The topic of soft skills in the workplace is a conversation that is forever evolving as our workforce continues to change throughout this pandemic.

Yes, workplace soft skills still matter. In fact, amid our ever-changing “new normal,” the intangible qualities that focus on behavior, personal traits and cognitive capabilities are more in-demand than at any other time in the modern workplace. They are also more challenging to recognize.

The jury is still out on what the ever changing economy will look like post-pandemic. But if the latest job postings from LinkedIn are any indication of what is yet to come, the global economy could be headed for a hybrid approach: recovering many jobs lost during the pandemic, while retaining the digital-first innovations of the last year. 

BUT...they're not all coming for our jobs! Statistic Canada research has suggested that companies tend to hire more people after buying robots.

There has been an on-going fear that robots will replace our jobs in the future workforce, leaving people displaced with no work. However, emerging research is suggesting otherwise.

Workplace figures from Statistics Canada show that between one and five years after robots are adopted in a workplace, firms that bring on the machines see about 20 per cent more employees than they had before adding the robots.

"On average, firms that have adopted robots have in fact expanded their workforce in aggregate," said Jay Dixon, a researcher with the federal statistics agency. Dixon's analysis looked at data collected from 1996 to 2017, tracking what happened to workers when companies in Canada invested in robots.

Hamilton businesses can call the COVID Concierge at 905-521-3989 (Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm) or Contact Us online.

Learn more at hamiltoncovidconcierge.ca