Workforce
strategy
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Specialisation
The expertise we obtain and build to succeed
How can we anticipate the roles we’ll need (and the roles being displaced)?
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Rivalry
The reasons employees choose us over competitors
Are we winning now? How can we win as our requirements change with our strategy?
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Humanity
The good we do for our people—and the world
Does our company purpose resonate with our people?
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Scarcity
The talent shortages and skills deficits that could harm our performance
Where are we short on talent now? What skills will we need?
If you lead, manage or plan a workforce, you’ve got your hands full. You need to inspire and support your people right now—through geopolitical conflict, through the profound changes engendered by AI—even as you help them redefine the nature of their jobs and roles so they can thrive in a highly uncertain (and likely more automated) future. And only by getting the balance right can you create the kinds of sustained outcomes that will benefit the company, your workforce and even society.
A good place to start is grounding your thinking in a better understanding of the dynamics that your workforce strategy arises from, and depends on. Four underlying forces—specialisation, scarcity, rivalry and humanity—have been shaping workforces at key points throughout human history, and they’re highly relevant again today. Taken together, the forces offer a framework to help leaders understand the interplay among workforce strategy, business strategy, culture and technology. The resulting management conversations can help challenge you and your team to better understand the talent bets you’ve already placed but might not be aware of; better identify where your people do (and don’t) add unique value; and, above all, start anticipating tomorrow’s workforce challenges while better handling today’s.
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