As the requirements for work change, we must optimize how talent and skills connect and combine to get work done. At WTW, we approach this challenge with a sense of opportunity and possibility that’s grounded in fact and reality.
The way we work is changing and even in a couple of years from now, skills that are considered important in today’s workforce will be different.
The fourth industrial revolution is bringing automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning into the workplace.
To keep up with the rapid pace of change, chief human resources and strategy officers will need to consider how these developments will shift current skillsets and the resources that will be needed to help support a change in recruitment.
Changing skills
The World Economic Forum highlights key skills that were considered vital in 2015, against a different set of key skills that will be important by 2020.
Creativity is increasingly one of the top three skills that workers will need. With the introduction of new technologies, employees will need to adapt and become more creative to benefit from these changes. Creativity is also a key point of difference between robots and humans – a skill that humans can use to demonstrate value above emerging technologies.
Top 10 skills
In 2020
Complex Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Creativity
People Management
Coordinating with Others
Emotional Intelligence
Judgment and Decision Making
Service Orientation
Negotiation
Cognitive Flexibility
In 2015
Complex Problem Solving
Coordinating with Others
People Management
Critical Thinking
Negotiation
Quality Control
Service Orientation
Judgment and Decision Making
Active Listening
Creativity
Source: Future of Jobs Report, World Economic Forum
Change won’t wait
To keep pace with changing skills and future job requirements companies’ employers not only need to identify reskilling pathways for talent whose work is being subsumed by automation, but also to identify ‘skill and will’ gaps as automation changes skill premium. Companies need to identify areas where development is needed, and also develop and execute plans for building employee capabilities and enhancing the new skillsets required.
Change won’t wait for us to keep up and to stay ahead. Business leaders, educators, governments and employees all need to be proactive and take a role in driving opportunities for up-skilling and re-training so everyone can benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Reskilling pathways – our approach
Understand the data
It is essential for employers to collect data on business strategy activities in order to understand both current and future work needs. This helps employers to understand current and future skill demands.
Map knowledge to work
Employers need to ask the following questions –
How will we map knowledge to work?
What internal and external data can be leveraged to verify the current demand for skills? (e.g. job postings, job descriptions)
What internal and external data can be leveraged to verify the future demand for skills? (e.g. job postings, job descriptions)
How will we understand the supply of knowledge and skills that the employee brings to the table?
Determine skill sets and adjacencies
By understanding the skill adjacencies and supply to meet demand within the organisation you can begin to determine level of business investment needed for reskilling.
Enable talent applications
Companies must determine how to best deploy talent to gain the required skills, develop reskilling pathways and align with existing talent programs.
