How can we build a workforce for our digital future?

All companies face the challenge of building a digital-ready workforce in an ever-evolving business environment. To do that, any company must get two things right. First, they have to fill a clear talent gap in technological skills vital to digital strategy. Second, they must develop the 80% of their workforce already in place today who will still be there tomorrow.

Employees today increasingly demand more than a paycheck. They want to believe that their work matters; they want to be part of a culture that fits their values; and they want to be engaged and inspired by their jobs. At the same time, companies have changing needs as well. They want to operate in a more nimble fashion with a more fluid, flexible workforce, and they need employees with contemporary skills. Talent strategy needs to balance the needs of both employees and employers.

These changes create a new set of challenges and opportunities for employers. A renewed emphasis on development will likely entail investments in training, apprenticeship and cross-functional rotations. Employers will benefit from creating strong, clear links between employees’ work and the purpose it serves. New systems reflecting these changes will need to be developed.

Companies creating a digital-ready workforce may find that the digital technologies that have forced them to consider new approaches to talent management become an important part of how they solve the talent challenge. We have only scratched the surface of what is possible.

To read the full article from Bain, please click here.