LinkedIn: Employers focusing on skills over experience, upskilling and reskilling workforce amid pandemic

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 30) — The COVID-19 pandemic has immensely changed not just the way people work but also how they get hired as well, according to LinkedIn.

"We see a lot of employers prioritizing skills over past experience and education in searching for talents," LinkedIn Head of Asia - Talent and Learning Solutions Frank Koo told CNN Philippines' The Exchange with Rico Hizon.

This has been the case especially with addressing the skill shortage and skills gap - the key to thriving amid the new, digital-heavy economy, he further explained.

With this, many employers have likewise been upskilling and reskilling their workforce as they pursue digital transformation themselves to keep up with the times.

"What we're also increasingly seeing is the combination of e-learning with online facilitation so the employees can pick up skills on the job and effectively contribute to the organization," noted Koo, adding some traditional roles now require people to possess digital skills to improve their job performance as well.

The LinkedIn executive also shared that many new digital skills have opened amid the health crisis, with most in-demand roles in their platform involving cybersecurity, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data science.

Meanwhile, sectors such as financial services, e-commerce, logistics, customer service, and business process outsourcing have been picking up in the Philippines amid the pandemic, revealed Koo.