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The Top 5 Workforce Disruptors Of 2020 And How HR Can Adapt

Forbes Human Resources Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Eric Friedman

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We are living through a radical transformation in the way we work. The pace of change is accelerating. How work gets done, who does it and even what work looks like continues to transform.

This is not the time to sit back and wait for events to unfold. HR departments should address these workplace disruptors, engage in workforce planning and rethink traditional talent sourcing and acquisition strategies.

1. Automation, AI and connected machines create new jobs.

The much-anticipated and long-overdue rise of robots is finally here. Automation and AI are replacing human tasks and jobs and changing the skills that organizations require of their employees. The Brookings Institute estimates that 25% of jobs in the U.S. — held by roughly 36 million workers — are “highly exposed” to automation. We can see one example already: Walmart has announced it “is expanding its workforce of shelf-scanning robots at 650 more U.S. stores in an effort to better monitor and re-supply items as customers purchase them.”

In a recent interview, Deloitte’s U.S. human capital leader Michael Stephan explained the concept of “super jobs,” which are the inadvertent result of technological tools replacing some of the work that employees previously completed —​ think robots in Amazon warehouses, or new roles within an organization that require skill sets that cross multiple domains. “A package organizer now has to be an expert in robotic tech,” he told HR Dive.

To make up for the skills gaps these new positions create, HR departments must implement innovative training solutions that balance development time with work. One idea is to give employees tablet they can use to search for ways to resolve issues as they arise, educating the worker while keeping them productive.

2. In-demand roles are continually in flux.

Workforce disrupters are changing businesses and job roles so quickly that traditional hiring requirements need to be reexamined. Many of the roles, skills and job titles of tomorrow are unknown to us today, and as one article put it, “talent shortages are forcing employers to adapt their recruiting efforts, focusing on candidates with the skills they need or the potential to learn those skills,” rather than using degrees and other credentials as requirements. Evaluating candidates based on skills and aptitude, rather than experience, enables employers to act quickly and decisively when in-demand roles shift again.

3. Building a mixed workforce of employees, contractors and gig workers is the new norm.

As technology continues to evolve, companies must quickly adapt to meet marketplace needs and demands. Integrating contingent workers into a traditional workforce allows HR staff to quickly fill in-demand positions and expand or reduce the workforce, depending on need. However, building, managing and scaling a high-performing, multifaceted team of employees, contractors and gig workers adds a level of complexity to workforce planning that must be accounted for.

4. Data will go far beyond internal employees and applicants.

To find talent quickly, some employers are investing in data and “workforce sensing” to get a more accurate evaluation of the local talent market. Workforce sensing leverages trends research and crowdsourcing to deliver daily insights based on hard data to assist companies in understanding the external factors that could disrupt their workforce and, ultimately, their business. The pressure to leverage data to make informed talent acquisition strategies has increased in recent years as employers are faced with skills gaps.

While accessing data would be a game-changer in this candidate-driven talent market, HR departments should begin their dive into data analytics by choosing and implementing the use of a cloud-based HR technology solution for workforce planning. HR leaders should leverage this technology to anticipate workforce disruptors so they can forecast hiring needs and anticipate skills gaps that will exist in the future.

5. Adaptability, not experience, is the key to weathering the future of work.

Even with workforce planning software and accurate data, it is not possible to predict the skills that will be needed even five years from now. The bottom line is both workers and organizations need to be ready to adapt to evolving market conditions. They will need to adapt to organizational change and be willing to learn new skills and have new experiences throughout their career to take on new responsibilities and even to retrain mid-career.

Workforce planning and the constantly changing talent market are challenges that every HR department encounters. Implementing strategic solutions that address workforce disruptors and improve employee retention and productivity is paramount to your company’s success because human capital is your best asset.

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