Why HR needs to put constant learning at the heart of their role

From advanced robotics and autonomous transport to artificial intelligence, technological developments are transforming work, business and the economy around the world. The rise of the ‘connected world’ is ultimately set to affect almost every aspect of daily life and people as well as organisations will have to adapt to the new reality.

The changing landscape of HR requires an equally-measured adjustment in the thinking about what careers today really mean, according to Adam Lupton, HR director at car leasing firm, Alphabet GB. “Long gone are the days when people did all their learning before the age of 21 and applied that knowledge and skills for the rest of their working life,” he says. “Over one third of skills that are considered important in today’s workforce will no longer be relevant in the near future according to the World Economic Forum, affecting millions of highly skilled people.

“In order to remain employable, professionals must expand their expertise on a near constant basis and managing this upskilling process has become an integral part of an HR’s director role.”

To ensure organisations have the right people in the right roles, at the right time, we need to provide staff with ‘career mobility’, Lupton advises. “While the concept of people not only moving across businesses but also across disciplines and departments is a tried and tested path, we are now seeing it happening on a much larger scale. Some companies, such as Alphabet, specifically look for people that are multi-skilled and we welcome the impulse for additional training to come from the employees themselves.”