It seems jarring to attach the word "disruption" to something as old school as talent. Technology is disruptive, digital is disruptive, mobile is disruptive… but talent?
Consider these opinions by two HR consultants who know a thing or two about today's talent landscape: Tony Steadman, a Principal with EY People Advisory Services, says that "an unprecedented reinvention of work is happening."
Meanwhile, Mike DiClaudio, a Principal in KPMG's Advisory Services, says that "we're rapidly moving away from the way organizations have been designing jobs, career progressions, compensation structures, and competency structures for the past 100 years." One hundred years! DiClaudio goes on to say that we've seen all of that get totally upended by different organizing constructs that focus more on skills than on jobs.
Skills, not jobs. It's a skills economy and here's the kicker—we don't, and won't, have the skills necessary to fill the needs of tomorrow's economy. And probably not even today's economy. The "war for talent" is really a struggle for skills. There are simply not enough people possessing the necessary skills to succeed. Simply put, skills are in too short supply.
This widespread skills shortage is causing many organizations to rethink fundamental notions of work and HR strategy, along with other components of HR's operating model. Many organizations face major shortages of highly skilled labor, which is causing a ripple effect across the entire company—even reaching the corner offices. Today, executives point to this scarcity of talent and skills as the economic and social issue that will most greatly impact their organization over both the short and long term.
Unfortunately, as we point out in this month's cover story, there is no easy solution to the problem. But it's a problem that desperately needs to be addressed. And that, as is so often the case, spells lots of opportunity for consultants.
Joseph Kornik Publisher & Editor-in-Chief jkornik@alm.com
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.