Change the tires or drive the car?

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, an IBM talent management expert was talking about responding to today’s magnitude and pace of business change. She then referenced the complexity of simultaneously managing through internal workforce challenges: changing procedures; assessing, hiring and retaining talent; incorporating new technology; applying analytics and improving the employee experience. Offering a great visual for global business leaders in the current environment, she said, “You’re basically changing the tires while you’re driving the car. And yes, that takes agility.”

In this Industry 4.0 environment, where artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, augmented reality, robotics, blockchain technology and the Internet of Things are all influences changing the future of work, “agile” is the preferred state. The organisations that will emerge most strongly will be those that incorporate agile practices, building a workforce of empowered people who can fluidly access information, manage projects and issues, and change course quickly to meet challenge and opportunity.

Workforce Transitions
The McKinsey Global Institute’s report, Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce transitions in a time of automation, estimates that between 400 and 800 million individuals could be displaced by automation and need to find new jobs, or upskill for a changing one, by the year 2030. But the news is not all grim: the report states that “more occupations will change than will be lost as machines affect portions of occupations, and people increasingly work alongside them.”

The people in these occupations are transforming as well. As we move forward, there will be a smaller population of traditional full-and part-time employees. Fueled by an entrepreneurial resolve, and attracted by the flexibility, freelance and on-demand workers are on track to be a majority in the workforce by 2027. More than half of those now in the contingent workforce are choosing this type of work over traditional employment, and almost 50 percent of millennial workers are already part of the gig economy. With an ever-tightening worldwide talent shortage, it’s clear that this growing community of free agents will increasingly be tapped to fulfill or manage projects and cover skills gaps.

How will individuals and companies adapt to this convergence of trends? The future of work calls for a lifelong commitment to learning and upskilling. Independent workers are shaping their careers, seeking training and resources that help them stay relevant and competitive. Companies that wish to retain and engage their talent are recognising the importance of developing people who have both technical and teachable hard skills and soft skills. That means offering more training and development, leveraging “learn-anywhere” platforms and apps that are accessible on-premise, across networks and on end-user devices. And as high-level organisational planning and decisions will be more likely to include strategic partners from such areas as HR, mobility, learning and development, recruiting, retention, and others - those who touch and improve the quality of the workforce need to be at the top of their game.

Content Meets Community
Because the future of work is so fluid, HR and mobility professionals are on the edge of a new adventure, one that raises their profiles within their organisations and demands a constant flow of relevant information. To help them fulfill their strategic roles, we are reinventing our organisation, investing in a digital transformation that is designed to improve the knowledge and work life of the mobility community. A primary initiative was to keep the deeply human aspect to our business intact, then consider how to leverage technology to accomplish that goal. It’s an agile undertaking; and as the industry and its people change, you’ll see us pivot to meet new needs and preferences. One of the first signs of our transformation: an April re-launch of worldwideerc.org; a place where high-value content meets community engagement; where mobility enthusiasts meet other professionals and follow trends, innovative concepts, business solutions and the employee journey. It’s perfect for the talent management professional who finds themselves changing the tires while they’re
driving the car.

Since 1964, Worldwide ERC® has been committed to connecting and educating workforce mobility professionals across the globe. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in London and Shanghai, it is the voice and source of global mobility knowledge and innovation in talent management from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, to Asia and across the Americas.