Building the Workforce of the Future

What Does It Take to Build the Workforce of the Future?

Building the workforce of the future cannot be delayed any longer. Companies can no longer have a laid-back attitude towards being ready to accommodate the needs of the future. Things happen fast in today’s business world, and there is no forgiveness for those who come late or unprepared.

Organisations need to start preparing to build their future-ready workforce today. Traditionally, organisations have battled the lack of skills or the talent gap by providing training programs and ensuring that human capital can meet the organisations’ requirements. While this is still an integral part of building your workforce, there are other things to consider as well.

What must we do now?

Soft skills have been talked about for a long time, and some entire programs and companies focus on improving soft skills. However, the nature of soft skills is changing with today’s business needs. For instance, good communication skills are not enough, and one must also know how to use technology efficiently.

Super specialisations have always been reserved for the most revered professions, such as medical and scientific professionals. This is no longer the case. There is now a growing demand for thoroughly specialised workers in very specific areas. Hence, training and learning methods are changing drastically in keeping with these new demands.

Leadership training

We have always valued highly-skilled team players who can contribute to their teams’ productivity. While this is still true, organisations are increasingly expecting their employees at every level to step up and claim leadership in their respective fields of expertise. It could be something as simple as going the extra mile without being prompted to take initiatives that positively impact the whole team. Thus, a renewed emphasis must be placed on the need and value of leadership in all roles.

Looping back to learning and development, a good way to ensure that you aren’t always fighting an uphill battle is to map what talent and skills are available to you. Then, understand what other talent and skills your workforce will need in the future, and carefully plan training programs to ensure you remain competitive.

Invest in training

Understanding your workforce and mapping how they will have to be managed in the future creates a strategic advantage for any organisation. This means establishing strategic plans to ensure that your workforce can meet the future demands.

This allows organisations to gradually train and prepare their workforce, rather than suddenly investing large chunks of capital to ensure they remain competitive. While those who have not planned their workforce management are scrambling, you already know what is needed.

Branding matters

Now more than ever, it is vital to invest in your employer brand. What your workforce thinks of you has a significant impact on your organisation. Not only does it determine the kind of talent you attract and retain, but it also affects how your customers look at you.

Focus enough energy and resources on building a future-ready workforce to gain a competitive edge. The pace at which the world of HR is changing dictates that those who don’t have a plan for the future aren’t going to stay competitive for long.

While jobs and careers tend to tie in with personal ambitions, there is a prevailing need to put the business first. This means that your workforce strategy has to focus on creating a culture where personal ambition, company politics, and bureaucracy take a back seat in favour of what is best for the company. This has to be ingrained into the workforce and should be the same for all levels, including the leadership.

Planning is vital. Thus, it would be best if you were ready with a zero-based budget every year, ready to restructure your plans to meet the company’s requirements. You need to be prepared for every cost that can be justified with a tangible result.

Choose the right workforce partner.

Work culture is changing as a whole around the world almost at once. The world has become a much smaller place, and hence, many region-specific trends have become part of a more significant global movement. One thing to consider is creating a culture of accountability. This means that your workforce should be so committed to business needs that they are willing to do whatever it takes to meet them. This also means that the company could give employees unlimited holidays as long as accountability is ensured.

Choose an HR partner who cares to ensure that you are on the right track to build a future-ready workforce. Veremark is the perfect partner to help you on your journey to a future-ready workforce. Visit Veremark to find out more.