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John Yuva

Soft Skills Becoming the ‘Real Skills’ in the Workplace

For enterprises to succeed today, it requires a focus on skills beyond the vocational. This doesn’t imply that sales, procurement, or financial expertise are unnecessary or less important to an organization’s operational success. Rather, it means that “soft skill” attributes are now equally critical as hard skills within the workforce. In the competitive marketplace, agility, flexibility, and resilience are imperative to weather ongoing volatility and uncertainty. What enables this? It is soft skills, or as Seth Godin, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker, calls them — real skills.

Soft Skills Transformed

The growing criticality of soft skills seems a natural part of the Future of Work transition. Skills such as empathy, communication (oral and written), adaptability, collaboration, leadership, and strategic thinking are now table stakes for managers and executives. However, it’s no longer the higher ranks where real skills are necessary and desired. These skills are now core attributes for any role in today’s organizations. Imagine a workplace where, regardless of role, soft-skill development was an integral workforce strategy.

This means that real skills such as communication, collaboration, and strategic thinking are occurring at every enterprise level and among employees and project teams. Essentially, soft skills become core principles that drive organizational success and competitiveness. Making that vision a reality, however, requires a shift in executive behavior.

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Data Delivers … But With Privacy Controls

The innovative technologies available to enterprises for talent acquisition and talent management are growing exponentially. Along with the growth in HR technology is the vast amount of data that comes with it. Direct sourcing solutions, for example, collect an enormous volume of data about potential candidates. Now with the power of artificial intelligence (AI), an even deeper analysis of employee data can be accomplished. While these insights can be game-changing for workforce productivity and employee engagement strategies, there remains a question about employee privacy.

Technology Pushes Privacy Boundaries

HR is the keeper of the most sensitive employee data in the enterprise from social security numbers to performance reviews to salary information. This standard information has always been under lock and key. However, technology is now extending data into more delicate areas, leading to privacy and security concerns. Consider wearables technology that enterprises are now experimenting with. Used extensively in retail and logistics environments, organizations can now track employee behaviors and health metrics, such as blood pressure, sleep patterns, and daily steps to monitor well-being and engagement.

While HR technologies can help with employee and organizational engagement, enhance efficiencies, streamline processes, and improve executive and managerial decision-making, what are the privacy and security issues of such advancements?

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Business Leaders Reap Flexibility Rewards

In the last 12 months, several high-profile enterprises have rolled back their remote work policies, requiring employees to return to the office. Most cite more effective communication, collaboration, and team bonding as primary reasons. While corporations like Disney, Apple, and JPMorgan will dominate the headlines with their announcements of in-person work, recent Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research (2023) indicates an overall preference for workplace flexibility.

The research revealed that 97% of business leaders prefer some level of flexibility in their workplace. Consider this breakdown of leader preferences: flexible and remote options (64%), a mix of remote and in-person (33%), and fully in-person/office (3%). While there may be some validity to the myriad of reasons organizations are reverting to in-person work, the global workforce coupled with today’s collaborative technologies solves many of those challenges. Obviously, it largely depends on the nature of the work — an office environment versus a manufacturing plant.

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Technology Adoption an Accelerant for Future of Work

Within the last few months, coverage of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality have heated up. With apps such as ChatGTP, anyone can test the AI waters and its relevancy to workplace efficiencies. Recent Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research indicated the adoption of new workforce technology and solutions is an enterprise imperative for 68% of survey respondents.

One of the defining characteristics of the Future of Work is digitization. Enterprises are now operating with more remote and hybrid workplaces. Thus, technology is imperative to a cohesive and efficient workforce. What this means for the individual employee is more daily immersion in various technological platforms and solutions. Upskilling will be a critical aspect for workers as they harness more advanced technologies to communicate, collaborate, and execute their roles.

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FOWX Notes, May 5 Edition

Some picked-up pieces, news, and insights from across the evolving world of talent and work:

  • Magnit, a leading integrated workforce management platform that offers MSP, VMS, direct sourcing, services procurement, EOR, etc. solutions, announced the appointment of Teresa Carroll as its new CEO. Carroll spent nearly three decades at Kelly Services, where she served as President of Global Talent Solutions, and also served as President of Oasis, a Paychex Company. In a press release on Wednesday, Carroll noted, “I am excited to lead the business and look forward to working with the Magnit leadership team and Board of Directors to achieve our ambitious strategic goals. The opportunity that lies ahead for our business is tremendous. We will continue to focus on our guiding principle of driving the evolution of work through our unique position in the talent supply chain. I am confident about the continued success and the positive impact we will have on our clients, suppliers, workers, and other stakeholders.”
  • WorkLLama, technology provider of an AI-driven, talent marketing, relationship management, and direct sourcing suite, and High5, a leading provider of global talent solutions, together have formed a strategic partnership to bring direct sourcing and curation of talent to leading healthcare organizations. According to Sudhakar Maruvada, CEO and Founder of WorkLLama, “The healthcare industry has undergone a fundamental shift in the past few years. One of the biggest challenges is a shortage of workers to support it,” he says. “We believe our platform, along with High5’s unprecedented access to talent, will enable these organizations to find and engage the talent they so desperately require.”
  • Worksome, an external workforce management platform that helps enterprises compliantly hire and pay contractor workforces globally, announced the launch of revolutionary direct sourcing and global independent contractor compliance. According to Morten Petersen, co-founder and CEO of Worksome, “The current economic situation, coupled with a boom in contractors, means companies are expanding and leveraging their non-employee workforces to increase agility,” he says. “For our customers, having access to the global talent market to find the right skill sets —regardless of where the worker is operating from — is imperative when working at an enterprise level. This is why we’re introducing new functionality that provides an even more centralized approach to external workforce management,” Petersen adds.
  • Coupa Software, a leader in business spend management (BSM), announced that Rob Bernshteyn has departed the company after more than 14 years as CEO and ChairmanAccording to Bernshteyn, “It’s been the professional and personal privilege of my lifetime so far to lead this company and help to define Coupa’s community-driven strategy and vision. With Business Spend Management, my Coupa colleagues and I proudly galvanized an entirely new category of software innovation,” he said.
  • The World Economic Forum (WEF) released its Future of Jobs Report 2023, revealing that over the next five years, the world will lose 83 million jobs but will create 69 million new positions. The survey included responses from 803 companies from across 45 economies. While a 2% reduction in worldwide employment is expected by 2027, job opportunities will grow for specialists in artificial intelligence and machine learning, sustainability, business intelligence analysis, and information security. The fields with the largest absolute growth are expected in education, agriculture, and digital commerce.
  • Worksome, an external workforce management platform that helps enterprises compliantly hire and pay contractor workforces globally, announced the launch of revolutionary direct sourcing and global independent contractor compliance. According to Morten Petersen, co-founder and CEO of Worksome, “The current economic situation, coupled with a boom in contractors, means companies are expanding and leveraging their non-employee workforces to increase agility,” he says. “For our customers, having access to the global talent market to find the right skill sets —regardless of where the worker is operating from — is imperative when working at an enterprise level. This is why we’re introducing new functionality that provides an even more centralized approach to external workforce management,” Petersen adds.
  • Tundra, a direct source curation provider, and Magnit are working together to create the a scalable direct sourcing solution. The partnership enables companies to leverage the power of their brands to attract and grow talent more efficiently through direct sourcing. According to Ryan Buma, EVP, Growth & Innovation at Magnit, “Magnit has a 30-year history of building tailored workforce management programs, and our partnership with Tundra will help us keep true to our mission to deliver what’s next to organizations and talent,” Buma said. “Bringing together these two powerful portfolios will enable the rapid growth of direct sourcing programs within client organizations, providing them with a critical competitive advantage across evolving hiring markets.”
  • Artificial intelligence is being integrated on many platforms and Salesforce is no exception. The company announced Einstein GPT, the world’s first generative AI customer relationship management technology. In a statement to Yahoo Finance Live, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said, “With this next generation of generative AI, what it means is that AI is going to be able to do even more for you. It can code for you. It can write letters for you if you’re a sales executive or a service executive. It’s going to be able to create content. There’s a lot of things that AI is able to do today that we couldn’t do 10 years ago.”
  • The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has obtained a default judgment in U.S. District Court in its sex discrimination lawsuit against Green JobWorks LLC, the federal agency announced today. According to EEOC Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence, “It has been almost 60 years since the passage of Title VII, yet many staffing agencies continue to believe that they can indulge discriminatory customer preferences and engage in stereotype-based selection practices with impunity — and they’re wrong,” she said. “The EEOC will continue to carefully scrutinize the conduct of staffing agencies and employers in construction-related industries and the skilled trades, and the agency will take forceful action to redress violations of federal law.”
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Chatbots and Direct Sourcing — A Natural Fit?

The dial on artificial intelligence (AI) has been turned up to such a degree that anyone can now experiment with the technology. AI tools from ChatGTP to Lensa are putting the power of AI into the hands of everyday folks — with some stunning results. While the consumer side of AI is gaining attention, it’s important not to overlook the applicability and possibility of the technology for direct sourcing and contingent workforce needs.

Today, there are several providers of AI-based tools for optimizing the direct sourcing of contingent workers. One of the most recognizable and popular tools is chatbots. This technology has evolved significantly over the years from a more scripted application to one of conversational AI realization. Through developments in natural language processing, users have a difficult time recognizing whether it’s a human or a bot they’re interacting with.

How are chatbots contributing to efficiencies in direct sourcing efforts? It’s occurring in several ways, allowing HR, business managers, and recruiters to focus on more strategic aspects of total talent management initiatives.

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Talent Sustainability Through Direct Sourcing

In 2023, direct sourcing is more than the sum of its parts; rather, it represents near alignment with the direction of business now and in the relative future. The labor market is still unsettled, while economic uncertainty (unfortunately) still rules the day. Businesses are in a continued war for talent, as unemployment sinks to historic lows and millions of job openings remain.

In addition, the Future of Work movement and resulting transformations actively dictate that businesses shift their hiring strategies. All of these facets together represent both a new challenge and a new opportunity for direct sourcing: helping enterprises cultivate a flexible and scalable workforce that drives true talent sustainability.

Direct Sourcing Evolves

Enterprises need sustainable talent most to remain competitive and enable future agility. Direct sourcing can help enterprises achieve talent sustainability through several means.

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The Impact of Contingent Workforce Management Analytics

Today’s total talent management strategies rely on analytics to execute workforce objectives. For extended workers who comprise nearly half of enterprises’ entire labor force (49%, according to our research), analytics are even more crucial to developing metrics and optimizing performance. Recent Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research indicates that 81% of organizations cite the improvement of contingent workforce management (CWM) analytics as a priority, highlighting the importance of deeper, more insightful data and analysis.

CWM Analytics for Insights

According to Beeline, a leading contingent workforce solution provider, “For many organizations lacking formal analytics and reporting on their contingent workforce, identifying key metrics can even be challenging.” The focus on analytics goes well beyond hiring, scheduling, and payment data, to include deeper areas of concentration. The following are several analytic subsets imperative to contingent workforce management and performance.

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Diversity’s Measurable Impacts on the Contingent Workforce

Diversity programs continue to evolve, and enterprises must ensure their efforts span the total talent spectrum. Often, diversity initiatives are primarily focused on full-time, permanent employees. However, with contingent talent now comprising more than half of organizations’ entire workforce, diversity should permeate contingent workforce management (CWM) strategies.

In fact, recent Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research indicates 62% of enterprises plan to infuse diversity initiatives into their CWM efforts as part of their workplace goals.

Diversity Is Critical to CWM Results

CWM and the Future of Work movement are aligned in their workforce direction. Extended workers represent a global talent pool where flexibility and a skills-based portfolio are at their core. Equally important, however, are the unique perspectives and outside viewpoints of contingent workers that cater to diverse thinking and enterprise representation.

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Introducing a New Subscription Model

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Optimize Your Staffing Suppliers

The contingent workforce is now an essential component of enterprise execution and competitiveness. For many organizations, direct sourcing or online marketplaces are a primary means of securing non-employee talent. However, enterprises continue to utilize traditional staffing suppliers as well. In some cases, these relationships are based on a long-standing foundation for sourcing contingent workers.

Staffing suppliers, however, come with their own risks and rewards. Ongoing oversight is necessary to ensure these relationships are optimized and the organization’s staffing and workforce goals are met. The following are several considerations when managing staffing suppliers for contingent workforce engagement.

Track supplier performance for greater optimization. There are metrics for a host of business processes; the same should be true of staffing suppliers and their impact on talent management goals. According to Prosperix, a provider of workforce innovation solutions, staffing suppliers are not just meeting a talent need but contributing to a total talent management ecosystem. As such, a service-level agreement (SLA) detailing specific performance metrics must be established with regular tracking to mitigate potential risks.

What performance metrics are critical and specific to staffing suppliers? Prosperix says four KPIs are the most important.

  • Submissions to Positions
  • Submissions to Interview
  • Submissions to Hire
  • Assignment Completion

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