28 MAY / JUNE 2017 Successful businesses adapt to new market demands, the changing workforce and everevolving technology. They have to, because companies that don’t adapt, fail. Understanding the trends that are driving change, creating talent challenges and offering potential solutions can help pave the way to adaptability and success. Many of the workplace trends that were prevalent last year, such as maximizing talent analytics and improving the candidate experience, continue to resonate, coupled with other emerging trends that demand new ways of managing and planning for the future. The following are the top six current workforce trends: 1. The blended workforce continues to grow. The gig economy, an environment in which organizations contract with workers for short-term engagements, has created a new kind of diversity, with full-time permanent employees working side-by-side with freelancers and contractors. As more companies hire on-demand to solve key problems and cut costs, more freelancers, contractors and full-time workers will team up to work on projects together as part of the blended workplace. Additionally, with many freelancers working at remote offices, the ability to manage without borders is becoming an increasingly critical skill. 2. Companies are working to improve both candidate and employee experiences. Companies create marketing experiences for customers and prospects in order to drive positive engagement, increase loyalty and grow their revenues. Now employers are recognizing they need to do the same for both their candidates and their employees. A recent study by Workplace Trends found that nearly 60 percent of job seekers have had a poor experience as a job applicant, and 72 percent of them have shared those experiences on online employer review sites. Aside from candidates, employee retention and engagement also are major concerns, as companies recognize that top talent have numerous employment options; losing even a few of them drastically affects productivity. More organizations will be focusing on identifying and eliminating unnecessary workplace complexity. By putting the employee experience first, employers can help to improve productivity by designing simplified work processes. Additionally, creating a more cohesive culture creates opportunities for idea-sharing across the company, and ultimately is more enjoyable. 3. Use of talent analytics is increasing. Analyzing and curating data to measure and improve hiring is becoming more prevalent, as talent acquisition professionals feel the pressure to combine traditional recruitment methods that leverage instinct or gut feelings, with the ability to turn everyday data into recruiting intelligence. Many companies are using data to analyze competitor talent pools to find candidates with the right skills and potential to join the organization; they also are examining data on whether full- or part-time employees bring the highest return on investment. Employers continue to seek better ways to interpret data and develop true insights about future and current employees, regarding whether they have the competencies, experiences, traits and drivers to succeed. The most important consideration for organizations looking for technology solutions is to ensure they are clear about what they need, and why. Six Top Workforce Trends Charlie Tudor Managing Director Angott Search Group ctudor@asgteam.com Angott Search Group is an associate member of the Indiana Bankers Association. Article author HUMAN RESOURCES
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==