In today’s volatile job market, having a comprehensive strategy that gives employees a reason to join and stay with your organisation is critical. The framework presented hereunder outlines the underlying forces which influence an organisation’s workforce strategy. Organisations who understand these forces and how they apply to their workforce would be optimally placed to develop an edge in creating vibrant workforces capable of achieving sustained, positive outcomes.
When organisations use the four forces as a starting point to examine workforce challenges and opportunities, this can lead to discovering workforce considerations in a larger context which include the business strategy, organisational model and operating approach.
The first identified force is that of Specialisation, which refers to modern organisations’ need for expertise and specialised skills in order to succeed. Currently, this force is catalysed by technology which eases collaboration amongst different employees, areas of the organisation and between different organisations. Technology makes it easier for employees or organisations to collaborate and depend on one another for skills and expertise, making it less necessary for an organisation to have numerous employees ‘generalising’ on the same thing.
Moreover, as organisations focus on what they do best, they may also opt to resort to outsourcing certain work rather than building this skill. Consider how local organisations are increasingly depending on digitally booked couriers for delivery services, which were previously conducted by their in-house resources .
Locally, we have noted an increase in organisation’s interest and effort to outsource services, as around 30% of the PwC HR Pulse Survey 2021 respondents have indicated this as one of the initiatives they took in the previous twelve months (September 2020 – September 2021).
Secondly, technology is propelling specialisation on an employee level where new, highly specialised roles, are being created. This includes roles such as cyber security, data scientists and software engineers.
In this regard, leaders must evaluate what new skills are needed and when, if it would be optimal to upskill or reskill internally, or source talent externally. Failing to anticipate the skills, and level of specialisation, that will be needed in the future will mean lost opportunities for the organisation.
Given the difference amongst organisations and the interrelated nature of these forces, there is no best way to approach this framework. Some, if not all, of these four forces may pose a significant threat or opportunity to your organisation while others may not be a concern at this point in time.
These forces can be used when evaluating the workforce’s challenges and opportunities and can also be evaluated to initiate valuable conversations amongst leaders and HR practitioners. These conversations can lead to insights in other areas such as business strategy or organisation structure.