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Elevate Your Workforce Through Upskilling

Business LeadershipGeneral InsightsHRTalent by John Yuva on

“Upskilling, reskilling, and continuing one’s education journey — traditional or not — has the potential to serve as a great equalizer, providing opportunities for anyone at any stage of their career.” Par Merat, VP of Training and Certifications, Cisco U.

Workplace culture is a major determinant for candidate attraction and talent retention. Enterprises with a strong focus on professional development and organizational growth — upskilling — are reaping the rewards of higher levels of employee engagement, worker satisfaction, and sense of belonging.

Upskilling is akin to learning new skills to better perform your job — not to be confused with reskilling, which is investing in skills for a different job. How critical is upskilling? According to its 2021 report, Upskilling for Shared Prosperity, the World Economic Forum states that the U.S. could add $800 billion to its GDP by 2030 through upskilling efforts.

Companies have too much to lose by not offering upskilling opportunities and programs. In the Harvard Business Review article, “How to Build a Successful Upskilling Program,” the authors state, “Upskilling is a longer-term investment in augmenting the knowledge, skills, and competencies that help employees advance their careers. When employees are offered and encouraged to take advantage of upskilling opportunities for their personal and professional growth, people metrics, such as employee engagement and retention, also go up.”

Takeaways to Maximize Upskilling Effectiveness

Upskilling is not a workforce strategy reserved for managers and senior leadership. It is imperative for jobs on the factory floor to the corner office. Every worker can benefit from upskilling. It generates a sense of accomplishment in expanding one’s skill sets and future career opportunities.

When evaluating upskilling as an individual or company, consider these takeaways to maximize its effectiveness.

Take the Initiative for Your Career Development

Unless your company is forward-thinking and makes workforce planning a strategic imperative, the responsibility lies with you to make career-progression commitments. Identify how your role is evolving in the industry and where your skills compare to what’s expected in the future. Are there specific leadership skills you need to hone (e.g., communication, critical thinking, teamwork, etc.) or hard skills such as using specific software or understanding emerging technologies? Make the business investment in yourself to upskill and forge your future career path.

Evaluate Potential Skillset Gaps in Your Workforce

The business landscape evolves quickly, and companies must react to remain competitive. Upskilling is a proactive approach to ensure a balanced workforce. However, it is only effective if you understand where your industry is heading and the current skillset of your workforce. Are there strategic roles that need to be established? What skillsets are workers lacking in their toolsets? Upskilling cannot be approached blindly. While certain skills may be absolute in one industry, it doesn’t mean they translate or are relevant across every sector. Industry knowledge, competitive intelligence, and internal communication are essential to an effective upskilling initiative.

Set a Methodology for an Upskilling Program

When companies decide to initiate an upskilling program, it must be done with purpose and with performance milestones clearly communicated. HBR’s article emphasizes the need for a road map. Employees want to know the objectives and process of an upskilling program. Why is this necessary? How will this training better prepare me for my future with the company? What advancement opportunities does the training provide? Communicating the program milestones and performance metrics are also critical to being transparent about potential promotions and raises. Employees want to know they have a role in their advancement. A well-devised and communicated upskilling program leads to increased company loyalty and employee satisfaction.

Use a Variety of Resources to Upskill

Workers now have a variety of sources to upskill and expand their knowledge. First and foremost, look internally at cross-operational training opportunities. Often, upskilling is learning aspects of the role you want to achieve. There’s no better way than to receive training from those already working in those positions. It also creates a critical backup plan if and when it’s needed.

Other sources to utilize when upskilling are online training and certificate programs, such as LinkedIn Learning. Many are self-directed courses that accommodate work schedules. Also, don’t overlook community college programs for in-person training, particularly for hard skills where exposure to new technologies, software, and equipment are required.

Upskilling reignites the passion in work and provides motivation to strive for the next level while helping companies retain talented employees and prepare strategically for the future.

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AI in Talent Acquisition Coming into Its Own

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceGeneral InsightsHRSolution ProvidersTalentTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by John Yuva on

Artificial intelligence (AI) is omnipresent, impacting all businesses and industries. However, where AI is showing immense potential is in the greater world of work and talent — specifically, talent acquisition. Few technologies in history can affect everyone, but AI’s capabilities are doing just that whether you’re an HR leader, recruiter, business manager, employee, or job candidate. AI brings revolutionary and transformative change to the Future of Work. A rising tide of enrichment is here and here to stay.

Research from Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange reveals that 80% of businesses expect to begin or increase their utilization of AI tools and technology by 2024. A staggering statistic. Thus, within the next four to six months, the vast majority of enterprises will be utilizing AI technology.

The Rising Tide of AI in Talent Acquisition

The impact of AI on business and its growing influence on talent acquisition was the topic of discussion during a recent Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange webinar featuring special guest Opptly, titled “The Rising Tide of AI in Talent Acquisition.”

Speakers Christopher Dwyer, managing director of Future of Work Exchange; Opptly’s Lori Hock, CEO, and Rebecca Valladares, head of operations, addressed how AI is changing the talent acquisition landscape. Dwyer shared that within the next 18 months, 74% of enterprises plan to leverage AI to improve the candidate experience. This is a sign of how much AI will play a critical role in attracting job candidates in the near future.

The following includes several key points shared during the webinar that show AI is not only here, but here to stay.

Framing AI for TA from Three Perspectives

When thinking about AI for talent acquisition, frame it in three perspectives: the enterprise (the business use case), the recruiter, and the candidate. On the enterprise side, it’s about improving hiring efficiencies through AI as well as improving diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. At the same time, AI can identify current skill sets and where skill gaps exist in the organization to better understand who and where to hire for those roles.

The recruitment side can leverage AI for the identification of various skills and expertise — a skills DNA assessment — to strategically pinpoint the type of candidate who can bring immediate value to the enterprise. More organizations are shifting to skills-based hiring where candidate experience and purposeful work can thrive.

Finally, AI can transform the candidate experience using chatbots to guide candidates more efficiently through the application process, as well as provide customizations and real-time engagement that attracts candidates and educates them about the business.

Transforming the Hiring Manager Experience

Because the hiring manager is making the final candidate decision, enhancing that experience with AI comes with several benefits. First, a qualified and accurate slate of candidates expedites making the decision about who to interview and ultimately hire. This has a positive impact on the experience itself, but also on the production and retention of hired candidates because the match is accurate from the beginning. If the AI on the front end of the process can provide the recruiter with the ability to be more thoughtful and deliberate about conversations with candidates, the hiring manager only benefits from that process.

It is important for recruiters to understand the hiring market, the available roles, and what types of candidates succeed in those roles. AI can sort through that data quicker and provide analytics around those areas for the recruiter and hiring manager in a more meaningful and consumable way. By bringing such business intelligence forward through AI, it bridges the strategic insights for the recruiter on candidate advisement that the hiring manager can leverage in making their final candidate decision.

Delivering Positive Impacts of AI on TA

First and foremost, HR, recruiters, and hiring managers can and should use AI to increase their talent pool and gain the broadest access to talent available. In this age of skills-based hiring, the extended workforce is critical to talent pool expansion, which creates further efficiencies through reduced time-to-fill rates that lead to cost savings.

An artificial intelligence area that should not be overlooked is continuous learning in a systematic way. AI is an enterprise asset that will improve and provide exponential value over time. Unlike past technological advancements where an organization implements the technology and utilizes it for five years before it’s replaced, AI technology grows and improves as the business evolves. As the business needs change, the use cases change. AI has a continuous learning value proposition where its performance for talent acquisition and talent management insights remains high.

At the end of the day, talent acquisition puts people to work and AI plays an essential role in that process. Make AI what you need it to do. Effect positive change by integrating AI into talent and workforce processes.

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Optimize Your Workforce with Recession-Proof Strategies, Part Three

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceDiversity and InclusionGeneral InsightsHRTalentTechnology and InnovationUncategorized by John Yuva on

Today concludes our three-part series exploring several contingent and workforce strategies to achieve a recession-proof enterprise.

We’re now two months into the second half of 2023 and economically speaking, things are looking positive. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that GDP grew 2.4% in the second quarter of 2023. The labor market remains tight with unemployment at 3.6%, a rate not witnessed in decades. However, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the tight labor market provides the Federal Reserve with the flexibility to continue raising interest rates to fight inflation. Currently, inflation rests at 3%, a percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve’s longer-run goal of 2%.

Does the state of the current U.S. economy equate to a “soft landing” and the evasion of a recession? Maybe, maybe not. Due to the expectation of continued interest rate increases and the potential ramifications, uncertainty remains among executives and their enterprises. Thus, many are considering strategies over the next six to 12 months to recession-proof their critical workforce and their organizations.

Let’s begin part three by exploring employee engagement and how that dovetails into workplace visibility and intelligence and better workforce decision-making.

Prioritize Employee Engagement and Experience

Enterprises successful with total talent management initiatives credit prioritizing employee engagement and experience. Engagement and experience begin at the first touchpoint between job candidates and the organization. Candidates gain an understanding of the workplace culture and workforce priorities. This only carries through as an employee where communication, collaboration, DE&I, flexible scheduling, and wellness programs are emphasized and implemented. When workers understand the criticality of contingent to permanent employee engagement, instituting surveys, focus groups, and other feedback mechanisms for data gathering and workforce improvement are accepted and valued. Those analytics enhance the employee experience and provide strategic insights for enterprise operations.

Enhance Workforce Visibility and Intelligence

Implementing employee surveys and leveraging HR systems and similar technologies are essential to gaining greater workforce visibility and intelligence. The process should begin with three main focal areas. First, define the goals and metrics the organization wants to achieve. Is it attracting more skills-based candidates? Improving workforce productivity? Reducing turnover rates? Optimizing workforce resources? With those metrics defined, KPIs can be established to measure progress and achievement.

Second, ensure that data collection occurs in a centralized system for ease of analysis and interpretation. Data is likely to come from several disparate systems that when analyzed together reveal unknown insights. HR data combined with performance metrics can show correlations between training and productivity, for example.

Third, today’s integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies is integral to sifting through volumes of data for meaningful insights and patterns. Use these analytic tools and similar platforms to streamline data synthesis and transparency.

Utilize Workforce Data and Intelligence for Better Decision-Making

With data residing in a centralized data warehouse, HR and business managers can leverage such data and intelligence to enhance employee engagement programs and optimize enterprise workforce operations. Talent strategies around recruitment, acquisition, and retention are prime areas where optimization can occur. How is the enterprise projecting itself in the marketplace to attract candidates? Is direct sourcing driving a large percentage of the acquisition strategy? If so, what channels are being underutilized? Are there strategies to keep valuable employees engaged?

Most importantly, use workforce intelligence for better planning and resource allocation. Combining historical data with market trends, enterprises can better predict future staffing needs. It provides a proactive approach to addressing skill shortages or overages and optimizes resource allocation to meet business demands efficiently.

While economic uncertainty remains, enterprises can better prepare their workforce for the unexpected with strategies that foster agility, resiliency, and flexibility. Recessions are not a matter of if but when. Strengthen your workforce today for any disruption — economic or otherwise — that may occur tomorrow.

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Optimize Your Workforce with Recession-Proof Strategies, Part Two

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceGeneral InsightsHRTalentTechnology and Innovation by John Yuva on

We’re now two months into the second half of 2023 and economically speaking, things are looking positive. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that GDP grew 2.4% in the second quarter of 2023. The labor market remains tight with unemployment at 3.6%, a rate not witnessed in decades. However, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the tight labor market allows the Federal Reserve to continue raising interest rates to fight inflation. Currently, inflation rests at 3%, a percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve’s longer-run goal of 2%.

Does the state of the current U.S. economy equate to a “soft landing” and the evasion of a recession? Maybe, maybe not. Due to the expectation of continued interest rate increases and the potential ramifications, uncertainty remains among executives and their enterprises. Thus, many are considering strategies over the next six to 12 months to recession-proof their critical workforce and their organizations.

With that in mind, the Future of Work Exchange features part two of a three-part series exploring several contingent and overall workforce strategies to achieve a recession-proof enterprise over the next few weeks. Part two explores the next three strategies.

Enhance Overall Workplace Culture

Enhancing a workplace culture for both contingent and permanent workers means creating opportunities for communication, engagement, and performance. First, it should start with clearly communicating the enterprise’s core values and mission that lead to consistent behaviors and performance goals. The mission and core values should permeate the enterprise and be modeled by leadership. Second, a workplace inclusive of different backgrounds and perspectives, while also promoting employee engagement, fosters a sense of belonging and community. Inclusiveness and engagement can transform workforce communication as well as generate collaboration and strategic problem-solving. And third, institute a reward and recognition system that promotes higher performance, skills development, and innovative thinking. Ultimately, bringing enhancements to the workplace culture not only helps retain talent but attracts it as well.

Holistic Approach to the Workforce Beyond Productivity

The Future of Work has brought greater attention to the workforce beyond just productivity. HR leaders, business managers, and executives who take a holistic workforce approach are placing greater emphasis on employee empowerment, emotional intelligence, and meaningful work. When employees are given more autonomy, they take ownership of their work and experiment with new ideas — a win-win for the employee and the enterprise. Similarly, leading with empathy has been shown to create a more supportive environment where managers and employees are more attuned to the well-being of colleagues. When it comes to purpose, assigning employees to projects where their passions or strengths lie makes the work more meaningful. That alignment will enhance job satisfaction as well.

Reallocate Budgets for Investment in Automation and Technology

When it comes to realigning budgets for greater investment in automation and technology, begin with identifying redundant processes and inefficient workflows. Show stakeholders how automation can eliminate the costs associated with inefficiencies. From a talent perspective, employing automation for talent acquisition and talent management, particularly for the contingent workforce, can bring those processes in-house for more strategic decision-making. Extended workforce platforms expand the power of VMS technology, for example, by offering more talent-oriented solutions that augment how a business manages nuanced, Future of Work-led aspects, such as DE&I, talent communities, services procurement, the candidate experience, the hiring manager experience, etc. With enterprises shifting to skills-based hiring, utilizing automation and technology to attract candidates with specific skills and competencies is now a strategic imperative.

The economy is proving resilient against a recession. However, implementing holistic workforce strategies focused on talent attraction and retention, workplace culture, and automation and technology can be just as impactful against recessionary trends. Next week, we’ll explore three more recession-proof enterprise workforce strategies.

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Optimize Your Workforce with Recession-Proof Strategies, Part One

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceGeneral InsightsHRTalent by John Yuva on

We’re now two months into the second half of 2023 and economically speaking, things are looking positive. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that GDP grew 2.4% in the second quarter of 2023. The labor market remains tight with unemployment at 3.6%, a rate not witnessed in decades. However, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the tight labor market provides the Federal Reserve with the flexibility to continue raising interest rates to fight inflation. Currently, inflation rests at 3%, a percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve’s longer-run goal of 2%.

Does the state of the current U.S. economy equate to a “soft landing” and the evasion of a recession? Maybe, maybe not. Due to the expectation of continued interest rate increases and the potential ramifications, uncertainty remains among executives and their enterprises. Thus, many are considering strategies over the next six to 12 months to recession-proof their critical workforce and their organizations.

With that in mind, over the next few weeks, the Future of Work Exchange will feature a three-part series exploring several contingent and overall workforce strategies to achieve a recession-proof enterprise. Let’s begin part one this week with a look at our first three strategies.

Higher Utilization of the Contingent Workforce

The contingent workforce presents enormous opportunities for enterprises. It opens the door to global talent that was not accessible by the organization in the past. The remote/hybrid work model means attracting contingent workers who are seeking workplace flexibility and balance. Once in the door, maximize how contingent workers are utilized within the enterprise. First, whether it’s a unique skillset or competency, contingent workers can help train employees in those areas to expand the capabilities of the entire workforce. Second, integrate contingent workers into the workplace culture, providing a greater sense of purpose and achievement — enhancing collaboration and teamwork. And third, ensure a diversified recruitment strategy to hire contingent workers who bring unique perspectives that can translate into potential innovations and business solutions.

Use of Skilled Contingent Workers for Critical Projects

The contingent workforce is much more advanced than it was a decade or more ago. The gig economy is ripe with contingent workers who bring best-in-class competencies to organizations of all sizes. The timing couldn’t be better with many HR leaders and recruiters now shifting to skills-based hiring for both their permanent and contingent workforce. Today’s roles and projects often require specialized skills, making freelance and contingent workers ideal candidates for executing those opportunities. Positions can remain open for several weeks, costing enterprises time and money until those roles are filled. Instead, tap into top-tire talent within the extended workforce to deliver immediate performance and drive long-term value.

Improve Overall Operational Agility for the Future

To best recession-proof your enterprise, agility is required. What does this mean exactly? It means having the organizational capabilities to adjust to changing conditions quickly and easily with little to no operational disruption. Enterprises must optimize their processes and workflows in all areas of the business for greater flexibility and resiliency. In procurement, for example, securing a second and possibly third source of supply mitigates the risk of production delays and product shortages. Implementing automation for accounts payable streamlines the payment process and reduces processing errors. And in HR, leveraging contingent labor during periods of peak demand ensures workforce optimization.

The economy is proving resilient against a recession. However, implementing workforce strategies today that can weather an unexpected economic downturn will only pay dividends in the long term. Next week, we’ll explore three more recession-proof enterprise workforce strategies.

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HR Transforms into FOW Advocate

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceDiversity and InclusionGeneral InsightsHRProcurementTalentTalent AcquisitionUncategorized by John Yuva on

Human resources as a function is experiencing a transformation as the Future of Work paradigm extends into more enterprises. Previously a benefits-focused department, HR is now regarded as a strategic partner in attaining business goals and objectives. Chief human resources officers are now tasked with leading total talent management efforts across the organization, ensuring the right talent is at the right place at the right time.

Growing Priorities, Balancing Demands

The Future of Work includes many tenets from flexible works models (remote and hybrid) to work/life balance considerations to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) programs. HR must now balance those priorities, along with talent acquisition and talent management demands that align with the current and future needs of the enterprise. That’s no small feat!

With contingent labor comprising nearly 40% of the total workforce, according to Future of Work Exchange research, HR must collaborate cross-functionally to not only understand staffing needs but the skillsets behind those roles. HR has evolved where partnerships with business managers and executive leadership are essential to the future competitiveness of the enterprise. In many ways, HR is now becoming the central role for both workplace and enterprise strategy execution.

In an article for Forbes, Joey Price, CEO for Jumpstart: HR, writes: “What’s the secret behind high-performing organizations? They are most keenly aware of the critical role that their organization’s human resources function plays in activating its overall success. If you think human resources is just a support system (*cough* “back office” *cough*) for your business, it’s time to reimagine your relationship.”

HR Impacts on FOW

HR’s impact on the Future of Work cannot be understated. It holds the keys to the execution success of Future of Work strategies. With that in mind, let’s look at several FOW areas where HR has a growing influence.

1) Human Capital Initiatives

Human resources is a human capital-intensive function. As such, building initiatives that increase employee engagement and promote a positive work culture are critical responsibilities for HR managers and executives. At the forefront of those efforts are diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. With more employees working remotely or in a hybrid work model, enterprises are attracting candidates on a global scale. Thus, the workforce today is a melting pot of different cultures, backgrounds, and lifestyles. Leveraging such diversity means developing DE&I initiatives that provide a sense of belonging and community — leading to an engaged and supportive workforce culture.

2) Work Model Influencers

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in remote work and transformed how and where work gets done. In the last year, however, several large corporations reversed their remote work policies and asked those employees to return to the office. HR leaders are in a position to influence and advocate for remote and hybrid work models, understanding their importance to work/life balance and inclusion issues. The essence of the Future of Work is a workplace that incorporates a variety of work models to meet the needs of a talented and global workforce. Driving such policies and using data to support remote and hybrid work models is at the core of HR.

3) Talent-Centric Mentality

How and why HR sources candidates are evolving — leading to a focus on skills-based hiring. The mentality is shifting from filling a job vacancy as if it’s a commodity to truly choosing candidates based on specific skillsets that align with the strategic growth of the business. The expanding extended workforce also places more emphasis on skills and competencies than ever before. The gig economy is an ever-increasing talent pool for HR to leverage for their organization. Thus, contingent workforce management is essential to building the appropriate talent pipeline that attracts contingent candidates and retains them for ongoing strategic initiatives.

4) Balance Through Total Talent Management

As enterprises transition to skills-based hiring, it’s a natural progression toward total talent management. HR’s workforce partnerships with cross-functional business managers must encompass the totality of a department’s budget. Partnering with procurement on talent acquisition and contingent workforce management helps ensure personnel budgets remain within scope. Understanding talent spend to truly optimize the hiring of contingent labor is critical. Total talent management brings transparency to all the elements of what goes into talent acquisition. It ultimately prevents going over budget on a hire, while ensuring the enterprise achieves its talent needs.

Human resources is now much more than an administrative department focused on benefits pricing and offerings and filling vacant positions. Rather, it’s a strategic function building partnerships enterprise-wide to better achieve workplace and organizational goals while advancing and advocating Future of Work initiatives.

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Leverage Digital Staffing Expert Networks

Business LeadershipGeneral InsightsHRSolution ProvidersTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by John Yuva on

Many times, it’s been said that having the right talent in the right place at the right time is paramount to a successful workforce strategy. While enterprises have often used traditional staffing firms to source candidates, this is no longer a viable option in today’s competitive labor marketplace. Instead, organizations are turning to digital staffing expert networks to recruit and hire candidates quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

Transformative Shift to Digital Staffing

The focus on skills-based hiring is helping drive the transformation toward digital staffing. The ability to gain access to candidates with specific skills, competencies, and experience on a global scale is game-changing for many enterprises.

According to a blog post from Upwork, a global digital staffing provider connecting businesses with independent professionals and agencies, says, “As the internet has become a staple in the lives of people around the world, it has also become a central component in the modern job search.

“With the ability to match independent professionals with the skills and experience to perform excellent work to companies looking for the talent that will fit their needs, digital staffing should be a central component in the talent search for companies of all sizes.”

Leverage Digital Staffing Expert Network Offerings

As more enterprises incorporate digital staffing into their workforce strategies, they can leverage certain benefits unattainable with traditional staffing approaches. Several digital staffing providers from Upwork to Jombone, a Canadian digital staffing agency, and others cited a few of the major advantages digital staffing brings.

Cost Efficiency

Traditional talent acquisition methods can be time-consuming and expensive. Digital staffing puts pre-vetted experts from extensive databases into the hands of HR and business managers, streamlining the hiring process. According to Jombone, “Finding the right candidates for your business is critical to success, but paying too much to source them can drain your bottom line before they’ve even worked a single day. This is where a staffing platform can offer a more affordable solution.”

Specialized Expertise

One of the leading benefits of utilizing a digital staffing expert network is access to an often-extensive database of specialized professionals. Project managing a critical initiative and need certain expertise to solve a business challenge? Is there a new role for an expanding department where specific experience is required? Expert networks allow organizations to tap into their expertise to enhance problem-solving capabilities or ramp up departmental knowledge.

Networking and Relationship Building

An overlooked benefit of using digital staffing networks is corporate networking and relationship building. Engage with experienced professionals within expert networks to not only connect on immediate projects and job openings but also future collaborations, partnerships, or mentorship opportunities. Organizations can expand their professional network and tap into a broader ecosystem of experts.

Global Recruitment Pool

As Upwork stated previously, online digital staffing databases have revolutionized talent recruitment and talent acquisition processes. The access to a global pool of talent enables organizations to engage experts from different geographical locations, leveraging international expertise and diverse markets and cultures. Not only does this provide a global reach for talent needs but also broadens the possibilities for collaboration, market expansion, and cross-border projects.

Use of a digital staffing platform and an expert network database is table stakes in today’s quest for talent. It not only streamlines talent acquisition but also generates bottom-line savings. Regardless of organizational size, utilization of expert networks can be a competitive differentiator.

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Strategic Workforce Planning Impacts MSP Effectiveness

Business LeadershipContingent WorkforceGeneral InsightsHRSolution ProvidersTalent AcquisitionTechnology and Innovation by John Yuva on

The Future of Work is an all-encompassing paradigm that transcends any one area of talent acquisition and talent management. Thus, when developing a workforce planning strategy, it must comprise every department and role in the enterprise. Yet, few organizations approach such a strategy from a holistic perspective. This can be detrimental to an organization’s skills development initiatives, talent retention efforts, and overall collaborative effectiveness with MSP and VMS partners.

Lack of Enterprise-Wide Approach to SWP

A study released by eQ8, which provides a dedicated end-to-end SaaS solution for strategic workforce planning (SWP), revealed the criticality of having an enterprise-wide approach toward SWP. Here are a few of the major takeaways from the study:

  • While all areas surveyed saw a greater increase in meeting their objectives using an SWP provider, the relative difference in forecasting future skills between those leveraging SWP technology and those who did not was 135%.
  • While one in two companies report focusing on upskilling and reskilling their current workforce, only 18% report having an excellent view into skill gaps through workforce planning to achieve future success.
  • Despite the increase in investment in the Future of Work with 72% of companies reporting increased investment, 60% of companies do not feel prepared.
  • While 85% of companies reported increased investment in SWP, only 52% are creating a consistent, company-wide approach, and only 14% of companies take a strategic, long-term approach to their workforce planning initiatives.

According to Alicia Roach, CEO and co-founder of eQ8, “Strategic workforce planning is all about driving a fundamental shift where organizations see their workforce as an asset,” she said.

“When we treat our workforce as something that creates value, achieves strategic and operational imperatives, and delights customers, we are better situated to meet our long-term goals for success. There is an innate knowing that the organization cannot get where it needs to go without its people.”

SWP for Effective Partnership Execution

Employees are a critical piece to workforce planning execution, as are managed service providers and vendor management system partners. These external partners rely on an effective workforce planning strategy to meet the talent needs of the organization. The following are several ways a holistic SWP initiative is not only necessary but essential to MSP and VMS partner effectiveness.

First, workforce planning helps MSPs and VMS providers align the demand for contingent workers with the available supply. By analyzing historical data, market trends, and client requirements, these partners can anticipate the need for specific skills and adjust their talent pool accordingly. This ensures a quick response to client demands and delivers the right talent at the right time.

Second, MSPs and VMS providers can better optimize talent acquisition and management costs through an effective and enterprise-wide strategic workforce plan. By forecasting demand and analyzing labor market conditions, they can identify cost-effective sourcing strategies, negotiate favorable rates, and avoid excessive labor oversupply or shortages — leading to controlled expenses and consistent service quality.

Third, SWP leads to the development of a diverse talent pool. MSPs can identify skill gaps, assess future talent needs, and implement strategies to attract, recruit, and retain skilled professionals. By nurturing relationships with candidates, they can build a strong talent pipeline, ensuring a steady supply of qualified workers to meet client requirements.

Lastly, workforce planning plays a vital role in ensuring compliance with labor laws, regulations, and client-specific requirements. MSPs and VMS providers need to navigate complex legal and regulatory landscapes, such as employment contracts, tax obligations, and worker classification. Integrating compliance considerations into their planning process can mitigate risks and avoid potential legal and financial consequences.

While on the surface, workforce planning can appear as a step within the Future of Work paradigm. However, it goes much deeper than that. Enterprise-wide SWP is foundational for Future of Work execution. Without it, organizations and their MSP and VMS partners are throwing darts in the dark to decide what skills exist, where talent resides, and how best to deploy it. Gain control and a proactive approach to SWP with a holistic mindset that includes input and sharing of information with MSP and VMS partners.

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Soft Skills Becoming the ‘Real Skills’ in the Workplace

Business LeadershipDiversity and InclusionGeneral InsightsHRTalent by John Yuva on

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.

Progress Begins Today

There is evidence that much work must be done. Godin notes in an excerpt from his book The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams, that …“69% of managers are uncomfortable communicating with their employees.” This is a startling number. Communication skills at the managerial level are essential for communicating strategy, responsibilities, and performance effectiveness. Lack of communication severely impacts collaborative efforts and strategic decision-making.

Remarking on the statistic, Godin says, “Communicating with employees is uncomfortable because we’ve built systems of compliance and dominance that make it difficult. We ask people to leave their humanity at the door, then use authority to change behavior. We overlay corporate greed and short-term thinking with a human desire to create work that matters.”

Instead, the Future of Work paradigm promotes empathetic leadership that supports open communication and professional growth. The systems reliant on compliance and dominance are transitioning into workplace models that value teamwork and innovative approaches to solving enterprise challenges.

Everything Can Be Taught

It is often believed that only vocational skills can be taught. This is simply not true. Even Godin says leaders “underinvest in this [soft skills] training, fearful that these things are innate and can’t be taught.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Environmental factors as well as our own experiences with managers can shape how we communicate and problem-solve.

An enterprise that embraces an inclusive and diverse workplace can be successful in training employees in real skills. With behaviors modeled and supported by the executive suite, employees are more inclined to adapt and follow the lead of those they look to for guidance. Soft skills are real skills with real strategic impact. Model, train, and reinforce the power of soft skills in every organizational environment.

This article is one of several we’ve covered on soft skills. The Future of Work Exchange recognizes that real skills have real impacts on the Future of Work and workforce strategies. As more enterprises focus on soft skills as critical attributes to employment candidacy, it opens doors to technologies to better measure real skill competencies and performance. Those innovations will only strengthen how organizations source, hire, and retain their workers.

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Data Delivers…But With Privacy Controls

Business LeadershipDirect SourcingGeneral InsightsHRTechnology and InnovationUncategorized by John Yuva on

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?

  • Data monitoring protections. The collection of data through monitoring or surveillance technologies opens the door to sensitive employee information. Whether it’s work habits and behaviors, such as productivity or attendance metrics, or more general health-related information, enterprises should establish clear policies and communicate transparently about the purpose and extent of monitoring to address privacy concerns. In the case of wearables, what are the objectives of using these devices? How will the information be stored? And who has access to it?
  • Data access controls. One of the biggest issues is simply the access and sharing of candidate and/or employee information. More HR data is now accessible by a larger stakeholder pool. HR personnel, managers, executives, and external service providers are privy to employee data. It is essential to establish strict access controls and protocols to ensure that only authorized individuals can access the data. Moreover, the sharing of employee data with external vendors or partners should be governed by clear policies and data protection agreements to protect employee privacy.
  • Data ethics guidelines and processes. How data is used by enterprises can come under great scrutiny if ethical guidelines are not instituted to prevent misuse or discrimination. Guidelines should begin with obtaining consent from employees to collect, use, and store their personal information. Similarly, enterprises should allow employees access to their information for review and correcting inaccuracies. As organizations integrate artificial intelligence tools into their HR solutions, an audit of algorithms should occur to prevent any biases.

HR technology is ushering in innovations that can truly transform and revolutionize the workplace and workforce strategies. However, the immense data generated can erode employee trust if not properly shared and protected. Compliance with privacy laws and regulations both in the U.S. and abroad is absolute. Equally critical is transparency with contingent and permanent employees around the collection, usage, and storage of data. Communicate that data privacy and individual rights are extremely important to the enterprise, as are cybersecurity measures.

Workforce analytics alongside other forms of intellectual property are competitive differentiators that enterprises must protect. Complacency is not an option in today’s data-driven world.

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