For professionals in all fields to stay competitive and advance their careers, supporting continuous learning and the development of soft and technical skills is a key part of organizational culture.

Check out some of the most in-demand soft and technical skills:

• Critical thinking is the analysis of available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments to form a judgement by the application of rational, skeptical, and unbiased evaluation. For example, analyzing data, evaluating investment opportunities, and making risk management decisions are crucial in the finance field.

• Communication skills are critical for building relationships with clients, colleagues, and external stakeholders. Effective communication involves active listening, expressing ideas clearly, and adapting styles to different audiences. Professionals with strong communication skills can effectively negotiate, mediate conflicts, and provide feedback to clients and colleagues.

• Leadership skills include setting a vision, motivating and inspiring others, and building relationships based on trust and respect. Professionals with these skills can lead by example, inspire others to achieve their goals, and foster a culture of innovation and continuous learning.

Today’s leaders have new responsibilities—many hire and support remote teams. They also find new ways to demonstrate leadership, team-building, communication, and decision-making skills during times of uncertainty and discord.

• Technical skills vary widely from industry to industry but can generally be characterized as the competencies needed to perform job-specific tasks. Some of today’s most popular technical skills include data analysis, cybersecurity, and search engine optimization. With technology playing an ever-expanding role in almost every industry, technical skills are highly valuable.

The world of work continues to evolve, and companies must make sure that their employees evolve, too, with the soft and technical skills they’ll need to be future-ready. Businesses must build a culture of learning, where the expectation is for continual development, regardless of where employees do their work.

As companies look at innovative ways to make this happen, digital libraries are an effective way to augment learning and development efforts while supporting an agile workforce. Digital libraries are:

• Customizable: Holistically support your workforce with a digital library featuring topics ranging from leadership, diversity training, and industry standards to spirituality, wellness, and inspirational content—and everything in between.

• Accessible: A digital library is available whenever your employees need it from wherever they are, whether employees are in office, hybrid, or fully remote, anywhere in the world.

• Affordable: A digital library with a variety of borrowing options can fit nearly any budget, from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses.

Learn more at company.overdrive.com/corporate-libraries, or contact [email protected].