Applying Competences PDF

Leading People
& Teams
Applying
Competences
GAIA Program
Summary
Introduction 3
Chapter 1
The Gap Between Graduate Competences
and the Job Market 6
Chapter 2
Bridging the Gap: Learning and Development
at the Workplace 15
Chapter 3
The Future of Skills 22
Conclusions 28
References 30
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Introduction
Introduction
Globalisation, the digital revolution, be supported by innovative learning and
demographic change and other global development initiatives from companies,
phenomena have deeply transformed the education systems and governments alike.
job market and the way organisations work.
This eBook is meant to be a guide for 21st
As a consequence, employers increasingly
century job seekers and workers to realise
demand high-level competences, deeply
where they stand against the job market
affecting jobs and employment relations
in terms of competences, how to use the
and creating new challenges and
workplace as a platform for learning and
opportunities.
development, what skills are more in
In such scenario, employees need to be demand by employers and which ones will
prepared to constantly improve their be more valuable in the future.
technical and personal skills to be able

The following lines also highlight the
to get better jobs and avoid low paying
need for more efforts from employers,
ones or unemployment. Such efforts must
Back to summary -4-

Introduction
governments and educational institutions 360-degree feedback, which can be used by
to promote practical learning, training workers to fulfil their own career goals. In
opportunities at the workplace, more this chapter, we also talk about the need for
flexible responses to the job market company-based learning and development,
situation and more inclusiveness in general. which must be promoted by business
leaders in order to help employers have

The first chapter deals with the gap
better professional lives and increase the
between graduate competences and the
organisation’s success.
job market. The first section includes
advice on how to answer competence- The last chapter highlights the need for
based questions and the importance of effective policies from governments in
conscientiously reflecting our skills in order to ensure that people get educated
application forms, interviews and CVs. in those skills that are demanded by the
This chapter also devotes a section to the job market. While some experts claim that
problem of employer expectations and how ICT skills will be in greatest demand, recent
this is creating tensions in the job market. data suggest that exclusively human skills
Such tensions are aggravated by what we will gain renewed importance in the wake of
called the ‘degree mindset’, which we review technological change. This chapter also pays
at the end of the chapter. attention to how global dynamics will shape
employment in the near future, as well as

The second chapter moves on to the
how the whole picture will affect the main
workplace as a platform for gaining new
actors involved.
competences, introducing tools such
as individual development plans and
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The Gap Between
Graduate
Competences and
the Job Market
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 Evolution of the Concept of Human Resources
Graduate job seeking is a challenge that we we face as job seekers and some tips to
all have to face when we finish university. help us along the way. Essentially, this
It is once we begin to enter the job market chapter claims that the best way to become
that we realise what the actual game successful candidates is to get to know
is about, a reality check that academic our environment so we are prepared in
institutions generally fail to prepare advance.
students for.
Mastering interviews and
The knowledge that we acquire at university
applications: competence-
is important, but actual jobs normally based questions
require a wider set of skills that we are
Job seeking is a tough process that requires
expected to acquire elsewhere, through
a great level of effort and commitment. In
specific courses, internships and voluntary
order to make things easier for ourselves
work. Having the right competences and
during this difficult time, it is key to be
improving the ones that we experience
very aware of our skills and experience so
more difficulties with, however, is not
we can display both in CVs, cover letters,
synonymous with having a job: it is also a
applications forms and interviews. For this
key part of job seeking.
reason, it is useful to keep a record of the
Even if we are lucky enough to possess competences so they are available when we
the competences that our desired job need examples to support our candidacy.
requires, being able to reflect such skills

Having the necessary requirements
in applications, interviews and CVs often
ready when applying for a job is basically
takes a long time and constitutes a learning
like doing our ‘homework’ in advance.
process on its own.
Similarly, identifying the competences
The following lines intend to provide some that a particular organisation places
context to graduate job seeking in the most emphasis on can help us tailor our
21st century, the dynamics that make it responses and really make us stand out.
such a complex process, the challenges
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Those questions that specifically ask ÜÜ Situation: first, we briefly describe
about how we used a particular skill in a the situation we had to face.
particular situation are called ‘competence-

ÜÜ Task: second, we talk about the task
based’ questions. They are very common
we needed to complete.
in interviews and application forms as
they allow the employer to see if the ÜÜ Action: next, we explain what we
candidate possesses the competences actually did.
the organisation is looking for. ‘Describe a

ÜÜ Result: finally, we summarise the
time when you used your leadership skills
outcome of our actions.
successfully’ would be a typical example.
Now that we have the structure, we

Competences like ability to communicate,
need the content: any situation related
team working, problem solving and
to academic or working life could be
leadership are always present in job
potentially valid. Without neglecting the
descriptions. However, recent graduates
previous two elements, we should focus
and novice job seekers normally find it
on the action and result sections, which
confusing and difficult when it comes
are the ones employers want to have
to including such skills in their CVs and
more information about. Also, if we have
applications or talking about them in
to answer several competence-based
interviews.
questions, we must use a different situation
Although application forms have advantage for each one.
over interviews in the sense that we can

It is important to keep answers short and
take time to select information and write
concise. We should try to be as specific as
a precise answer, this requires skill and
possible, talk about numbers if we can,
structure. According to Jenna Allcock, from
use the first person to tell our story, speak
The Guardian, we must make sure our
about what we did and use active verbs.
response covers the following elements:
Finishing ‘high’ is also effective – even if
the result of the situation was not what we
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and grammar—especially if we are not
using our native language—and try to get
someone to proofread our application.
In this sense, we must put effort into
showing employers that we possess
essential skills such as reading, writing,
numeracy, organisation, presentation and
communication. Candidates often overlook

these basic skills—‘soft skills’—but they are
as important as the specific competences—
‘hard skills’—that the job requires. We
must not take these skills for granted and
check that we master them beforehand – if
our level is insufficient, we need to work
on them, as they can also be improved.
There are many ways of doing so, including

expected, we can always focus on what we
psychometric tests that we can access
would do differently if we encountered the
online.
same situation now.
The more applications we complete, the
Although this type of questions is meant
better we will get at answering competence-
to assess our competences, employers
based questions. We can also apply
also use them to put our communication
the same structure described above to
skills and enthusiasm to the test. If our
interviews, and prepare sample responses
application is ridden with mistakes,
in advance based on the experience we
recruiters will assume we simply do not
gain along the way – after all, building an
care enough about the position. This is why
effective spoken presentation on ourselves
we must answer questions conscientiously,
is not something we can do overnight. It
make sure we always double-check spelling
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is equally important to demonstrate that
we know about the company offering the
position we are applying for and the kind 7 Skills to Leave

of skills it requires. Finally, our CV should Off Your Resume
be a clear and concise reflection of our
background and competences.
this sense is that learning is easier than ever

Graduate competences
versus employer nowadays.
expectations Another plus point for candidates is that
According to a McKinsey study carried out the amount of information they can access
in eight European countries, about 22% online makes it relatively easy to take a
of companies in Spain have not covered a sneak peek into the jobs and careers of the
particular position because they could not future, and find out if there is one or several
find the right candidate. This phenomenon that might potentially go with their passion
poses a lot of questions: are employers and background.
being unrealistic or way too selective? Is

Experts also suggest that attitude can also
there anything to be done to find common
make a huge difference when it comes to
ground between an organisation’s needs
being hired, along with other soft skills.
and the available workforce? Can we
In this sense, recruiters and consultants
bridge the gap between what prospective
suggest that companies look for proactive
employees have to offer and what
people who can essentially solve problems
companies are looking for?
and save time and money, and not
Even if we embrace the worst scenario and necessarily—or not exclusively—people
assume that this gap is real, learning new who excel at specific tasks.
skills can make job seekers more attractive

According to Spanish job search engine
to the eyes of recruiters. The good news in
Infojobs, cyber security, robotics, user
Back to summary - 10 -
experience and Agile-related jobs are that complement technology and to
among the ones to watch in the near future. get involved in continuous personal
Within this scenario, data analytics and and professional learning.
programming are increasingly valuable

There are many platforms offering online
skills, since many positions are somehow
courses that we can use to learn new skills.
related to software development nowadays.
Some popular ones are: EDX, Udacity,
American ‘job-hunting’ platform Glassdoor’s Coursera, Khan Academy, Lynda.
chief economist, Andrew Chamberlain,

Although some experts claim that
on the other hand, identifies five job
automation is not likely to bring about
trends to look out for in the near future,
large-scale job loss, a 2016 report by the
including:
World Economic Forum claims that over
ÜÜData science and human resources: the period 2015-2020 as many as 7.1 million
data scientists, who already work in jobs could be lost to new technologies, with
fields such as logistics and marketing, only 2 million being created because of this.
are becoming part of human

What reality do we face as potential job
resources teams, which increasingly
seekers, then? Have we not been able
deal with employee engagement
to become the type of professional that
through methods such as A/B testing
employers seem to be unsuccessfully
and emotional tracking.
looking for? Will super intelligent machines
ÜÜAutomation: many jobs in industries replace us? First-hand experience tells us
such as finance, retail, manufacturing that, although identifying the right career,
and transportation, especially being tech-savvy and having problem-
routine jobs that do not involve solving skills can help us find a decent
much flexibility or creativity, will job, there seem to be less jobs that need
be changed, if not destroyed, by talent—or, at least, our type of talent—
automation. For job seekers, the key than talented people, which contributes to
to stay relevant is to develop skills creating an unstable job market in which
graduates go through many problems prospective opportunities, but we certainly
in order to find work that matches their cannot do everything on our own. Public
education. and private organisations must enhance
employability and promote the skills that

According to Spain’s Instituto Nacional de
the economy needs in order to complement
Estadística, almost 42% of young Spanish
the efforts of many people who are already
workers claim that the easiest way to
trying their best to become proficient
find a job is through relatives, friends or
workers.
acquaintances. Although the numbers
vary among countries, phenomena like Challenging the

these might be indicative of the fact ‘degree mindset’
that, as LinkedIn ‘influencer’ and human
resources consultant Liz Ryan puts it, the Many voices have raised concerns about
conventional system to hire graduates is the ability of universities to respond rapidly
‘broken’ and it is actually driving the best enough to the gap between graduate
people away. competences and company expectations.
Although the idea of degree ‘inflation’

In fact, some even blame the alleged
has been around for years, we have only
skill shortage we mentioned above on
realised this since it has become evident
companies, who are neither willing to hire
that the labour market simply cannot
recent graduates, nor pay the wages that
cope with an ever-increasing amount of
experienced workers demand. Following
graduates and postgraduates, who fall
from this, if employers decided to pay
into the trap of constantly pursuing higher
for competitive workers and invest in
degrees to stay competitive, only to find
training, countries like Spain would have
that there is no dream job waiting on the
less empty office seats and more working
other side.
professionals.
Experts have also warned against economic

We, as job seekers, have a lot to say
inflation, claiming that increasing tuition
regarding our present competences and
fees will soon make the ‘college bubble’ that our educational and social systems,
burst. This is especially evident in countries which are based upon the idea that people
like the United States, where tuition fees need to go to university and pursue certain
have increased by nearly 400% over the last careers to be successful, fuel a hierarchy
30 years, and England, where fees have that only leads to frustration and many
tripled since 2004. other negative consequences.
Apart from the economic implications of Robinson claims that intelligences are
mounting tuition fees, as the workplace diverse and that privileging only the
and the job market change, the role of academic type is a mistake. In other words,
the degree must be rethought if we want not everyone should go to college;
to reverse the current trend of graduate instead, people should try to find out what
un- and under-employment. Renowned their true passion is and develop their skills
education expert Ken Robinson claims accordingly.
Along the same lines, leading experts tuition fees, and people that have not
and organisations have acknowledged been to college will be increasingly eligible
that degrees are overrated to a certain for certain jobs at top companies if they
extent. There are many examples of non- possess the right skills, can academic
graduate workers who did not only become institutions reclaim their former relevance?
successful professionals but got as good as

The first step for universities is to effectively
or better than graduates at certain jobs.
engage with students in terms of learning
According to Beth Davies, former director and development, provide support once
of learning and development at Tesla, they graduate, and work more closely with
Elon Musk’s company does not only hire private and public organisations to develop
people with degrees but accepts any sort joint programmes to ensure that people can
of meaningful credentials. She claims that work and learn at the same time.
organisations cannot grow at rates like

We, as graduates and postgraduates, on
Tesla only by recruiting people through
the other hand, must challenge the ‘degree
traditional means, because quite often
mindset’, which is no longer a guarantee of
talent lies outside academia.
success, and focus on the competences we
In a world where employers claim they gain throughout a continuous process of
cannot find the workers that their business learning and self-improvement. Now, more
requires, unemployment pushes graduates than ever, there is a wide array of tools to
towards getting more degrees at higher help us along the way.
Bridging the Gap:
Learning and
Development at the
Workplace
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 Current Situation of the Human Resources Role
Bridging the gap between company short and long-term career goals at their
expectations and the workforce’s available current workplace or elsewhere.
skills is key in order to increase dynamism

The key feature to an IDP is that it is not
within the job market and trigger economic
a one-off performance evaluation, but a
growth.
collaborative process between manager and
There are a lot of tools that employers can employee based on thorough preparation
use within their organisations to enhance and continuous feedback. The idea is that
the skills of their workers, yet in order to both agree on what goals the worker is
truly commit to this, company leaders need going to pursue and how the manager is
to realise that investing in learning and going to support him or her along the way.
development is essentially investing in their

An IDP usually contains:
own business’ future.
ÜÜ Career goals, including short and

Workers can also use their workplace as a
long-term ones and their completion
platform for professional growth, getting
date. This refers to the purpose
involved in the learning initiatives that take
behind the employee’s development,
place within the company and committing
which could be getting better at the
to initiatives such as individual development
current position, being promoted or
plans and 360-degree feedback.
finding another job. Compelling IDPs
normally address the current job and

Individual development
at least two potential future positions.
plans
ÜÜ Training and development objectives
One of the main tools for employees to
and opportunities.
grow within their company is the ‘individual
development plan’ (IDP), which assists ÜÜ An assessment of strengths and
them in career and personal development. needs. If we are new in a job, it is
IDPs aim at helping workers improve their normal to be unfamiliar to duties at
current job performance, but also reach which we have little or no experience
whatsoever. In order to prepare for Finally, IDPs are relevant because they
a new position, we need to identify encourage employees to take personal
the specific competences that we do responsibility and accountability for their
not possess. In order to develop such career development, which is increasingly
skills, we can: becoming a lifelong process, as this eBook
fundamentally claims.
• Move to a new job.
• Take on challenging duties within

360-degree feedback
our current job.
• Learn from someone else (our The purpose of 360-degree feedback, which
manager, a coach, an expert, a role is closely linked to that of the IDP, is to
model). assist each worker to understand his or her
own strengths and weaknesses, and provide

• Get educated on the topic (by
insights into areas of his or her professional
reading about it, taking a course,
life in need of further development.
etc.).
This tool gives employees the chance to

IDPs do not only benefit the employee
get performance feedback from his or her
but also the organisation, since they align
supervisors, colleagues and customers.
employee training and development efforts
Simply put, 360-degree feedback allows us
with its mission, goals and objectives. For
to see how others view our effectiveness
this reason, many organisations require and
at the workplace; for this reason, the most
encourage IDPs. Employers or managers
effective type is the one that is based on
also develop better understanding of
behaviours that people at the organisation
employees through IDPs, which inevitably
can perceive. Such people usually interact
results in more realistic learning and
quite often with the person being evaluated.
development plans, which will be tackled
later in this chapter.
ÜÜ Improved feedback resulting from
more sources: it involves peoples
from different departments holding
different positions and also clients.
ÜÜ Efficiency: managers can rely on
this type of feedback when they

Video 360-Degree Feedback lack the time to monitor employees
themselves.
360-degree feedback is a good way for
ÜÜ Team development: 360-degree
organisations to advance their mission,
feedback also encourages team
visions and goals by evidencing their
members to learn to work more
desired skills while also providing
effectively together.
employees with a framework to better serve
customers and develop their own careers.
This type of feedback also resembles Learning and development

IDPs in the sense that it can help the
worker become aware that he or she is The benefits of active learning and
responsible for his or her own learning and development cultures in organisations are
development. multiple. In this sense, due to the conditions
imposed by the current economic context,

Although 360-degree feedback is not
they are increasingly becoming a ‘must-
adequate in every situation and it can also
have’ asset, rather than a ‘good-to-have’
pose some risks if it is not conscientiously
one.
implemented—as it can lead to inaccurate
feedback, which can cast a shadow over On the employee’s side, company-based
someone’s actual performance—, its main L&D plans are necessary because of the
positive outcomes are: changing nature of the job market, which
poses many challenges to workers. If the
current trend continues, young people and be aware of the potential risks of not
will have much longer careers and many encouraging a learning culture.
different jobs – their ability to grow and

Employee turnover and lack of engagement
progress will either foster or put obstacles
are among these risks. Mounting
to a successful and satisfactory professional
evidence, on the other hand, suggests
life.
that professional development positively
From a company point of view, studies contributes to engagement. These are
suggest that those organisations that some of the reasons that support the
prioritise a culture of career growth tend implementation of effective company-based
to have a better performance than those L&D:
who do not in terms of long-term growth,

ÜÜ Organisations need learning, that is,
innovation and employee retention. This,
upgrading the skills of employees to
however, is not something that happens
stay relevant and competitive.
overnight: a thriving learning culture in
which everyone is involved requires active ÜÜ A learning culture reduces the risk
commitment from executives, managers of losing talent. Losing employees
and employees. is always expensive and time
consuming.
According to a LinkedIn survey, one of the
main issues for HR people responsible ÜÜ Learning can prevent lost revenue
for L&D strategies is getting leaders on and employee burnout. The biggest
board. Having their support is key because threat to building a committed
employees are more likely to engage in workforce is employee burnout – a
learning programmes if they know that disengaged workforce is expensive,
leaders encourage them to. In this sense, but learning can help employees stay
a true learning culture begins top-down: on board.
leaders must foster learning and be held

According to a LinkedIn survey, 94% of
accountable for it, identify learning gaps,
employees claim that they would be more
likely to stay with a company that invests All these data, along with predictions on the
in their learning and development. In impact of learning on business outcomes,
fact, workers are more likely to engage if can help executives understand why it is
organisations provide on-demand learning necessary to care about L&D programmes
opportunities that they can access when within the organisation.
they need to. Digital learning technology

A recent LinkedIn report identifies two
can satisfy such needs and encourage a
possible ways to answer the need for on-
successful learning culture.
demand, on-the-go learning:
Employers learn through a wide variety

ÜÜA blended learning model – similar
of formats and across many channels,
to a ‘flipped classroom’: instead of
including eLearning platforms, YouTube
just inviting employees to in-person
videos, Google searches, podcasts, etc.
learning sessions, it might be useful
They learn in the moment through the most
to share pre-workshop materials
convenient tool at that particular moment,
to help them become familiar with
generating learning experiences that are
the contents before the actual class.
useful because they intent to solve specific
After the event, employees could be
needs ad hoc.
encouraged to reinforce the learning
In order to develop practical, down to process by sharing materials that
earth learning tools, L&D professionals build on the concepts explored
must survey employees on their learning during the workshop. In doing so,
habits, find out what they want to learn, people engage more deeply with the
identify the skills that teams are lacking, contents, and become more likely to
find out which department has seen the apply this knowledge to work.
most turnover, which teams are under

ÜÜGrowing needs meet digital learning:
performing, and how all of this is affecting
in line with what we have already
the organisation.
claimed, companies could create on-
demand, digital learning platforms
that make employees gain immediate provides insights for managers on how to
access to the adequate learning use available learning resources to improve
content. Such platforms could bring their team’s skills.
together different content libraries

In sum, the many benefits associated
and tailor the learning experience to
to learning programmes, along with
the company’s employees.
the potential risks of failing to adopt
Creating a modern learning strategy is not them, makes L&D almost imperative for
about replacing a company’s approach but organisations if they want to stay relevant
about augmenting the existing learning and help their employees acquire the skills
opportunities to meet the needs of 21st that they need for their own professional
century companies and workers. There are development, which is and will always be
even tools for organisations who cannot the main driver of corporate success.
devote enough efforts to L&D, such as
LinkedIn’s ‘Manager Track Project’, which
The Future of Skills
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 Organizational Charts
While it is generally accepted that ICT The Need

proficiency is the key to grant access to for Effective Policies
many of the jobs of the future, recent
studies place more emphasis on the As we have claimed throughout this eBook,
renewed importance of exclusively human making sure that people has access to
skills that can effectively complement the the right skills, which range from ICT
advances of technological change and competences to communicational and
automation. interpersonal ones, is essential to promote
more inclusive labour markets and foster

This final chapter pays close attention to
innovation, productivity, and economic,
this dichotomy while also evidencing the
professional, and personal growth.
need for policies that foster employability
and constant learning. Our idea is that It is a government’s responsibility to
governments must underpin the efforts guarantee that an increasingly digital
of organisations and workers through world brings about better jobs and that
strategies that encourage flexible employers and workers can make the most
and responsive training systems and of emerging opportunities. In this sense,
mechanisms that provide easy access to the policies that allow workers to keep their
job market. skills up to date, help them change jobs,
and also ensure that employers have access

Finally, we also take into account several
to a productive, innovative and skilled
global issues whose consequences,
workforce, are absolutely necessary.
although uncertain, will undoubtedly have
an enormous impact on the global job In a policy brief entitled ‘Skills for a Digital
market and its main actors: employers, World’, the OCDE highlights that about
education systems and employees. 40% of workers that use software at work
every day do not have the skills to use it
effectively. Workers with good ICT skills,
on the other hand, are paid 27% more
on average. Such contrast evidences successful transitions to work for graduates,
and underlying trend that will only bring encourage skills development, and allow
about more inequality if it is not effectively people to change jobs.
reversed.
Simply put, as stated in OECD’s report
Economies need ICT specialists in order to ‘Enhancing Employability”, governments
have access to the benefits of technological must be able to:
change. Having the minimum skills that

ÜÜAnticipate skill needs and adapt
are needed to survive in a digital economy
policies accordingly.
is not enough: they must be fully used in
order to trigger greater productivity and ÜÜReinforce the role of training and
competitiveness. work-based learning.
Providing training for workers to keep up ÜÜEnhance the adaptability of workers
with new skills requirements is therefore and workplaces.
crucial in a fast-changing, increasingly

ÜÜPromote labour mobility.
digital world. For this reason, ICT and other
relevant skills must be an active part of Achieving this requires a strategic approach
education; otherwise, we are at risk of that involves all relevant stakeholders. First
skills shortage, widening inequalities and of all, policies need to be implemented by
marginalising people in the labour market. balanced labour market institutions and
include employment protection regulations

The right policies are the ones that increase
that encourage mobility and reallocation
adaptability and inclusiveness for both
to emerging sectors but safeguard workers
workers and jobseekers. In order to do
at the same time. Only this can lead to
so, it is important to assess and anticipate
a strategy that seizes the opportunities
rapidly changing skills so they can be
created by the new system while reducing
addressed through responsive and flexible
its negative effects.
education and training programmes that
include work-based learning, promote
For employers, this means working megatrends that will have a clear impact
with education institutions to ensure on the jobs of the future: technological
apprenticeship placements that provide change, globalisation, demographic change,
relevant skills, as well as on-the-job environmental sustainability, urbanisation,
learning and development to prevent skills increasing inequality, and political
obsolescence and make the most of existing uncertainty.
ones. Employers, who often complain about

Believing that our career has nothing to do
skills shortage, usually fail to make a good
with the world we live in is a mistake: our
use of existing ones, thus worsening the
job situation and expectations will always
situation.
be affected by very powerful dynamics we
For employees and job seekers, adaptability cannot control – for this reason, we must
translates into better employability be able to adapt and be flexible enough to
through the acquisition of skills that are apply our competences to any endeavour
relevant to labour market needs and we pursue.
transferable to different sectors and

Earlier in this eBook we talked about
technologies. This essentially means that
automation being likely to destroy many
training systems, governments, workers
jobs in the future, following from the
and employers will have to become
World Economic Forum’s prediction that
more flexible and responsive to new
7.1 million jobs could be lost to new
competence requirements. It is essential for
technologies in the next few years. The
governments to pave the way for policies
report by Pearson, however, is more
that encourage this.
optimistic, claiming that in spite of the
catastrophic scenario predicted by many

The Future of Skills
experts, only one in five workers are in
occupations that will shrink because of new

According to a recent Pearson report
technologies.
entitled ‘Future of Skills: Employment
in 2030’, there are seven on-going
Regardless of whatever predictions perceptiveness, while in the UK cognitive
we decide to accept, one thing is clear: competences such as problem solving and
automation will transform many jobs critical thinking will retain more relevance.
and the way people work. This is both a

The future will be both about skills and
challenge and a source of opportunity; it is
knowledge, and occupations and skill
up to us to decide what we make of it.
requirements, although they might seem
However optimistic, Pearson’s report also fixed, will have to adapt to complement
presents some distressing data, such as exclusively human skills in the wake of
the fact that only one in ten workers are technological change. In other words,
in occupations that are likely to grow, we must get as good as we can at being
with seven in ten professionals being ‘humans’ – as simple as it sounds, human
in jobs whose future is uncertain. The competences cannot be replaced.
good news in this sense is that there
are many opportunities to help people
prepare for the future and gain new skills,
many of them being possible because of
technological change.
But what do we mean by ‘21st century’
skills, the ones that every employer seems
to be looking for and just a few are able
to find? According to Pearson, they will
not necessarily be the evident, ICT-related Video 360-Degree Feedback
ones, as the above-mentioned report by the
OCDE and many recruiters claim. In fact,
in the US, interpersonal skills, the so called
‘soft’ ones, will be in greatest demand,
including teaching, persuasion and social
The conclusions presented by Pearson • Moving beyond the university
has several consequences on education degree as the main signal of
systems, employers and individuals: employability: as education
systems become more adaptive,

ÜÜEducation systems must avoid
employers need to identify and
general definitions of ‘21st century’
develop talent in more flexible
skills and identify the ones that will
ways – as we have already
actually be in demand. This means
claimed, the degree has proven
supporting new knowledge and skills
to be an insufficient testimony
in different ways, which could bring
of someone’s ability to excel at a
about a redefinition of the role of
particular job.
educators and institutions. Being
more flexible and adaptive to the ÜÜIndividuals must develop skills
needs of the labour market is also that are exclusively human, like
mandatory if formal education is to originality, active listening and
stay relevant. social perceptiveness. Committing
to lifelong learning is also key – as

ÜÜEmployers must commit to reduce
the current state of the job market
uncertainty for their workforce while
proves, a degree or a career that
finding the skills their organisation
we pick when we are young will not
needs. This means:
be a life-defining, fixed choice; on
• Redesigning roles to balance the contrary, our working years will
technology and HR: the goal is to require constant redefinition.
use technology to supplement
exclusively human skills, so
organisations will need to redesign
the jobs that are most at risk.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we have seen in this eBook, either as Educational institutions and governmental

job seekers or workers, we must engage authorities must also reconsider the part
in active learning in order to be truly they want to play in the new system that
employable and stay relevant throughout emerges, either as contributors to a bubble
our professional life. In this sense, behaving that cannot absorb so many graduates or
like ‘entrepreneurs’, either inside or outside as guarantors of flexible, practical and on
an organisation, is the key to an enriching the job training strategies that support and
and motivational career. guide people once they finish university and
also when they change jobs.
From the employer’s point of view, investing
in talent through learning and development In sum, in a context of job market
is the basis of all truly innovative and strong transformation shaped by many global
organisations. Hiring recent graduates, trends that are impossible to control at our
on the other hand, gives employers will, employers, employees and institutions
the opportunity to shape a person’s must commit to new strategies that bring
professional growth, an experience that about long-term, sustainable human and
is rewarding for both the employer and economic growth. Only then will we start
employee. experiencing the many benefits of living and
working in the 21st century.
References
References
• Allcock, J., 2013. How to Answer Competency-based Questions on Job Application Forms. The
Guardian, [online] 17 October.
• Chamberlain, A., 2016. Looking Ahead: 5 Jobs Trends to Watch in 2017. Glassdoor,
Research Report, December.
• Harrison, D. A. & Klein, K. J., 2007. What’s the Difference? Diversity Constructs as Separation,
Variety, or Disparity in Organizations. [online] Academy of Management Review, 32 (4).
• Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 2016. Encuesta de población activa (EPA) –Módulo sobre
los jóvenes en el mercado laboral. [online] Notas de prensa, 9 June.
• LinkedIn Learning, 2017. A Modern Learning Playbook: How to Overcome Top Challenges to
Advance Your Learning Culture. LinkedIn Learning.
• McCarthy, D., 2017. The Individual Development Plan: The Employee’s Viewpoint. [online]
The Balance, 17 September.
• McKinsey, 2017. Learning Innovation in the Digital Age. [online] McKinsey Quarterly -
Commentary.
• OECD, 2016. Skills for a Digital World. [online] OCDE, Policy Brief, December.
• Pearson, 2017. Future of Skills: Employment in 2030 [Media Pack]. [online] Pearson.
• Peiró, P., 2017. Cómo encontrar empleo. El País, [online] 21 September.
• Seitel, S., 2011. A Skills Shortage or Unrealistic Expectations?. The Huffington Post, [online]
12 February.
• Target Jobs, n.d. Be on Top of the Basics: Essential Skills and Competencies. [online].
• Vander Ark, T., 2017. The Future of Skills: Employment in 2030. [online] Getting Smart, 29
September.
• Weller, C., 2015. A World-Leading Education Expert Says the Academic ‘Caste System’ is
Ruining American Schools. Business Insider, [online] 9 September.

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Leading People

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Globalisation, the digital revolution, be supported by innovative learning and

demographic change and other global development initiatives from companies,

prepared to constantly improve their be more valuable in the future.

technical and personal skills to be able

Back to summary -4-

governments and educational institutions 360-degree feedback, which can be used by

flexible responses to the job market company-based learning and development,

situation and more inclusiveness in general. which must be promoted by business

leaders in order to help employers have

based questions and the importance of effective policies from governments in

employment in the near future, as well as

as individual development plans and

Back to summary -5-

is about, a reality check that academic our environment so we are prepared in

institutions generally fail to prepare advance.

requires, being able to reflect such skills

such a complex process, the challenges

Back to summary -7-

Those questions that specifically ask ÜÜ Situation: first, we briefly describe

about how we used a particular skill in a the situation we had to face.

particular situation are called ‘competence-

candidate possesses the competences actually did.

the organisation is looking for. ‘Describe a

Now that we have the structure, we

Although application forms have advantage for each one.

over interviews in the sense that we can

the result of the situation was not what we

Back to summary -8-

and grammar—especially if we are not

using our native language—and try to get

someone to proofread our application.

In this sense, we must put effort into

showing employers that we possess

essential skills such as reading, writing,

numeracy, organisation, presentation and

communication. Candidates often overlook

as important as the specific competences—

‘hard skills’—that the job requires. We

must not take these skills for granted and

check that we master them beforehand – if

our level is insufficient, we need to work

on them, as they can also be improved.

There are many ways of doing so, including

Back to summary -9-

is equally important to demonstrate that

we know about the company offering the

position we are applying for and the kind 7 Skills to Leave

background and competences.

this sense is that learning is easier than ever

expectations Another plus point for candidates is that

poses a lot of questions: are employers and background.

being unrealistic or way too selective? Is

Even if we embrace the worst scenario and necessarily—or not exclusively—people

skills can make job seekers more attractive

experience and Agile-related jobs are that complement technology and to

Within this scenario, data analytics and and professional learning.

programming are increasingly valuable

American ‘job-hunting’ platform Glassdoor’s Coursera, Khan Academy, Lynda.

chief economist, Andrew Chamberlain,

are becoming part of human

ÜÜAutomation: many jobs in industries replace us? First-hand experience tells us