Restructured Work and Employees: A Systematic Literature Review on Digital Transformation Skills for Sustainable Employment

Digital transformations (DT) require investment in organizational learning climates in which sustainable employment is key. The challenge is to identify and develop essential employee skills needed to meet the organizational demands posed by DT. So far, research has focused on digital or specific professional skills, leaving the question unanswered as to which specific DT skills are essential; thus, our objective was to identify these skills and to develop a comprehensive DT skills framework. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify and synthesize DT skills. Through template analysis a DT skills framework was developed consisting of five crucial skill dimensions: (1) Digital working skills, (2) Entrepreneurial skills, (3) Collaboration Skills, (4) Communication Skills, (5) Lifelong learning skills, and (6) Evidence-based working skills. Our framework shows that essential DT skills are a combination of digital or technical skills and adaptive skills, inviting HR professionals to align their strategic talent management with digital transformation.