The HR landscape is emerging with new job profiles, new types of qualifications, new working methods and different demands within the mechanisms of work-life balance. The future of work will adapt to these new needs and demands.

While we have more opportunities to automate and analyze work processes, we are also experiencing changes in the work conditions and frameworks itself. For example, digitization enables more flexibility and cooperation independently of the location. However, the administrative procedures are becoming less effective as we focus on more qualitative tasks.

1: 💥Focus on jobs with high impact

Recruiting the right people is becoming a key mission, as the stakes for making the right hire are rising.

Automation is already displacing workers as we transition to a digital economy.

Moving towards a digital economy, business models are built around AI, especially within blue-collar jobs. Automation allows businesses to save money, due to the reduction in human error and increased efficiency. While AI nowadays is found in mobile devices (Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa), it is already making important decisions within finance, defense systems & matters of public safety.

As machine learning is advancing and taking over decision making of the future, it leaves us with the question: what will our role be?

While jobs with repetitive tasks are decreasing, the ones that require creative skill-sets are increasing. With an influx of tech stacks and tools, we see that jobs become more complex. The difference between a “good” or “great” hire will lead to a huge impact for businesses. The future of work will see an increase in “hybrid jobs”, a mix between the actual job and technology, as digital know-how is required.

This is why HR departments need to consider workforce planning critically, and think about what exact skills are required by the company to achieve their future goals. After that, it’s up to recruiters to identify the right people for the job.

2: 🌎Remote Working is on the rise

According to predictions in Upwork’s third annual Future Workforce Report, 73% of all departments will have remote workers by 2028.

As companies are competing for top talent, it is important to consider opening the talent pipeline to consider remote talents. Disqualifying top talent from the recruitment processes due to location can be critical. Remote teams will be able to hire the best candidates in the world.

A need to digitize workflows.

HR teams need to analyze their processes and roles, in order to prepare the various contexts. Another challenge is the technology itself. There are so many digital products and services out there, that it is important to choose the right ones. Functionality, user-friendliness and stability should be available- but in many cases they are not yet.

When going through processes, it is important to focus on the appropriate metrics. Measuring “time spent on work” is becoming less important. Metrics on the rise are focused on productivity: “getting the job done”.

Remote policies will impact your company culture

Are you prepared for the future of work expectations? We see an increase in “home office” being offered as a job benefit. This is due to talent expecting a flexible and agile work environment as a condition in their terms of employment.

HR teams need to think about their remote policies. Do they reflect a trust in their people or do they over-regulate the management of home office? There are companies who fail in remote working, expecting daily video standups with 30+ people, surveilling work and setting unrealistic availability expectations.

There is a huge potential for remote working to provide diverse and inclusive teams. Companies who digitize their workflows and embrace remote working will have a first-mover advantage in attracting the best talent and differentiating themselves from the competition.

3: 💡Continued Workplace Learning will be mission-critical

79% of CEOs worldwide are concerned that a lack of essential skills in their workforce will threaten the future growth of their organisation, according to PwC.

Workplace Learning is will have a significant role in the future of work, to ensure that the workforce is prepared.

Talent managers are trying to find new ways to increase engagement and measure business impact of learning. Upskilling & Reskilling are not just major buzzwords, since digital transformations and technology are driving the demand for a smart workforce.

The questions driving HR departments:

How to scale learning?
How to measure learning impact on business?
How to predict future skill needs?

According to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report 2020, more than 1/3 of L&D pros globally are expecting their budgets to grow year over year.

Are you ready for the future of work? Connect with Lionstep to find out how to digitize and optimize your recruiting processes.

Read about the experience our scale-up customer Radicant had with Lionstep.

As an ambitious candidate ready for change, you will discover interesting job offers on our job board.