I’ve written previously about having attended a presentation in the 1990s during which British Telecom developers introduced the concept of developing for the buyers of tomorrow by sharing a video of children at play. It was the first time that I realized that organizations out there are building technologies and preparing for our children’s future, not necessarily our own.
Building for tomorrow. Thirty years later, I’m still motivated by the opening words that the session moderator uttered when he entered the stage and looked up at the video and said: “Ladies and gentlemen … our customers.” The children of that video’s generation are part of today’s workforce, and many have children of their own. And it is that new generation of children for whom we are preparing.
Today’s children will grow up in a world of technology that will have an unfathomable impact on work: how, where and the way work is done, not to mention ‘what’ work is done or by whom. These changes may indeed rock the very core of what we currently call “employment.”
Tempus fugit. Why is it important we all pay attention to this new generation and other trends? If you are reading this, it is likely that you are equally as passionate as I am and in a position to play an active part in influencing and taking the future of workforce management to the next level. Before we know it, the next big change will be upon us. We must be prepared because change can be effected in unexpected ways.
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Hastened change. In my keynote addresses for SIA’s 2019 CWS Summits in both San Diego and London, I talked about an industry transformation we would reach by 2030 or 2040. Then Covid-19 happened, and in April, I wrote about three major influencing factors tied to the pandemic — remote working, technology awareness and the economic reality — that have hastened that change dramatically.
Over the coming months, I will expand on the themes and predictions I made during those CWS Summit keynotes and in what other ways Covid-19 has changed and/or accelerated my thinking.
Every day I have the honor of speaking with senior HR, procurement and talent acquisition leaders around the world and will bring some of these insights (anonymously of course), to your attention so that you can make up your own minds as to what the future might hold for both yourself and your organization’s workforce.
The CW manager’s role. I believe we are at a tipping point that will elevate the importance of contingent workforce program management, which will become the driver of overall workforce management. As a result, contingent workforce managers play an active part in influencing and indeed taking the future of workforce management to the next level and beyond.
Join me as I write this series, which will be published in CWS 3.0. I am very much looking forward to it and I hope you are too.