Experts reveal the unassuming skill sought by future-savvy employers

It’s not a sexy buzzword like “agile” or “innovation”, but it is the skill experts predict will become increasingly sought for workplaces of the future.

“Collaboration” may not have the same Silicon Valley ring to it as “innovation” or “disruption” but it is forecast to become one of the most in-demand skills of the future.

Experts from tech companies and organisational consultancies predict it will be required at all levels and across all sectors.

Pat Wadors, chief talent officer of software company ServiceNow and previous head of talent at LinkedIn, lists collaboration among the top five soft skills she sees in demand, alongside creativity, adaptability, time management and the ability to influence and persuade others.

“With the evolution of technology in the workplace, soft skills are more and more in demand,” she says.

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Experts say teamwork skills are under-taught yet very important. Picture: iStock

Collaboration is set to be sought across all positions, from graduates to corporate leaders.

QBE chief data and analytics officer Ash Nair advises tech graduates to show employers they have a “collaborative mentality”.

He also lists curiosity and “the courage to try, fail and learn quickly” among the skills in demand.

Meanwhile, Korn Ferry’s Self-Disruptive Leader study reveals 80 per cent of Australian investors believe corporate leaders need to be able to foster collaboration inside and outside the organisation, and between diverse groups with different experiences and skills.

Senior client partner Nick Avery says collaboration happens more naturally within small organisations and start-ups as often they are not bound to processes and bureaucracy that can exist in larger, more established organisations.

“Leadership has traditionally been about consistency, control and closure, supported by rigid decision-making frameworks, but successful organisations today have embraced a different paradigm for leadership where next-generation leaders operate with a sense of purpose, are more risk-tolerant and comfortable with far less structure,” he says.

“Trusting people to perform also helps to cultivate a healthy and positive culture.”

Even senior leaders need to work well with others. Picture: iStock

Lori Wright, global general manager of workplace collaboration at Microsoft, says team work is “under-taught” yet one of the “most crucial” skills for the future of work.

“(In the past,) it was about individual accomplishments but we are seeing today how (people can) work with a collection of individuals to accomplish a shared objective,” she says.

Wright says workplace technologies, such as Microsoft’s chat and remote conferencing software Teams, take away barriers to working collaboratively while remote with features such as data loss prevention to ensure intellectual property and private information remains secure and live captions so workers can dial into video calls from noisy locations.

Leadership consultant Wendy Born recommends building trust to help refine collaboration skills. Picture: Supplied

Leadership consultant Wendy Born says collaboration is going to be “critical” as change is most effectively made by creating a movement.

“The one way to start creating movements is through the collective,” she says.

“We need people to get on board and having the skills to collaborate is critical.”

Her top tip for improving collaboration skills is to build trust.

“Build trust with people outside of your team or function by finding commonalities with people – share personal stories, be present and empathise,” she says.

Next, do something for the broader organisation.

“Think bigger than just your particular function,” she says.

“When you work together, you are creating a bigger thing – two and two makes five.”

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