Future of Work Archives - Page 2 of 4 - The Future of Work Exchange

Adopt the Lifelong Learner Mentality

Business Leadership General Insights Talent by John Yuva on 02/01/2024

The early weeks of the new year are an ideal time to reflect, revise, and rejuvenate. What professional goals do I want to accomplish in the new year? Where am I in my career trajectory? Do I have the skills and knowledge to meet my objectives? These are all relevant and important questions when assessing one’s professional future. However, what if you could keep those questions at the forefront all year, every year, throughout your professional life — with goal assessment and attainment a constant? Adopting a lifelong learning mentality makes professional development a daily driver and career advancement a priority.

Adaptability to Shifting Trends

Lifelong learning is a growing aspect of the Future of Work as shifting workplace trends require greater adaptability. As such, workers are taking more control of reskilling and upskilling efforts to remain ahead of the curve. In fact, according to ManpowerGroup’s 2023 Workplace Trends Report, 57% of employees are pursuing training outside of work.

“What’s important to people is that they have the relevancy of skills that are marketable today as the world of work evolves,” says Nimo Shah, director of MyPath and Experis Academy for ManpowerGroup.

Personal Growth, Employee Retention

Becoming a lifelong learner involves making professional development and discovery an ongoing initiative. It can mean dedicating a portion of the week to reading about new technologies or trends online, joining a networking or professional group, or enrolling in a class or certificate/degree program to learn new skills. Whatever the path, it’s about commitment to personal and professional growth. This can pay dividends when growing one’s professional brand and deeper connections within the enterprise.

An article by Georgia Tech’s Professional Education department, states, “As employees’ expectations change, lifelong learning can play an integral role in helping them integrate more deeply into the workplace. …If companies invest in lifelong learning options and advocate for the personal and professional development of their teams, it could help with employee retention.”

Journey Toward Professional Discovery

Need some guidance on your lifelong learning journey? The following are strategies to incorporate (one or all) into your daily, weekly, or monthly self-development regimen.

Maintain stretch goals. Setting goals and achieving them provides a sense of accomplishment. However, having stretch goals provides direction and motivation to go beyond what is already achieved. Typically, stretch goals are difficult to reach, if not impossible, but having more attainable goals that are related to a stretch goal can result in some unexpected and positive results — as well as innovative thinking. A stretch goal on the lifelong learning path could be to read 50 business books in a year when your annual average is five books. But with certain goals in place, you’re able to read 12 books (one per month).

Utilize learning channels. Whether it’s online or in-person learning, there are several options to reskill, upskill, or pursue a second career. Udemy, for example, has 57 million users and more than 213,000 courses covering a wide range of categories. LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) is another excellent e-learning option boasting more than 22,000 courses. If earning a certificate in a specified area of study is your goal, consider a community college. Certificate programs can be completed within months and provide the essential skills for career advancement.

Recalibrate network strategies. How many of us use LinkedIn mostly to approve or make the occasional connection request, browse posts, and tinker with our profile? Commit to recalibrating our networking strategy (particularly on LinkedIn) to really connect. Use the platform to join groups and engage with members. Like posts and leave comments. Reach out to prolific LinkedIn members and subject matter experts to ask questions and initiate dialogue. Attend LinkedIn live events on topics of interest. LinkedIn is populated with tens of thousands of members who are eager to share their knowledge and provide insight into your journey of lifelong learning.

Chase curiosity and wonder. Simply put, if you’re curious about something, find the answer. What is the potential impact of generative AI on my enterprise and its industry? Start researching and reaching out to subject matter experts on LinkedIn to get insights. Lifelong learning is often about chasing the bigger questions and educating yourself while finding the answers. Create a Top 10 list of topics you want to know more about, then three questions under each topic to explore. Prioritize the topics/questions based on your goals and timetable. Lifelong learning is about the journey.

Document the known and unknown. Create a spreadsheet for topics of curiosity and include valuable links to your findings. Individual sheets within a spreadsheet for different topics. Complement the spreadsheet with a journal documenting your thoughts, wins, and losses of lifelong learning. Often, putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) can lead to unexpected connections and a-ha moments. It’s why going down this path frequently results in innovative thinking and outcomes. Document your progress for a month and see how it feels. You may be surprised how rewarding and motivating it can be to see tangible progress of your goals.

Build a schedule that integrates one or more of these strategies and track short- and long-term progress. Look for a mentor or coach who can provide supportive accountability and insight into growth areas.

Enterprise Support and Reward

While lifelong learning is more of a personal journey for an employee, it doesn’t mean enterprises can’t be active guides. Managers who take an interest and participate in their employees’ professional development can generate growth and career opportunities while gaining benefits as well.

As part of LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report, Stephanie Conway, senior director of talent development at LinkedIn, says employees who set clear career goals are more focused on the skills to attain those objectives.

“An important enabler in my experience is a shift away from looking at specific job titles when helping employees consider their next move. Instead, it is more effective to identify specific skills they want to develop and experiences that might help them do that,” Conway says.

“A first step is to show employees what career development at your company looks like – through any number of programs, like job shadowing, rotations, or sharing internal-mobility stories. This can both further personal career development and start to build organizational resilience and agility,” she adds.

Lifelong learning begins with that spark of curiosity that can open the door to a world of possibilities. Take charge of your personal and professional development to achieve your workplace and longer-term career goals.

Talent Experts on FOWX — Evolution of Staffing and Growth of Extended Workforce

Direct Sourcing General Insights Podcast Solution Providers Talent Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation Uncategorized by Christopher J. Dwyer on 01/25/2024

Our “Talent Expert Series” on FOWX features podcast excerpts of today’s Future of Work thought leaders who appear on The Future of Work Exchange Podcast. The series kicks off with an excerpt from Season 7, Episode 12 featuring Kara Kaplan, CEO of High5, as she discusses a range of topics from the evolution of staffing to the growth in the extended enterprise to the next stage of direct sourcing.

Click to listen to the full interview. Note that this excerpt has been edited for readability.

Christopher Dwyer: Let’s begin with your general insights into the staffing industry, especially given your unique vantage point with High5. When you think of the evolution of staffing and the rise and continued growth of the extended workforce, where are we today?

Kara Kaplan: For starters, the evolution of staffing and the emergence of the extended workforce has ushered in this profound transformation that we’re seeing. It’s a fundamental shift in how companies view and engage with talent. The traditional employment model has been supplemented and, in some cases, supplanted by an extended workforce. Thus, you see many organizations today, if not most, embracing the extended workforce as an integral component of their talent strategy.

And when we look at the term “employee” in general, it’s really evolving with these new models. You have everything from full-time, part-time, contract, gig, remote, hybrid, shared and other terms emerging. Those organizations that rigidly stick to the traditional relationship are going to find themselves fighting an uphill battle. Conversely, enterprises that appreciate and use a mix of workforce models will ultimately be the ones that succeed and have access to more talent and better talent.

It’s more of an adaptation to the new global economy that we now live in and all the complexities and opportunities that are part and parcel of that global shift. At the end of the day, organizations need to embrace this evolution not as an option but more as a strategic imperative. The exciting thing is that organizations are starting to do that.

CD: There is definitely a talent revolution occurring and obviously companies like High 5 fit into that. However, how do you see companies like High5 and other digital staffing platforms fitting into this change in talent acquisition?

KK: Today’s talent revolution signifies a profound shift in how organizations acquire and engage talent. We’re seeing it become much more commoditized. Talent is more dynamic and diverse, as well as more digitally connected than ever before. With the rise of talent marketplaces and digital staffing solutions, they’ve been instrumental in reshaping talent acquisition strategies and truly enabling organizations to adapt and thrive in this global landscape.

At their core, talent marketplaces democratized new access to a global pool of talent. These platforms are empowering organizations to source talent with levels of speed and accuracy that were not possible just a short time ago. For example, in the recent past, when working with many staffing agencies, there was a significant amount of manual effort required in matching a worker with a shift — even if they had a robust ATS, it would only benefit them to a degree. However, today’s digital staffing solutions driven by artificial intelligence and automation have redefined the recruitment process and streamlined nearly everything from candidate sourcing to screening to onboarding and payrolling. It saves a vast amount of time and resources.

CD: In our industry when you think about digital staffing, what comes to mind is BMS, MSP, direct sourcing, total talent, workforce management technology, and artificial intelligence. AI has moved beyond hype and is generally accepted as table stakes in our industry. What are your views on AI and its impact?

KK: To your point, we can’t have this conversation without talking about generative AI and what it means. However, the idea that AI is table stakes for competitive differentiation may be overly simplistic. While AI can undoubtedly provide a significant edge, it’s not a cure-all as companies are seeing. Enterprises still have to remain focused on their core offerings and the human aspect of talent as well as customer relationships to build a sustainable competitive advantage. It’s certainly an exciting time for AI but also a scary one as well. AI is not going away and we’ll continue to hear frequently about the technology, but going forward we need to think about AI in the right way and in the smart way.

CD: Let’s pivot to direct sourcing which was gaining momentum even before the pandemic and is now another table-stakes strategy for businesses if they want to deepen their talent pool and scale their workforce. There’s so much more to direct sourcing than simply contingent recruitment process outsourcing (RPO). With that in mind, where do you see direct sourcing heading?

KK: So much has changed in just the year since I started High5. There’s no doubt that direct sourcing has emerged as a pivotal force in recruiting and is definitely here to stay. There are sessions at major conferences dedicated to direct sourcing with brands like Northern Trust, Toyota, and Meta espousing its benefits. When that starts to happen, the more prominence direct sourcing will have. Clearly, in terms of the future of direct sourcing, the benefits are there. However, its adoption will require an education process. Anytime an education process is involved, it’s going to slow things down, particularly from a sales cycle perspective, but that process plays a vital role in ensuring that organizations realize the efficacy of direct sourcing. To be successful means ensuring that best practices are being followed. When direct sourcing initiatives fail, it’s because they didn’t follow best practices. Again, I’m extremely bullish on the future of direct sourcing, but I do think it will take some time for that education to catch up.

CD: Before we wrap up, 2023 is quickly coming to an end. What do you see on the horizon in the year ahead?

KK: I wish I had a crystal ball. For us, 2024 is about strengthening our position in the market. Being known as the “tech first” company, we’re making heavy investments in our tech enablement, our marketplace, and our other platforms. We have a great deal of excitement around some of our recent tech acquisitions and the compelling value proposition that creates for us going forward.

Voices Behind Quiet and Loud Quitters

Business Leadership General Insights HR Talent Uncategorized by John Yuva on 09/11/2023

One of the main tenets of the Future of Work is employee engagement. It sets the tone for how to motivate, influence, and inspire workers to embrace their work and the culture of the enterprise. Since 2022 when the workplace began to normalize after two tumultuous years of the pandemic, employee engagement has become a cornerstone to achieving a productive and competitive organization.

What is the result when a lack of employee engagement exists? Two employee behaviors — “quiet quitting” and “loud quitting” — become prevalent. Current workforce statistics indicate that disengagement is more prominent than management probably realizes.

Quiet Quitting Proliferates

In early 2022, a term emerged describing workers who are disengaged from the workplace and generally apply the minimal amount of work necessary to complete their job — quiet quitters. When compared to the overall workforce, quiet quitters represent the majority of workers today, with most struggling with stress and burnout.

According to Gallup’s State of the Workplace 2023 report, 52% of US/Canadian workplace employees fall within the “disengaged” (quiet quitter) category. It also represents the largest group that HR and business managers can actively engage with positive results by listening to employee concerns and issues.

What changes are quiet quitters most looking for to thrive in the workplace?

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model from the Future of Work Exchange.

To continue providing valuable insights and resources on the future of work and extended workforce management, we’re transitioning our site to a paid subscription model. While some posts will remain free, subscribing will grant you exclusive access to in-depth analysis, market research, expert interviews, and actionable strategies that will help improve your business. Solution providers and practitioners are invited to join today and gain a competitive edge by tracking the industry’s important innovations, emerging trends, and best practices.

Click here to learn more.

HR Transforms into FOW Advocate

Business Leadership Contingent Workforce General Insights HR Procurement Talent Talent Acquisition Uncategorized by John Yuva on 06/26/2023

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. 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.

The rest of this article is available by subscription only.

Introducing a New Subscription Model

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FOWX Quotable: Leveraging the Non-Employee Workforce

Contingent Workforce Talent Talent Acquisition Uncategorized by Andrew Bartolini on 04/14/2023

The Future of Work is rapidly changing, and organizations that want to thrive must adapt to this new landscape. As companies look to compete in an increasingly complex and unpredictable business environment, the non-employee workforce is emerging as a key source of competitive advantage. The rise of the gig economy, coupled with technological advancements that enable remote work and collaboration, has made it easier than ever before to tap into a vast pool of highly skilled and flexible workers.

By effectively leveraging the non-employee workforce, organizations can gain access to specialized talent and capabilities that may not be available in-house. This can help them stay ahead of the curve in terms of innovation, as well as improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. In today’s fast-paced business environment, where speed and agility are critical, the non-employee workforce can provide the flexibility and adaptability that companies need to stay competitive.

However, in order to effectively harness the power of the non-employee workforce, organizations must have the right tools and strategies in place. This includes everything from robust talent management systems to streamlined procurement processes that enable seamless engagement with external talent. It also requires a shift in mindset, as companies must move away from traditional notions of employment and embrace new models of work that are more flexible, dynamic, and inclusive. Ultimately, those organizations that are able to successfully navigate this new landscape will be the ones that emerge as winners in the future of work.

In sum:

“Tomorrow’s business landscape will be shaped by those organizations that understand the power of leveraging the non-employee workforce as a competitive advantage. The ability to effectively tap into this vast and agile pool of talent will be the key to unlocking innovation, driving growth, and staying ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving Future of Work.”

An Ode to the Future of Work

Business Leadership HR Talent Technology and Innovation by Andrew Bartolini on 03/28/2023

The Future of Work is a topic that has been discussed for by Ardent Partners for many years, particularly with technology rapidly evolving and transforming industries. Today, we offer a poem that takes a creative and fun approach to imagining what the future of how we work might look like.

With rhyming couplets and vivid imagery, we’ve tried to paint a picture of a world where AI machines take on mundane tasks, leaving more time for worker creativity and exploration. The idea of virtual offices and collaboration without borders adds a sense of excitement and wonder to the future of work as we envision a world where the limitations of physical space and language barriers no longer exist. Ultimately, the poem encourages us to embrace the future with open arms, as it holds endless possibilities for growth and innovation.

Welcome to the Future of Work in 2023

Business Leadership Contingent Workforce Technology and Innovation by Andrew Bartolini on 01/06/2023

Happy New Year!

At the behest of our rock star analyst, Christopher Dwyer (also our SVP of Research), Ardent Partners launched this site in the summer of 2021 to help HR, talent acquisition, procurement, IT, and finance executives understand the critical convergence of talent and innovation and the impact that the extended workforce has had and will have on business operations and bottom-line performance. I would argue that as we kick off the new year, nothing is more important to a business than understanding the Future of Work in 2023 and having the right strategies, tools, and approaches to manage it well.

The Future of Work in 2023 already looks very different from just a few years ago, driven by a few large trends that are discussed below.

AUTOMATION

One of the biggest drivers of change in the Future of Work is automation and the tools used to perform tasks that were previously done by humans. This can include everything from manufacturing and assembly line work to data entry and customer service. As automation is adopted and becomes more prevalent within the enterprise, efficiencies and perhaps more importantly, effectiveness, increase as staffers can spend more time on deeper strategic elements of their work.

With today’s growing extended workforce, enterprises need flexibility and scalability. Automation can bridge the various data points related to recruitment, onboarding, and payroll, allowing HR to focus on strategic workforce development and management planning. Through direct sourcing initiatives and automation, an enterprise can flex its extended workforce requirements quickly and efficiently, providing the necessary support before ramping down.

AI

Another significant trend in the Future of Work is the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI). AI refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. AI is already being used in a variety of industries, including healthcare, finance, and retail. We are in the early stages of an AI revolution, but this technology is almost certainly going to play an even larger role in the way we work, potentially leading to the creation of new job roles and a better understanding of how to staff the most successful teams and projects.

Of all the technologies available to enterprises that help automate key workforce processes, AI is the pure representation of the Future of Work. However, there are different shades of artificial intelligence helping organizations optimize the way they get work done and how they think about talent. It’s more than having an artificial persona to help figure things out and make decisions — instead, it’s enabling smarter decisions.

If bias can be removed from decision-making and technology, and AI is set up in such a way that there is no unconscious bias, then it is possible to understand how diverse the workforce truly is. The Future of Work Exchange has long said (including many years ago) that a diverse workforce is the deepest workforce. Being able to bring in different voices from different cultures allows businesses to be more innovative and think outside the box. And AI is a perfect conduit for that.

THE HYBRID WORKFORCE

In addition to automation and AI, the Future of Work is also likely to be influenced by the increasing popularity of remote work and flexible scheduling. With the advancement of communication technologies such as video conferencing and project management software, it is becoming easier for employees to work from anywhere in the world. This trend is being driven by a variety of factors, including the desire for work-life balance, the need for companies to access a global talent pool, and the cost savings associated with remote work.

Progressive companies realize the importance of hybrid work options for employees. While compensation remains a major factor when accepting a job offer, it is benefits such as hybrid work that are attracting more job candidates. Hybrid work models are also contributing to healthy employee well-being and mental health — both of which can have a significant impact on the bottom line. A hybrid workforce makes healthy sense to workers and fiscal sense to the enterprise.

SUMMARY

As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, Ardent Partners expects to see significant changes to the way we will work in the coming years. Whether it is through upskilling and retraining or embracing new technologies, the key to success in the Future of Work will be adaptability and a willingness to embrace change — namely automation, artificial intelligence, remote work, and flexible scheduling.

And, as the Future of Work continues to evolve, it is important for both individuals and companies to stay abreast of these trends and to be proactive in preparing for the changes that are likely to come. That’s where THE FUTURE OF WORK EXCHANGE site comes into the picture — if you haven’t already, bookmark this site and make it a regular stop as you pursue your workforce goals and objectives in 2023 and drive to become a Best-in-Class operation.

The Third Thing You Must Know About The Future of Work

Business Leadership Direct Sourcing General Insights Talent Talent Acquisition by John Yuva on 11/01/2022

Over the next five weeks, we’ll be recapping each of the five things discussed during the event.

In our third installment this week, we’ll be exploring the evolution of talent as a Future of Work centerpiece.

Talent and Talent Acquisition Transformed

To begin, the number three must-know about the Future of Work is the evolution of talent as a Future of Work centerpiece. When talking about the evolution of talent as part of the greater definition of the Future of Work, it goes back to how talent and talent acquisition are changing for the better. Major transformations are occurring, but talent helps make the world go round and helps businesses run. It provides a competitive advantage. Talent is the number one competitive differentiator from one organization to another. With the right talent in place, enterprises can do remarkable things.

The fact that talent engagement and talent acquisition have been evolving for some time, speaks volumes for how it has become the centerpiece for the Future of Work. Let’s look at digital staffing, which enables accelerated hiring. Enterprises can find the workers they need very quickly without making a phone call or sending an email to a staffing supplier.

The other link to this evolution is direct sourcing, which has come a long way over the past few years. Direct sourcing is a talent acquisition revolution, but is not a brand-new strategy (the idea of becoming one’s own recruitment agency was spearheaded 10 or 15 years ago). It’s certainly not a new concept, but according to the Future of Work Exchange and Ardent Partners research, it has become one of the number one priorities for businesses today.

Businesses have woken up to the value of direct sourcing. Business leaders enabled with a direct sourcing program and associated technologies have the ability to curate talent into a talent pool or talent community and then segment those workers into tiers by geography, skillset, and compensation, and quickly tap into that community when needed, resulting in true workforce scalability.

Grow the Candidate Experience

Thus, talent communities need to be fostered and nurtured. Businesses need to keep their talent engaged. So much is about the candidate experience, and enterprises should never get away from that. Always touch candidates with value, whether through emails or text messages. Use talent intelligence to know when the best time is to reach out to those in the talent community. This type of end-to-end program helps boost the quality of talent, speeds up talent acquisition and hiring, and improves the way talent is brought into the organization and redeployed in the future.

Again, regardless of the business function, the candidate experience is paramount when sourcing and hiring talent. There needs to be a level of culture-building that extends to clients and candidates and how they perceive the business. Consider how the brand is perceived, down to the colors of the company logo. Are those colors present on the career page and job portal? Do candidates know who the company is and what it stands for? Recognizing and knowing those things goes a long way in building rapport with candidates.

In addition, what is the overall talent experience when applying for a job? Is it easy to apply for a job and is there an assessment? What type of assessment is it? Can it be completed via a mobile app or laptop? Is the assessment aligned with the candidate’s skillsets and the job itself? Does a candidate know if the organization aligns with them from an individual perspective? All those aspects help build up an amazing candidate experience.

Purposeful Work Is Fundamental to the FOW

The other aspect pertaining to the evolution of talent is purposeful work, which will shape the future of the workforce. It is a non-technological component of the Future of Work.

For many, work is a paycheck that puts food on the table for their family, helps pay for their children’s college, and funds vacations and other extra expenses. The concept of purposeful work fits into the idea of what we are doing with our lives. Is there a purpose behind the work that we’re doing? If we’re spending 10 to 12 hours (including commuting) at our places of employment, are we doing something that satisfies us as humans?

Purposeful work has become a crucial way to think about talent and the workforce. People want their work to be purposeful, which causes many to reevaluate where they are in life. They question what they’re doing with their lives. How are they working? Whom are they working for? How do they fit into the Great Resignation, or more appropriately, the Great Resettling? Many workers were either displaced or left voluntarily but will eventually resettle in some way. They may be doing more purposeful work by starting their own business or becoming an entrepreneur. Some become freelancers or contractors to suit a more flexible lifestyle.

Whatever the reason, purposeful work is going to shape the future of the workforce. This is an area that the Future of Work Exchange will always remain incredibly bullish on because it is a fundamental piece as humans to want to have a purpose in how we work.

The Second Thing You Must Know About The Future of Work

Business Leadership Contingent Workforce General Insights HR Talent Technology and Innovation by John Yuva on 10/25/2022

The Future of Work Exchange (FOWX) and Ardent Partners recently hosted their complimentary webinar, The Five Things You MUST KNOW About the Future of Work, which discussed the critical capabilities that enterprises can unlock to truly optimize the way they address talent acquisition, extended workforce management, and, most importantly, work optimization. Over the next five weeks, we’ll be recapping each of the five things discussed during the event.

In our second installment this week, we’ll be diving into the “first-mover advantage” and what that means for innovation and resiliency.

Adoption of Future of Work Accelerants

The number two must-know about the Future of Work is that the first-mover advantage (in this case, early adopters of Future of Work-era strategies and solutions) translates into urgency for innovation. During the scary early days of the pandemic, businesses were either struggling for survival…or were thriving. When we think about where we are today, let’s look at the organizations that adopted some of these Future of Work accelerants: they tapped into remote work, became brought in a broader set of workers and in their workplace, while also improving their workplace culture and overall work optimization strategies.

Businesses also embraced aspects like artificial intelligence and used their technology more expansively. For example, a Vendor Management System (VMS) wasn’t used just for requisitions, but also to build scenarios and leverage predictive analytics to scale the workforce and understand what could happen tomorrow based on today’s numbers. Doing so could lead to smarter and more educated and intelligent-led talent decisions. Thus, there is an urgency for innovation.

This is not simply about thriving, but surviving as well. Those businesses that have adopted some of these accelerants, whether they’re strategic or technology-led, are much more likely to thrive in the months ahead. The first-mover advantage sets these organizations up very nicely for the future.

Thrive Through Understanding and Embracement

The Future of Work Exchange’s architect, Christopher J. Dwyer, highlighted a discussion he had with a director of talent acquisition, who said it was easy for her company to transition to a remote workforce because it was already a hybrid workplace. The company took what it learned in pre-pandemic times over so many years that it was fairly simple to transition to remote work. It already leveraged both HR and contingent workforce technology and had those systems integrated, so it knew where its workers were across the globe — a company with approximately 300 global locations. She said the company had the capability to know who was working on what projects, where they were located, when their assignments ended, and what locations were being hit hard by a COVID-19 surge, which allowed them to react in real time. Speaking with her months later, said Dwyer, the company was thriving because of the lessons learned and its embrace of Future of Work accelerants during the early days of the pandemic.

This is not to say that a business struggling in 2020 couldn’t be thriving today. The first-mover advantage means that enterprises shouldn’t sit back and watch others pass them by in terms of what they’re adopting and embracing from Future of Work, innovation, and progression perspectives. What else is happening out there? What are their peers and competitors adopting from a technology perspective? How are their business leaders managing the workforce? How are they treating their workforce? Why are they losing talent to other organizations? Why are they getting hit harder by The Great Resignation than others?

The next economic recession will be unique because of existing inflation; however, many industries are doing well and thriving because of lessons learned and the collective trauma experienced over the last three years from the pandemic. During the next downturn, companies are likely to weather the storm much better because of the technology they’ve adopted and the new strategies they’ve embraced. The innovative thinking that comes from those decisions makes companies better suited to handle the challenges of today.

Flexibility Cannot be Underestimated

What does this mean for the workplace? In many respects, hybrid is the ideal workplace model because of the flexibility that workers crave. Obviously, many workers are unable to work remotely because of their job description. And, some businesses look at remote and hybrid work models with concerns about productivity and workforce control. However, time and time again, workers have proved that avoiding a 90-minute commute to and from work allows them to be more productive each day.

It also speaks to the flexibility of taking care of life events. The ability to go to the dentist or pick up a sick child from daycare or school can mean a great deal to workers. Workers are humans, not just numbers on a spreadsheet. It doesn’t matter if you’re a contractor that worked 4.5 hours or an employee who has been with the company for 40 years. These are not faceless workers. We are humans and humans crave flexibility. We want the ability to feel connected to the organization.

A famous CEO of the world’s largest search engine said that “the Future of Work is flexibility.” We’ve been saying this for a long time on FOWX and it’s true: the Future of Work is built on flexibility.

The First Thing You Must Know About the Future of Work

Business Leadership Contingent Workforce Direct Sourcing Events General Insights Talent Talent Acquisition Technology and Innovation by John Yuva on 10/17/2022

The Future of Work Exchange (FOWX) and Ardent Partners recently hosted their complimentary webinar, The Five Things You MUST KNOW About the Future of Work, which discussed the critical capabilities that enterprises can unlock to truly optimize the way they address talent acquisition, extended workforce management, and, most importantly, work optimization. Over the next five weeks, we’ll be recapping each of the five things discussed during the event. In our first installment this week, we’ll be diving into the evolution of talent and the ever-present phrase, “The Future of Work.”

The Evolution of Talent and Talent Acquisition

When it comes to the Future of Work, one of the first things to know is the evolution of talent and talent acquisition. And this idea of the “evolution of talent” can be ambiguous. Talent is always evolving and has been for a long time. The way that businesses perceive their talent is also evolving. And, the way that those businesses get connected to talent, and vice versa, continues to evolve. It’s also being innovated through technology and new strategies and new programs.

The fact is nearly half of our workforce today is comprised of extended workers or contingent workers. We have aspects like direct sourcing and digital staffing that are making it much easier for businesses to find the talent they need to get work done to address those mission-critical projects and fill the appropriate roles. FOWX and Ardent research has been focused historically on the extended workforce and contingent workforce, but we’re talking about all types of talent.

Thus, talent acquisition as a function and as a series of processes has also progressed. We need to consider aspects like the candidate experience, and the way that our culture and our brand attract new talent into our organization. Many business leaders think of the Future of Work as being centered around technology, revolving around the idea that technology drives the Future of Work. And we wouldn’t necessarily disagree with that; technology is a critical piece. And for some aspects and attributes of the Future of Work, technology and innovation are the nexus of those areas.

Technology is a Future of Work Centerpiece

Talent and the growth of the extended workforce represent the first leg of the stool with such things as diversity and candidate experience, but also digital staffing, direct sourcing, online talent marketplaces, and core workforce management solutions (such as MSPs and VMS platforms) These technologies are helping us to redefine the way we think about work. We’re living in a world where even though we don’t want to hear the word “pandemic” anymore, the pandemic really did shape what we think about the Future of Work.

It’s really critical to think about aspects like remote work and the technologies that support a hybrid workplace and how we leverage digital workspaces, digitization, and the idea of the digital enterprise, all rolling up into this notion of digital transformation. New technology and innovation are not the totality of the Future of Work, but certainly a centerpiece of it. And when we look at the transformation of business leadership, we often juxtapose this with business transformation or business leadership transformation, as well. It is leadership that dictates strategy, it dictates vision, and it dictates culture. And by proxy, we transform the way business leadership manages itself, manages its workforce, and how it expands its power and control over the organization.

Thus, the transparent transformation of business leadership is really critical, and honestly has nothing to do with technology. It all revolves around aspects like conscious leadership, empathetic leadership, empathy at work, and flexibility — thinking about how we lead in very new and different ways. It’s turning on its head the idea that “the boss” is always this very strict person who’s known for rigidity in how he or she perceives and manages the workforce. Business leaders are transitioning to be more flexible in their thinking. When you combine all these aspects together, that’s the future of work and the view of the Future of Work Exchange and Ardent Partners as well.

Ever-Present Future of Work

Thus, the “Future of Work” phrase is ever-present. It’s everywhere. Back when our FOWX architect, Christopher J. Dwyer, started using this phrase in 2013/2014, there weren’t many others using it. Today, we see so many conferences named “The Future of Work” as well as many websites and research studies. But unlike a lot of phrases that are hot today, it’s anything but hype. It really is this idea of permanence. Much of the change that we’ve gone through as people, as leaders, as workers, and as businesses, it’s not hype…nor is it a fad. The Future of Work is permanence. It’s not going to fade from view.

Future of Work “accelerants” that were once seedlings to the world of work and talent are now table stakes. Remote work, for example, is not new. Many of us have been working in a remote or hybrid workplace for most of our careers. And there are many others who have done so, as well. But for some business leaders and workers, it’s a very new aspect of their daily work lives.

The “Future of Work” phrase is ubiquitous. It’s an omnipresent way of looking at the current and future state of work. We are now focused on how we can improve the way we get work done, the way we manage talent, the way we engage talent, and the way that we treat our workforce. But we’re also thinking about tomorrow and the ways we’re going to get work done depending on several factors, including the economy, politics, global markets, and other aspects that could change the business arena.