The Great Resignation Archives - The Future of Work Exchange

BEST OF 2022: “Perceptive Hiring” is the Future of Work

Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on 12/28/2022

[The Future of Work Exchange will be back next week with all-new content and insights to kick off the new year. Until then, enjoy our “Best Of” series that revisits some of our most-read articles from 2022.]

The world of talent will never be the same. Entering Year Three of a pandemic that has transformed the way we all think about both business and our personal lives, the average enterprise cannot leverage what are now archaic means of hiring to find the necessary skillsets and expertise to thrive in an increasingly globalized corporate arena.

The Great Resignation continues unabated. The Talent Revolution is at hand, with workers across the world becoming more aware of their desire for flexibility, empathy, and purpose. Although unemployment is at a near-53-year low, businesses are finding it harder than ever to fill both tactical and strategic roles.

The hard truth we face as business leaders is this: it doesn’t matter how much we increase compensation or how many additional perks are bult into job offers. Workers today need more than “smart hiring” strategies for reachout, engagement, and negotiations. Those attributes that were mentioned above (flexibility, empathy, and purpose) are not going to be streamlined within what we call smart hiring.

We need more…so much more.

Enterprises today are flush with data and information. This is a critical, “table stakes” aspect of the new world of work, as the ability to harness powerful data from VMS, ATS, CRM, HRIS, direct sourcing, and other platform sources enable hiring managers and other business leaders with “smarter” talent engagement and talent acquisition capabilities. Advanced technology today provides executives with the necessary intelligence to understand who the best candidate may be for a particular role and project (by analyzing work history, expertise, skillsets, certifications, etc.), augmenting with additional data (such as diversity information) to present an ideal professional that should be hired.

In essence, this has always been a goal of “total talent management,” in which the very realm of total talent intelligence (gleaned from both contingent and FTE workforce management systems) assists hiring managers to make quicker decisions based on the knowledge of the company’s overall talent pool.

The above aspects (total talent, diversity, skillsets, expertise, etc.) are all complementary pieces to the new era of workforce engagement. Businesses frankly cannot survive in a truly disruptive labor market without these modes of talent intelligence, given that staffing shortages have become an unfortunate norm.

However, back to the point above about “needing more”: if we think about how far we’ve come in regards to splicing data into talent engagement, how innovative artificial intelligence and machine learning have come, and just how advanced our workforce management software systems are, it’s pretty incredible to think that we don’t have to spend days analyzing resumes and pontificating about the qualities of dozens of candidates for a single job. All of that work has been automated and augmented (the Future of Work, right?). If we could just take that a step further, take those processes and embed even more data and insights…what would happen?

We’d transform “smart hiring” into “perceptive hiring,” in which more than just workforce history, skillsets, and expertise factor into a candidate being matched to a job or position. There are so many factors that play into the human elements of today’s business professionals, including their soft skills, workplace preferences, culture, and other elements of candidates as people and not just profiles on a screen.

How can we ensure that 1) the candidate will adapt and/or evolve to the enterprise’s culture, or, 2) that the business is a great cultural fit for the candidate? It’s not a one-way street anymore; we’re in the middle of a Talent Revolution that has resulted in workers becoming the gatekeepers to their own professional futures. We’d perceive more from the candidates and their personas beyond the traditional measures of hiring. We need to continue thinking about the best possible ways to find and retain key talent, especially in the face of The Great Resignation, however, we should also want our workforce to be a product of, well, more.

Four-plus million people have been voluntarily leaving their jobs since October of last year…and it’s not just a compensation issue. Workers are humans, and humans can suffer from burnout, anxiety, and a lack of engagement with positions that don’t satisfy a larger purpose. The pandemic and its fallout changed many of us, changed the way we think, operate, and, most importantly, speculate about the future. Candidates want more than a well-paying gig…they want work with a purpose that satisfies something deeper.

If we could leverage AI, next-gen analytics, and new innovations to spark a deeper perception of candidates, we would have the ability to solve talent retention issues and ensure that the workforce was tethered to a workplace culture (as well as the work itself) that met these necessities. This profound perception of candidates, linked to the smart hiring strategies and technology we have today, will become a way to develop and foster a strong, engaged workforce in the face of evolving times.

In essence, perceptive hiring is not “this worker is the ideal fit for this role,” but rather “this person is the ideal fit for this role.”

Unretired but not Irrelevant

Contingent Workforce Diversity and Inclusion General Insights Talent by John Yuva on 09/14/2022

Since the beginning of the Great Resignation in 2021, millions of workers have left the workforce — many retiring from the job market altogether. However, some of those retirees have now unretired and reentered the workforce. According to Nick Bunker, economic research director for North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, as of March 2022, 3.2% of workers who retired a year earlier are now employed. What does this mean for companies and the Future of Work? Essentially, there remains a large talent pool of unretired seniors who bring varied skillsets and interest in remote work — a perfect combination for a pipeline of contingent labor.

The Pandemic Spurs Mass Retirement

Most of the planet can relate to how COVID-19 affected our work lives. Throughout the first two years of the pandemic, many senior workers decided to retire from the workforce. However, it occurred in unprecedented numbers.

During a Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis podcast titled “Retirements Increased During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Who Retired and Why?,” Miguel Faria-E-Castro, a research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, remarked on the number and the reasons for retirements beyond what was expected as the baby boomer generation exits the workforce.

“… And actually, I find that there were about 2.6 million excess retirees on top of what those trends would predict. And there are many reasons why people are retiring during COVID-19. There’s the fact that older people tend to be more susceptible to severe illness from COVID-19,” he says.

“There’s the fact that many of these older workers had to care for loved ones who used to be in daycare institutions that were now subject to lockdowns, and there’s also the fact that asset values were rising very rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which might have influenced the value of pension and retirement accounts,” Faria-E-Castro adds.

Despite the reasons behind retirements, 2022 witnessed the return of many retired workers to the workforce.

A Generational Return

While retirement numbers reached unprecedented levels, the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, along with simpler and more obvious reasons like boredom and a sense of purpose, prompted retired workers to find employment.

Other reasons to return include:

Inflation. According to the latest U.S. Department of Labor data, the inflation rate for the United States is 8.3% for the 12 months ended August 2022 — an increase of 8.5% previously. Higher prices throughout a variety of industry sectors including food and beverage and consumer products are causing financial hardships for retired workers. Returning to the workforce is helping to ease that burden as well as pay for rising healthcare expenses

Tight labor market. A tight labor market means available jobs. Prior to the pandemic, employment opportunities for older workers were less plentiful and even scarce. However, with the enticement of flexible hours and remote work to fill open positions, enterprises are opening their doors to unretired employees — and they’re taking those opportunities.

Higher wages. Companies understand that the lack of talent requires a higher wage to lure candidates. Unretiring to supplement pension and Social Security payments is helping to offset inflationary pressures on monthly expenses.

Leverage Senior Talent for Greater Value

Now that senior workers are returning to the workplace, how can companies best utilize this unique talent pool? In her Forbes article, “Is the ‘Great Resignation’ Actually a Mass Retirement,” Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, CEO of 20-first, a global balance consultancy based in London, highlighted three critical areas for how companies can retain older workers.

Build senior talent into your D&I strategy. When examining the makeup of your workforce, how many are older employees? It is critical to know the age distribution of your workplace for a variety of reasons. First, it may be a sign that the enterprise lacks diversity in its senior talent. There is much to be said about a multi-generational workplace and the advantages of pairing younger workers with more seasoned employees. Second, tribal knowledge is rarely written down for the benefit of others. Whether it’s processes, procedures, or shortcut efficiencies, companies rarely capture that knowledge before employees retire and it’s gone forever. Third, transparency in your age distribution can lead to a strategic outlook on potential succession plans. It should also serve as a significant part of your knowledge management process.

Invest in professional development. As humans, we’re always learning. And in today’s enterprises, change is a constant. With that in mind, professional development should not be an investment for only younger talent. Despite many multi-generational workforces, ageism is still present within companies. Today’s D&I initiatives should focus on removing that practice and the barriers it creates for senior employees. Having purposeful work is just as important to the older workforce as any other segment. Unretired employees often want to learn new skillsets to broaden their experiences and provide meaningful outcomes to the enterprise.

Flex the workplace model. As retired workers return to the workforce, they’re looking for remote and work/life balance opportunities — which complements the Future of Work paradigm. Understanding the purpose of why an employee is unretiring can help shape how best to utilize their skills. It also opens a dialog about the potential tenure of a senior employee. Rather than a sudden departure that often occurs with traditional retirement, companies can plan eventual exits and ensure knowledge capture and a succession strategy.

The Future of Work is not generation-specific. It encompasses all generations within the workforce from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. In fact, it is Baby Boomers who can serve as a valuable source for continent labor. Those coming out of retirement to find a second calling or support a former company or industry in a new and beneficial way have much to offer. And leveraged strategically, the knowledge of this generation of workers can spark innovation and provide a unique dynamic within multi-generational teams. At the end of the day, age is just a number.

A “Quiet” Place: The Toxic War Between Workers and Management

Business Leadership Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on 09/06/2022

I don’t have a TikTok account, but one of my colleagues was nice enough to pass along a video in which a worker confronts a colleague that is in the midst of “quiet quitting” and eating pretzels while sipping a large Starbucks coffee.

“If the company isn’t willing to invest in me, I’m not investing in the company,” said the actress. “Nine-to-five is more than enough for me to give them.” Quiet quitting, at its core, is simply performing a job without going above-and-beyond.

“Quiet firing,” on the other hand, translates into an organization knowingly looking over workers for promotions, ignoring their demands and needs, severe micromanagement, and a wide range of passive aggressive tactics. These ideas are leveraged to “encourage” an employee to quit without the company having to pull the trigger on a firing or layoff.

And in case you’re wondering: TikTok may have reignited these two very toxic notions, but these certainly aren’t new concepts. Quiet quitting and quiet firing are two strategies that have been utilized by workers and management (respectively) for decades.

A worker pumps in over 50 hours a week, investing more of themselves than they’d like, even though there hasn’t been a pay increase in years. They trudge along, unhappy, and hope that salvation is on the horizon. A pandemic hits, emotions swell, and the realization hits: “Why am I doing this?” The worker eases off the gas, puts in the bare minimum, and quietly “quits” while presumably seeking a new role at a different organization.

It’s not such a far-fetched story. And it’s absolutely not a new idea. Nor is quiet firing, for that matter. What these both are, however, are part of a toxic war between the workforce and management that will only get worse if something doesn’t change.

The Great Resignation heralded a shift in “power” that meant workers held more cards when it came to their futures. With millions of professionals voluntarily leaving their jobs every month for well over a year, businesses were left with not only extreme staffing shortages, but a sense of resentment, as well. And now, the negative feelings on both sides are resulting in passive aggressive strategies that are impacting the labor market, as well as the delicate balance between worker and management, in a negative way.

So, the question remains: how do we solve this problem? Is there a cure to quiet quitting? Is there a solution to ensuring that quiet firing does not become a way for leaders to phase out employees?

There is no silver bullet here, nor is there a one-stop strategy that can solve these woes. The truth is that business leaders already have the tools to combat this issue…that is, if they can become conscious leaders that are in tune with their talent.

The hallmarks of conscious leadership, including empathy, the understanding of purpose, communicating value, and prioritizing wellness, are all surefire means to attack the roots of the quiet quitting problem. A business leader that is truly in tune with its team can understand the core causes of the emotions that lead to quiet quitting, particularly burnout, a lack of purpose, and a lack of clarity regarding career development.

And as for quiet firing? It’s been happening for years and management teams must understand that most, if not all, workers desire clarity and communication…especially in a Great Resignation-fueled business arena. Today’s talent must be managed much, much differently than in years past due to Future of Work-driven shifts in how work is optimized.

Honestly, enterprises cannot afford to play the quiet firing game when talent has become such a powerful competitive differentiator. As The Great Resettling plays out and The Great Resignation is in the rear-view, management teams must leverage conscious leadership strategies to understand how the workforce perceives its role within the greater organization.

There is a measure of humanity that is at stake here. Workers want to work and want to succeed, and business leaders only benefit from the value that this success brings. Now is the time to bridge the gap and begin the long process of ending a toxic workplace war that is detrimental to both talent and leadership alike.

The Rules of Wellness Have Changed

Business Leadership HR by Christopher J. Dwyer on 08/01/2022

The Future of Work movement thrives on many accelerants that range from advancements in talent acquisition to innovative tools and technology. However, the realm of humanity, wellness, and culture may be the most critical items in how work continues to evolve.

“Wellness” is often thrown around as a word that reflects healthy corporate “behavior” from the perspective(s) of the workforce (including extended talent), owed to a rise in business leadership’s greater understanding of empathy, inclusivity, and other aspects related to a better workplace. As the story goes, happier employees = more productive (and, hopefully, loyal) workers.

Although the Future of Work Exchange typically discusses how rigidity is the “anti-Future of Work” mindset, something as archaic as a desire for a business’ staff to be productive is absolutely one of those measures that is not bound by time or circumstance. That is, it’s always understandable that an executive remains focused on productivity; without this focus, the enterprise fails.

So why do we need to revisit wellness? Didn’t we just talk about this recently? Well, yes, we did. But that was nearly eight months ago, and, in a pandemic-led, economically-volatile, frenetic labor market-fueled world (both business and personal), the stakes have certainly changed.

A second straight quarter of the U.S. economic shrinking technically means that we’re entering a recession…even though it doesn’t necessarily feel like it. However, many organizations are already taking the steps to prepare for the worst, which means cut to the workforce and the linger specter of layoffs through the remainder of 2022.

And, oh yeah, there’s a still pandemic raging, along with a health emergency for monkeypox. Many, many individuals (as much as 2% or 3% of the total workforce, although that number could be lower or higher) could be suffering from “Long COVID” from past coronavirus infections, with the government still not defining how long-haulers can apply for and receive disability options.

These issues not only mean that wellness in the workplace becomes more important; it also translate into the need to reimagine how business leadership addresses and supports wellness in the wake of an evolving world:

Today’s “new” wellness rules should always, always include engagement and experience in the mix. Wellness is more than an employee or worker being physically healthy and appearing to be mentally fit for their role. Leaders must ensure that they expand how they support both physical and mental wellness during whichever turbulent times may lie ahead; whatever worked even during the worst of the pandemic may already be outdated. In nearly three years of consistent business evolution, the very concept of “wellness” has been transformed to include concepts like employee engagement and the talent experience. The total workforce should be engaged with leadership and their teams and coworkers, grounded in a positive workplace experience, and also feel appreciated, safe, and valued. The next generation of wellness strategies should always include engagement and experience as foundational elements.
Even the most stoic of performers may have something deeper happening in their personal lives; thus, there is no one-size-fits-all model that will “catch” those that require intermediation. Dips in productivity, a lack of communication, and poor collaboration are all markers of a worker suffering from something negative. These individuals are most often pointed to as the main recipients of wellness support; however, there are many workers that put on a happy face, remain incredibly productive, and seem to have it all together. These workers may not need support on the surface, however, there’s usually an undercurrent of burnout bubbling somewhere. Business leaders should arm themselves with the necessary attitude and knowledge in understanding what the warning signs are for employee burnout.
The hybrid workplace requires hybrid leadership…which now requires a more strategic mindset. During the spring and summer of 2020, many business leaders grappled with the complexities of managing a newly-remote workforce in the wake of social distancing, quarantining, etc. Video calls and new modes of leadership were straining, leaving these already-exhausted leaders confounded in how to capture the essence of collaboration without the benefit of in-person operations. Today, the issue has become more severe: onboarding workers can be a nightmare via remote methods, not to mention aspects of reskilling, upskilling, mentoring, etc. Business leaders cannot spend a few hours with a new worker and expect them to function productively while on auto-pilot.
Wellness was the answer all along to a problem that has plagued the business arena for nearly 16 months. Yes, we’re talking about The Great Resignation. Although the numbers dipped in May (4.3 million quits as opposed to 4.4 million the month before), an encouraging trend is emerging: fears of a recession, combined with inflation, may be helping to keep workers put. However, all it takes is a small wiggle upwards and we’re back to the much worse, higher trend. The refrain of “happier workers stay with their companies” could not be more true today. If a professional is engaged, satisfied, and having a positive experience while also working for leaders that are mindful, empathetic, and inclusive, it reflects an ideal recipe for wellness that also bodes well for retention. If workers have a flexible work-life integration, it is a powerful attribute that enables true wellness and wellbeing.

What Would a Possible Recession Mean for the World of Talent and Work?

Business Leadership General Insights by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/25/2022

Inflation, a seemingly slowing economy, and an expected second straight federal 0.75%-point increase in its short-term rate (which would mark the first time this has happened in nearly 30 years) all point to one thing: a classic recession that would bring uncertainty, doubt, and fear to the greater business arena.

In an article by the Associated Press (linked here from Boston.com), the markers for a recession are clear yet many pundits aren’t fully embracing these as a surefire sign that a crisis is looming:

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday said the U.S. economy is slowing but pointed to healthy hiring as proof that it is not yet in recession.

Yellen spoke on NBC’s “Meet the Press” just before a slew of economic reports will be released this week that will shed light on an economy currently besieged by rampant inflation and threatened by higher interest rates. The data will cover sales of new homes, consumer confidence, incomes, spending, inflation, and overall output.

The highest-profile report will likely be Thursday, when the Commerce Department will release its first estimate of the economy’s output in the April-June quarter. Some economists forecast it may show a contraction for the second quarter in a row. The economy shrank 1.6% in the January-March quarter. Two straight negative readings are considered an informal definition of a recession, though in this case economists think that’s misleading.

Yellen argued that much of the economy remains healthy: Consumer spending is growing, Americans’ finances, on average, are solid, and the economy has added more than 400,000 jobs a month this year, a robust figure. The unemployment rate is 3.6%, near a half-century low.

The National Bureau of Economic Research defines a recession as “a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months,” yet economic activity isn’t stalling as much as a traditional recession. On top of this, the 1) jobs added figure and 2) an historically-low unemployment rate point to something else entirely: a recession that doesn’t feel like a recession.

With interest rates sky high, home sales are falling and falling, a much different scenario than the past 18 or so months, in which the market was incredibly competitive. Fewer home sales typically mean fewer purchases related to homes, such as appliances, home decor, professional home services, etc. This could cause a ripple effect on the economy, however, with consumer spending so robust right now, it certainly clouds any future visions of recessionary activity. Axios’ Neil Irwin refers to the current economic state as “the great weirdness,” stating:

But in this topsy-turvy environment, the Fed wants to see consumer demand slow enough to temper inflation. The report shows solid demand, yet it might not be strong enough to tip the committee in favor of an ultra-big full-percentage point interest rate hike, particularly given another reading out this morning that we discuss below. The bottom line: There are plenty of risks ahead, but American consumers are chugging along for now, which could keep overall growth in positive territory.

Alright, so we (maybe) understand it now: the U.S. could head into a recession, but maybe not…and if it does, it won’t be a traditional recession. Okay, got it. What does it mean for talent? What about the extended workforce? What about “work” itself?

First things first, no matter what happens, the extended workforce will continue to grow…and it will grow considerably faster if we do head into a recession. The 2008-2009 financial crisis saw the biggest jump in utilization of contingent labor in history. The “pandemic era” saw another spike in utilization. The odds favor this workforce closing the gap to half of total enterprise talent within the next 18 months. A recession, even a “minor” one by the weird standards we’re currently facing, would see some enterprises executing layoffs (but not to the extent (40 million people) that we saw during the early pandemic-fueled recession of 2020), which in turn would lead to more independent talent on the market, and those same enterprises leveraging extended talent to remain competitive. All in all, growth is in the forecast for the extended workforce.
Businesses must focus on the depth of their talent and leverage the necessary tools to help their workers thrive. A highly-skilled workforce (both FTE and extended) will help the economy grow; an enhanced output of products, services, etc. often leads to differentiation in core competition, a very strong link to businesses succeeding regardless of current financial conditions across the market. If that talent is spread out amongst many businesses within a given industry, there’s little room for those organizations that don’t value their workforce and don’t prioritize the employee experience. Can process automation enable workers to thrive with additional power via technology? Should digital workspaces be implemented to improve remote and hybrid workplace scenarios? Can we get over the digital transformation hump to ensure that the workforce blends the best of human and machine? Too, leveraging tools to reskill and upskill the workforce can perform wonders when it comes to helping workers recession-proof their positions and contribute to the future success of the organization.
Talent acquisition over the next few months becomes a critical endeavor. This is the time for talent acquisition executives to shine. They’ve been dealing with a frenetic labor market with candidates that are seeking purpose, flexibility, and lifestyle improvements; these are not attributes that are easy to quench for any TA leader, even the most seasoned. For many businesses, talent acquisition must become more dynamic and more agile to deal with both the fallout from The Great Resignation and the anticipated ramifications of whichever recession-sparked issues arise over the next several months. Leveraging the company brand, its culture, and what it can offer beyond compensation are all crucial factors for talent acquisition teams to revolutionize hiring over these next several months.

Look for more on this topic in the coming weeks on the Future of Work Exchange.

When Societal Change Contributes to Work Transformation

Business Leadership General Insights by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/08/2022

I’m technically a millennial, however, my musical tastes are mostly skewed towards more nostalgia-tinged acts rather than the latest pop singles. I couldn’t name a single current hip-hop, pop, or country act that wasn’t around when I was in my twenties, but I could sure tell you the exact setlists for each time I’ve seen U2 or Metallica in concert.

So you could imagine my reaction to news that Beyonce’s latest single, “Break My Soul,” references The Great Resignation:

Now, I just fell in love / And I just quit my job / I’m gonna find new drive

Damn, they work me so damn hard / Work by nine, then off past five / And they work my nerves

That’s why I cannot sleep at night / I’m lookin’ for motivation / I’m lookin’ for a new foundation, yeah

And I’m on that new vibration / I’m buildin’ my own foundation, yeah/ Hold up, oh, baby, baby

You won’t break my soul

Now, I cannot imagine every single one of the 4.4 million individuals who left their positions in the month of April alone are merrily singing and dancing to this tune…however, the message is on point, for sure: a new foundation and a new motivation sparked by burnout, fatigue, and disillusionment.

This is admittedly not a pure reflection of the Future of Work, but is surely the tip of the iceberg when we think how society itself is shaping how work is done. Never before has there been so much overlap between our public and professional personas, in a time when politics, the economy, and current events are shaping how we think about work and how it fits into our lives.

I wrote recently that the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the link between us as humans and us as professionals. We were rethinking the role of “work” in our personal lives, and that, on top of other conditions (such as the need for flexibility and empathy), has caused many (many!) of us to reimagine what work meant to us and what we needed out of it.

No matter where a business leader stands personally regarding the recent overturn of Roe vs. Wade, the bigger question is: “How does affect my workforce? My people?” Thousands of very large enterprises with national followings have already made it known where they stand by offering their employees a safe environment in which to request paid leave and secure the necessary medical appointments. This does wonders for the very culture of these businesses and proves, once again, that societal change is actively transforming the way we work.

When we as business leaders and executives cultivate a positive, inclusive, and engaging workplace culture, and when we align that culture with the beliefs that matter to the workforce, new doors are opened. The negative ramifications of The Great Resignation pale in comparison to an enterprise that understands the perspectives of its staff and prospective talent.

What does this all mean? It boils down to this: “work” was once a separate part of our lives (a large one, albeit). Since the pandemic began, we saw the lines begin to blur. Economic and social behaviors changed and so did the ways we thought about work and our careers. Work means so much more than it ever did before, thus we as humans now actively seek self-fulfilling, flexible, and purposeful work. And as societal change continues to become a symbiotic element of work and business, it will be a critical attribute in how a company operates and how it is viewed from brand, workplace, and culture perspectives.

Why the Evolving (and Growing) Extended Workforce Requires Deeper and More Agile Technology

Contingent Workforce Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/01/2022

I had the pleasure of joining Beeline to discuss why the growing and evolving extended workforce requires deeper and more agile technology. Here’s a sneak peek of my feature:

“Given the state of the labor market and continued economic uncertainty, the next six months could (and probably will) bring an increased utilization of extended talent, mainly due to the influx of workers that have entered the contingent arena after months of a Great Resignation-fueled dissonance with existing workforce structures. If that 47% penetration rate soon becomes 50% (or higher), businesses won’t just desire advanced technology to manage the many intricacies of the extended workforce, they’ll require it in the face of increasing complexities around the engagement, facilitation, management, and integration of this evolving workforce.”

Visit Beeline to check out the full article (or click on the image below).

The Future of Work Always Comes Back to One Thing: People

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on 06/21/2022

The Future of Work means many things to many people. Some may position technology as the front-and-center nexus of all things related to the Future of Work movement, while others will point to the evolution of robotics and artificial intelligence as a harbinger of how work will be done in a nebulous future state of business.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the way we now get work done is dependent on access to the tools and technology necessary for total interconnectivity and on-demand collaboration. There should be no more silos of innovation, but rather a free-flow of ideas and insights that permeate a “open” and automated realm from which to strategize the way projects, operations, product development, manufacturing, etc. are executed.

No matter how far we traverse into the ether of technology, however, the Future of Work always comes back to one thing: the people. The workers. The professionals. The leaders. The expertise. The skillsets. The humans.

If we just take a step back, the answers are vividly clear. Why did the Future of Work and its accelerants sweep through the world over the past two years? Because of the human elements of work and the workforce, of course. Consider that:

The so-called “Great Resignation” happened (and is continuing to happen in some form) because of a human-led desire for flexibility and better working conditions.
That need for flexibility is a driven by a human-level need for a better balance between personal life and professional life.
The concepts of remote work and the hybrid workplace reside firmly in the greater need for businesses to support the human elements of the workforce while boosting productivity and attempting to curb burnout.
The very idea of “open talent” was catalyzed by the need to address skills deficiencies with agile talent…especially extended labor that is tethered to socially “open” concepts of working and collaborating.
The value of an empathy-led, inclusive workplace culture has sparked business leaders to lead with a nurturing touch that, of course, takes into context the fact that workers are human.
The role of purpose (and purposeful work) are perhaps the most critical drivers of the Future of Work today, with enterprises focusing on passionate and talented individuals who prioritize the ways their work contributes to something greater in their lives and aligns with their overall human journey.

The great revolution of talent and work is upon us. Technology, artificial intelligence, and innovative tools with surely lead and direct us, but is is the people, the humans, that spark the real Future of Work.

“Perceptive Hiring” is the Future of Work

Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on 05/23/2022

We need more…so much more.

In essence, perceptive hiring is not “this worker is the ideal fit for this role,” but rather “this person is the ideal fit for this role.”

Did March Break “Great Resignation” Records? It Sure Did.

Uncategorized by Christopher J. Dwyer on 05/09/2022

Remember long ago, when we all thought “The Great Resignation” would start to loosen up as we headed towards spring? And remember when a certain Future of Work site called it “The Greatest Resignation” because four-plus million professionals were quitting every month since October of last year? AND, remember when that same site spoke of a “Great Resettling” as these workers began to find a foundation that suited their personal and professional desires?

Of course, we remember. It was just two weeks ago.

The March numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics hit last week, and with them, something that collectively made us shake our heads. Over 4.5 million individuals voluntarily left their jobs in March, which is a record thus far since this data was first collected decades ago. (March 2022 to November 2021: “Hold my beer.”)

I said just a couple of weeks ago that there were two pathways for this “Big Quit”: either the numbers would reflect a settling of workers into roles that better suited their desires for flexibility, purpose, etc., or, we’d still be operating in “Great Resignation” mode, continuing to wonder when the tide would finally turn.

The Future of Work Exchange will always remain bullish about “The Great Resettling,” as it reflects exactly how voluntarily-displaced workers will find their calling when the dust figuratively settles…the monkey wrench in that concept, however, is just when the record page of resignations will end. The common refrain, that workers still crave more flexibility, empathy, and purpose, will not change. It doesn’t matter if we’re in the throes of a disruptive COVID surge or in a very awkward period (like we are right now): the collective trauma, experiences, and perspectives going into Year Three of the pandemic will continually translate into workers wanting more and wanting better.

Does that mean a bulk of these workers will join the extended workforce ranks? Absolutely. Does this mean that more and more professionals will become entrepreneurs in a market that, for many tech industries, has become incredibly hot? Yes, of course. Does this mean that those businesses on the backside of those resignations should execute on some self-reflection? 100%, yes.

There’s no one-shot answer to why “The Great Resignation” has become “The Greatest Resignation.” And there’s no firm, calculated timeframe on when we’ll see labor market completely enter a “Great Resettling” phase. All of this means one thing: the changes to 1) the way we work and 2) the workforce itself have become permanent. We’re not going to continue experiencing millions and millions of resignations every month. There’ll be a point in time, which I’m imagining is “soon,” in which those resignations begin to slow…and with it, a newly-resettled workforce that may have finally grasped the flexibility, empathy, purpose, compensation, etc. that they’ve been looking for for so very long.