The coronavirus lockdowns have changed the face of workspaces and behaviours of employees significantly. While most of the offices now look deserted as employees are working remotely, work productivity has increased. This increase in productivity can be attributed to the fact that most of the Indian working professionals are now spending their time on upgrading skills during these lockdowns.
According to professional network LinkedIn’s third Workforce Confidence Index survey, more than 3 in 5 Indian professionals (63%) will increase their time spent on online learning, as a response to a cut-throat job market. The survey, after covering more than 2,300 respondents, highlighted several reasons for this change in trend.
Remote working, shrinking job market, need for upskilling and the need to stay mindful through these challenging times were some of the reasons for professionals spending extra time on online learning.
The survey findings show India’s cautious optimism towards future opportunities with a composite score of +50 (a rolling average of weeks April 13-19 and April 27-May 3).
Survey results show that 60% of Indian professionals want to gain more industry knowledge, 57% want to learn how they can advance in their careers, and 45% want to better their communication capabilities through online learning.
The need to balance job responsibilities with household chores has left the Indian workforce yearning for efficient planning as findings show that 43% of Indian professionals want to learn better time management, stay organized, and prioritize better. Findings further state that it is not always about professional learning as 40% of Indians say they want to learn something interesting and unrelated to their line of work, while 30% wish to improve their emotional well-being.
“A diverse set of skills can take you a long way in this uncertain climate, therefore upskilling has emerged as the need of the hour and it is encouraging to see Indian professionals leverage online learning to navigate the challenges. Our LinkedIn Learning data also shows that time spent in viewing LinkedIn Learning content by Indian professionals has jumped up by 176% in the past two months, and ‘remote work foundations’ and ‘strategic thinking’ are some of the top courses they are looking at,” said Ruchee Anand, Director, LinkedIn Talent and Learning Solutions, India.
Here’s what India is learning based on LinkedIn Learning platform data:
Remote working and productivity courses are top picks for Indians
The top 5 courses viewed in April were ‘Time Management: Working From Home’, ‘The Six Morning Habits of High Performers’, ‘Remote Work Foundations’, ‘Tips for Working Remotely’ and ‘Strategic Thinking’.
LinkedIn Learning data also compares the consumption rates of courses between March and April, and findings show that ‘Writing a Resume’, ‘Managing Stress for Positive Change’, and ‘Interpersonal communication’ were among courses that saw the sharpest increase in views in April, when compared to March.
This suggests that Indians want to learn how they can present their achievements, evolve as professionals, and manage stress efficiently in these uncertain times. Findings further suggest that Indians are fortifying their technical skills as LinkedIn Learning data also features ‘Learning Python’ and ‘Excel Essential Training (Office 365)’ in the top 10 list of most viewed courses on LinkedIn Learning in india.
‘Writing a Resume’ ranks at #11, and suggests the growing importance of a strong resume to help you stand out amongst other job-seekers in the coming months.
Managers, students, senior leaders most engaged online learners
Since the rise of remote working in March, LinkedIn Learning content has seen the biggest surge from managers, students and senior professionals. Globally, learners watched nearly 4 million hours of LinkedIn Learning content in March alone.
In India, LinkedIn Learning data shows that viewing content on LinkedIn Learning grew by 252% for all managers, 242% for first-time managers, 226% by students, 211% by senior leaders, and 194% by Baby Boomers. Leaders around the world are turning to online learning to cultivate the communication, leadership, and management skills they need to lead teams through this uncertain time. Managing through change, learning news ways to pivot, building resilience, and developing strong communication and other transferable skills is key to learners today.
The current environment around jobs has also caught up the minds of these professionals. The recent layoff spree at major companies and the forthcoming recession has made these respondents think that there’ll be a major jobs crisis in India. Overall, 45% of 1,118 professionals said they expect the number of new jobs available to decline in the next two weeks, while 29% expect recruiter response to slide.
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