Why enterprises must focus on digital adoption of teams for a future-ready workforce
Founder, Director of Avaali Solutions Srividya Kannan speaks to timesofindia and shares some valuable learnings as a successful business woman.
Technological advancements are changing the nature and requirements of jobs. With rapid digitalization happening across sectors, preparing for the future with a ready, competent, and skilled workforce has emerged as one of the top priorities of businesses. Business agility is directly linked to talent agility. To stay agile and competitive, organizations now realize that leveraging emerging technologies is critical to maintaining competitive advantage.
Acquiring and keeping great talent is imperative to competitive advantage. However, several companies face a shortage of critical talent. In fact, as per recent research, by 2024, 33% of the skills that were present in an average job posting in 2019 will no longer be there – every five years, one-third of the skills in any job description is becoming obsolete. Marketers need to know AI. Supply chain folks need to know analytics. Citizen development and business technologists are in high demand.
Technology adoption coupled with skill development is the need of the hour. Additionally, providing access to technology empowers employees to do their best work. Employees can be more creative and productive when they have access to the latest tools and technologies.
However, technology adoption presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses. To stay competitive, enterprises must focus on ensuring digital adoption by their teams. Mere investment in technology is not enough; it is crucial to ensure that they are taken live quickly and that employees are using them actively.
Better use of digital technologies can result in better business outcomes. Enterprises realize that their employees need to know the value of emerging technologies and learn how to use them. There is a dire need to focus on sustained, result-oriented, value-based training of employees for digital dexterity. They need to have an integrated, holistic approach to the capacity enhancement of the workforce. The markets are getting competitive every day, and talent managers can’t afford to have a workforce with scarce skill sets; thus, they need to promote a learning culture and upskill for the development of digital talent.
Skilling, upskilling, and reskilling for digital talent development
To successfully navigate this evolving landscape, enterprises must critically evaluate their existing workers and business priorities, taking stock of their current capabilities and any emerging talent gaps or challenges. By doing so, they can formulate an effective strategy for developing the modern workforce and adapting to the changing demands of today’s digital-first world. It is crucial to focus on continuous learning and improvement, leveraging cutting-edge technology to remain competitive in this rapidly evolving landscape. It is equally important to challenge legacy expectations about how, when, and where to work and differentiate measuring activity versus achieving workplace and business outcomes.
Additionally, teams should constantly watch the latest industry trends, identify if they will last beyond at least a couple of years, determine whether it is vital to their teams and prepare their talent to capitalize on those trends for business success.
Conducting a gap analysis of the current state versus future scenarios and putting together an executable action plan to plug these gaps is crucial. And this needs to be done dynamically, involving cross-functional teams. This is not for the HR team to do in a siloed approach. Clear programs with learning objectives/metrics and timelines and assigning teams based on capabilities would be a good starting point.
The talent development process should be engaging, bringing a sense of ownership amongst employees, and linking them to a larger goal or objective. Clarity in communication is essential because the employees need to know the reasons behind upskilling and why it is essential to hone their skills as per the constantly changing job and business requirements. There is also a need to create an ecosystem that promotes learning and focuses on the long-term benefits of upskilling and reskilling employees.
Furthermore, enterprises need to map the skilling journey of employees with constant feedback, assessments, and tests and continuously course correct as required.
The keen involvement of senior stakeholders is imperative to ensure effective digital adoption by the workforce.
An Internal Talent Marketplace
An internal talent marketplace, or ITM, is a powerful tool that can help fundamentally transform how employees at an organization are connected to work assignments. An ITM can help employees access tasks they may not have been aware of by offering a centralized platform that facilitates identifying and connecting with work opportunities. Furthermore, it allows workers to utilize their work assignments as a valuable development resource, enabling them to build skills, gain experience, and perform more effectively on future assignments.
In addition to these benefits for individual employees, an effective ITM can transform how internal and external talent is utilized throughout an enterprise. Ensuring that skilled workers are matched with suitable projects based on their capabilities and availability can improve efficiency and help organizations meet their strategic objectives more effectively. With these advantages in mind, it is clear why many modern businesses have embraced internal talent marketplaces as essential tools in their talent management strategies.
By ensuring digital adoption by their teams, businesses can reap many benefits, including increased efficiency, agility, and innovation; a more engaged workforce; and a better work-life balance for employees. With so much at stake, it’s no wonder that digitization has become such an important focus for businesses today.