 collaboration between individuals from different cultural and educational backgrounds becomes more common. Individuals, who understand these mechanisms, will most certainly be privileged. Evidence for this development can be observed by the growing interdependence of organizations within these cross-company ecosystems, which, in turn, is a result of the intensification of complexity.
In contrast, critical thinking refers to challenging an existing process and to question, whether a routine is still valid, or a task needs to be adapted. Critical thinking should be more positively formulated by using the terms “thinking out-of-the-box” or “looking for new ways”. Challenging existing processes, being open for change, or becoming an early-mover in the market are vital in view of future requirements.
To gain a simplified view on how the possible technological advancements may impact prospective skill requirements, Figure 4 pictures the Soft Skills Model for the Future of Work. The model illustrates both, the destruction effect (substitution) as well as the capitalization effect (complementation).
However, through the capitalization effect, new businesses, occupations and industries will be created, and thus the need for continuous improvement may be amplified as well. Through lifelong learning, inspired by enthusiasm and fueled by curiosity, the likelihood to be successful in the future labor market is likely to grow.
Figure 4. Soft skills model for the future of work. Source: Own creation based on both, the theoretical and empirical analysis.
Even though with continuing technological advances, this frame is likely to be widening. Cognitive (thinking) skills, which refer to processing anything outside the given scheme, are considered the comparative advantage of humans over computers. Following this, the concept of out-of-the box thinking will shift alongside the technological advances.
Innovation capacity may further lead to new business opportunities, also in a case where the destruction effect will be predominantly present. The considerable complexity of tasks will lead to an increasing number of discoveries in interdisciplinary and multi-character teams, where specialized workers from all over the world collaborate within projects to tackle highly complex problems.
Regarding the two scenarios outlined in the aforementioned models, it is important to understand, that the two opposing effects of substitution and complementation may occur at the same time, depending on the stage of automation. In the first stage, complementation is stressed, whereas in the last stage, substitution is amplified. Especially in the middling stage of Augmented Intelligence, the two effects might overlap.
Lastly, the degree of which one effect tends to overrule the other one, plays a role for which skills may be amplified at what point. Thus, the Soft Skills Model for the Future of Work simplified the reality in this aspect.
Furthermore, in the last phase Autonomous Intelligence, where substitution is at its highest level, there might still be niches, where it would economically not make sense to automate certain tasks or where especially human traits are wished and thus being paid in form of a human premium.
Four main clusters of change handling skills, skills for continuous improvement, interaction skills as well as out-of-the-box thinking skills have been identified. Concerning the contribution of these soft skills cluster to success in the future of work, it has been revealed that depending on the prospective scenario, different soft skills may increase in importance.
The future might bring changes to the working world, including a higher pace and scale than in previous periods of economic transformation. However, technological advances should be considered as a tool allowing for a successful human-machine collaboration, where both the capabilities of technology and the human comparative advantage can be amplified. With such an interplay, the best possible outcome is likely to be achieved. However, to be part of such a cooperation between human and machine intelligence, employees need to acquire appropriate skills.
Moreover, the importance of providing the workforce with the essential skills for the future of work cannot be overstated. Thus, education providers should pay more attention to soft skills within schooling, moving away from a focus on the technical hard skills towards an integration of both hard and soft skills. Such an integration would imply a transformation in education, moving from learning traditional fact- and rule-based knowledge to learning how to think critically and to be creative.
This shift would most certainly lead to improved innovation capacity. Furthermore, a shift away from an education system, where all students are taught the same, towards increased importance placed on the individuals’ interests and capacities would further trigger the individual’s enthusiasm, while at the same time allowing for more curiosity.
Next, a shift from learning as a basis to the acknowledgement of lifelong learning through self-development is proposed. Thus, skills from the four main soft skills clusters should be fostered independently throughout one’s lifespan. It is the responsibility of each individual to be open for future changes and to continuously improve their own abilities through self-inspired enthusiasm and curiosity.
Additionally, the importance for interaction skills, owing to the increasing dependence on others, should be stronger embedded in the education system. The same holds for out-of-the-box thinking skills, which should be more often applied to find creative solutions and innovative pathways, leading into a prosperous future.
Nevertheless, the future of work might also be shaped by additional forces. Large-scale developments with regards to shifts in demographics or the ongoing globalization may strongly impact the future and define labor market conditions. This implies that changes in skill requirements for the prospective workforce may be impacted by additional factors that need to be taken in to account.
Finally, studies analyzing the development of soft skills more in-depth should be carried out by not only referring to schooling education but also by considering an individual’s upbringing. As potential inequality might rise over time due to changes in skills and knowledge required for new types of tasks and jobs in an increasingly computerized working world, hence, up-skilling and re-skilling opportunities to provide individuals with the appropriate skills might be deemed necessary for the future.
Source: Own representation. Note: All interviews were conducted in April and May 2018.
Source: Own representation, three stages of automation according to PwC (2017).
Cite this paper: Danuser, Y. and Kendzia, M. (2019) Technological Advances and the Changing Nature of Work: Deriving a Future Skills Set. Advances in Applied Sociology, 9, 463-477. doi: 10.4236/aasoci.2019.910034.
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