“Future of work” is a frequently used phrase, especially as of late. It seems every employer, journalist, analyst and influencer is commenting on the future of work and what it means from a people perspective, particularly around engaging talent. How will organizations find the right types of workers? When they do, what will it take to retain them? And what do they need to do today, while waiting for that future to arrive? Though much remains uncertain, one thing seems inevitable – successfully navigating the future of work requires the right talent to support the inevitable digitization of organizations across the board.
The use of digital platforms to solve challenges and advance organizations – commonly referred to as digital transformation – brings many benefits, particularly for total talent management. As researchers at McKinsey explain, “Companies that are digital leaders in their sectors have faster revenue growth and higher productivity than their less-digitized peers. They improve profit margins three times more rapidly than average and are often the fastest innovators and the disruptors of their sectors.” At the same time, a new survey from Aptitude Research finds that companies with a digital transformation strategy in place are twice as likely to improve quality of hire, retention and performance. Yet, despite all of this, digital adoption remains slow, and here’s why: only 32% of companies have the internal resources they need, and only 24% have the budget they need to support a change program in talent acquisition.
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That’s right, people power transformation, and many organizations don’t even have the people in place to start the process. But by recognizing this and adopting an approach that emphasizes the role of talent, organizations will build the foundation needed to manage digital changes. To flip the script and embrace a hiring-first mindset that drives transformation, consider the following:
- Let talent be your driver – Says Aptitude, “New technology will have an inevitable impact on the way you operate and how your people perform in their roles. It is essential to consider all users as part of your design.” Put people at the center of your transformation strategy, from new hires to tenured employees, you’ll need them to empower the next steps. Factor their roles into staffing and recruiting, as well as communications at every turn.
- Connect experiences – How candidates experience a brand directly relates to their opinion of an employer, a fact the Talent Board Candidate Experience Awards Benchmark Research reinforces year after year. Examine what your current brand says about your organization and how it resonates with job seekers and employees. Apply design thinking to the integration of brand and experience throughout the talent acquisition lifecycle, from the application process through onboarding and beyond.
- Unite people, process and platform – As you engage the talent needed to move your organization ahead, seek continued alignment between people, process and platform during the transformation. Take care in developing and implementing an infrastructure that supports your digital talent in their day-to-day. You want to create digital agency, which Deloitte defines as “the capacity, as an individual, to act independently and to make their own free choices in the digital workplace.”
- Remember that small and strategic wins the race – Aptitude tells us that transformation projects fail when companies try to do “too much, too soon,” whereas companies that roll out their digital transformation over time are 52% more likely to succeed. Instead of a complete overhaul, make your goal to become more agile as a whole. Pairing talent with transformation allows you to employ the small steps needed, course-correcting as you go.
As we anticipate and embrace the future of work, the finish line will likely keep moving. Stay abreast of what’s to come by putting talent first, enabling your organization to start transforming today.
