Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on November 18, 2021
3 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
A study reveals 73% of businesses lack skills for post-pandemic success, with communication being a critical area for improvement.
A new study into the concerns business leaders in the UK currently hold in relation to a post-pandemic world, has highlighted that a staggering 73% of businesses don’t believe they have the skills needed to succeed. The research has shown that communication skills are where the gaps lie with 50% of business professionals picking up bad habits over lockdown.
Commissioned by global sales, negotiation and communication experts, Huthwaite International, the report shows that businesses feel remote working has had a positive impact on their business and will continue to do so in the future, however 80% believe their team require further training to take advantage of the new virtual landscape and improve business success.
When looking at what worries businesses most about trading in a more remote world, maintaining team motivation ranked as the highest concern.
Improving communication skills also ranked as a priority amongst businesses in the post-pandemic world as 90% stated that improving communication skills were important for the future of their business, with nearly half revealing it to be business critical. Over 90% of businesses also stated virtual communications is an important part of their business now and for the future.
Tony Hughes, CEO at Huthwaite International said: “Gaining the skillset and knowledge to survive in a post-pandemic world is vital for business success. There are ample businesses in the UK that should prosper following the pandemic, but the importance of challenging old patterns of behaviour shouldn’t be underestimated.
“There’s no doubt that across all sectors and industries, things are changing and businesses are adapting to a new way of working. The most predominant of all changes is the way in which we communicate. The world has gone virtual and improving the verbal communication skills needed to be able to communicate effectively and professionally in the new virtual way of working is fundamental for ensuring business success in the post-pandemic world.”
Huthwaite International has published a white paper looking at the key concerns’ businesses have about the future and solutions they can implement to ensure business success. To access the full research white paper, please visit: Become a future leader with Huthwaite International
The article discusses the lack of skills in businesses to succeed in a post-pandemic world, focusing on communication.
Effective communication is deemed business critical, with many professionals having developed poor habits during lockdown.
Businesses can improve by focusing on training to enhance communication skills and adapting to virtual work environments.
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