovation means it’s increasingly difficult to stay ahead of the curve. Building an effective and efficient IT staff isn’t as simple as it used to be.
The best approach requires a multifaceted strategy because IT will interact with more and more business units as time goes on. So, your organization needs to blend a perfect mix of technical and soft skills to maximize its future success.
Fortunately, a commitment today to tomorrow’s learning can give you a major advantage in building the IT staff you desire. To prepare for success and the future of work, here are the four IT skills you should prioritize going forward:
Data Analysis
Whether you work in IT or not, data has become the lifeblood of pretty much every facet of business. And your tech is generating, storing, and communicating more information with each passing day. In fact, this year more than 35 zettabytes of data will be created; that’s enough to fill a stack of DVDs stretching to the moon and back!
But raw information isn’t very valuable to your organization. Its true worth comes from professionals who know how to analyze it and translate it into usable insights that make your operations more efficient. As you can imagine, the need (and demand) for IT staff with these skills will continue to skyrocket in 2021 and beyond.
An IT department with hybrid business-technology roles will be the most likely to succeed in the future. So, make sure your IT staffing considerations include expertise and strategic business understanding to identify the info you need, where to get it, and how to best deliver this data in a way that makes it profitable.
Risk Management
In an IT department, there’s no such thing as 100% safety. So, expect risk management skills to increase in demand going forward. The future of work features more complexity than ever, so your IT staff needs to know how to avoid as many potential issues as possible. Otherwise, 2021 is going to be a very expensive year.
In times of rapid innovation, taking risks is inevitable. Whether it’s caused by uncertainty or trying new things, you’re probably going to run into an unintended consequence or two.
While it’s not likely you’ll avoid every negative, having an IT team with the skills to steer you clear of the worst outcomes can make all the difference. If you’re not already doing so, make sure you’re seeking out IT staff with extensive risk management experience to predict and proactively address challenges wherever possible.
Robotics, Automation, and AI
Every day, more and more businesses explore automation and AI-driven tools like robotics. But do you know who benefits the most from this adoption trend? IT staff with specialized skills in this area – as well as any team that employs one (or more) of these experts.
To successfully take on the future of work, IT skills such as research, maintenance, and repair will become differentiators. Automation, robotics, and AI specialists will help you develop tech strategies to make your team more efficient in every potential way.
Cybersecurity
The modern workday is largely spent online. For your IT department, this means a lot of work verifying user identities and keeping data private. And the future only promises an increased level of challenges where these tasks are concerned.
Moving into 2021, most business interactions won’t be face-to-face. More personal information will be stored online than ever before. Unfortunately, hackers know this too. And that means you’ll likely to see more potential threats and vulnerabilities as time goes on.
Your remote workforce is also growing, and that means new risks are entering the enterprise tech equation every day. Even if your employees are tech-savvy, that doesn’t mean they have the cybersecurity skills your IT staff does.
Prioritize cybersecurity skills for your IT staff to ensure secure connectivity and remote access moving forward. Otherwise, you’re opening yourself up to devastating attacks and permanently damaging consequences.
By emphasizing these four important IT skills, you’ll set your IT staff up for success in 2021 and beyond. Now, it just comes down to which ones are best suited for your business’ knowledge gaps. If you need to eliminate IT’s mundane work to give them more time to learn, schedule a demo of our platform today to see how we can help!
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