The past few years has changed the way companies view and approach to workforce management, but one thing still holds true: Companies that wish to attract and keep the best talent they have to go forward need to know the priorities of the future workforce first. They also need to know the priorities of the company before they spend money on any aspect of workforce management. One of the biggest challenges facing organizations today is how to manage an aging population, improve productivity in an increasingly automated and complex environment, and remain competitive. In order to achieve all of these goals, it is important to implement technologies that will not only improve productivity and save money, but will also provide solutions for the changing workforce needs.
One solution that many companies have already adopted, but that still represents a relatively new type of technology for them, is automation. Increasing the speed and efficiency with which employees can perform tasks has always been difficult, but advancements in technology and software have made this much easier. In the past several years, advancements in artificial intelligence and computer software have made it possible to perform a variety of tasks that were previously only possible to the most technologically advanced businesses with the greatest access to the tools and resources.
Automation has eliminated the need for new skills, but it has also reduced the need for labor to perform these tasks. While businesses can use the available technology to perform a number of tasks, there are still a significant number of tasks that are simply not automated and therefore require human intervention. Fortunately, this does not mean that businesses have to turn completely automated. Rather, it means that they can create systems that enable employees to perform routine tasks and then give those tasks priority over others. By creating a system that enables employees to prioritize their work and to perform work that does not require the use of new skills, businesses can save a great deal of time by not having to hire new skill sets to perform tasks that do not involve a high level of technical skill.
Another way that businesses retrain their workforce is by making it possible for workers who are experienced and skilled in a specific area to remain relevant throughout their careers. In most cases, a worker who is talented in one area may be ineffective in another area, or even irrelevant within the industry in which they have spent many years of their career. A business that creates a targeted training program based on job experience and on skill sets will be able to better ensure that its employees are relevant and valuable to the firm in which they work. This ensures that the company is able to retain both workers who are good at what they do and those who may be capable of doing more specific tasks in the future.
Business leaders must also make it clear to the workforce on a regular basis that they are open to learning from each other. A company that understands that all workers are valuable will be able to train its workforce to realize their full potential. By encouraging communication between employees, businesses can help them realize the potential of each individual and harness that potential for future growth. A business that sees its future workforce as a source of continuous learning and growth will be able to retain workers who are experienced and skilled but are also developing new skills. Such a workforce is also much more likely to remain with the company for the duration of its operation, and so the overall success of the firm as a whole.
Today’s companies are also discovering that the benefits of automation are not always the desired ones. While automation can free up a great deal of time for workers who are producing the goods and services that the business sells, in some cases the automated processes are causing productivity problems because they are being used in places where they are not necessary. Business leaders need to recognize these problems, as they can create unnecessary delays in retraining their workforce, as well as lower levels of success.
In addition to the benefits of automation, technology has also come to play a key role in worker retention. As businesses become more dependent on technology, the type of training that workers receive has also changed. Instead of spending years receiving training that builds the skills they will use in the future, today’s workers receive training that is designed to prepare them for the rigors of the workforce of the future. Those programs are also typically focused on technology-based skills, which tend to match the type of technology that will be used in the future. Companies that have a well-developed and flexible future workforce are also more likely to retain their workers for the long term.
It is important to realize that one of the keys to retaining your workforce is to build in-house, on-the-job skills. If those skills do not match the expected future needs of your company, it may be necessary to train your employees for other job duties, or even to outsource those skills. But by focusing on developing new, on-the-job skills, businesses can greatly increase the chances that those workers will be retained for long periods of time.
Provided by Antonio Westley
Disclaimer: This article is meant to be seen as an overview of this subject and not a reflection of viewpoints or opinions as nothing is definitive. So, make sure to do your research and feel free to use this information at your own discretion.
