The following data helps us understand that many companies are adopting these new technologies to increase their businesses. It also supposes to improve the productivity and quality of the existing work of human employees. The expectation regarding this growth is to create new tasks from app development, to piloting remote monitoring of patients health and to certified care workers. All of which creates new opportunities for an entirely new range of livelihoods for workers.
However, by 2022 no less than 54% of all employees will require significant re- and upskilling. Another important requirement is additional training, 9% will require reskilling lasting six to 12 months, while 10% will require additional skills training of more than a year. A considerable improvement will be seen by 2022 which will include analytical thinking and innovation as well as active learning and learning strategies. A noticeable increase will have the technology design and programming highlights the growing demand for diverse forms of tech competency identified by employers.
This infographic indicates, to date, many employers’ upskilling efforts continue to concentrate on a limited set of existing highly-skilled and highly-valued employees. However, in order to formulate a successful workforce strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, businesses will need to recognize human capital investment as an asset rather than a liability. In the end, these statistics help business owners and not only, to make decisions when it comes to adopting technologies.
First, let’s take a glimpse of the following infographic and see how technology adoption can affect the Consumer Industry. A huge share of survey respondents from the industry indicated that, by 2022, their company was “likely” or “very likely” (on a 5-point scale) to have adopted new technology as part of its growth strategy.
Secondly, if we look at the barriers to adoption of new technologies, we can see the five biggest perceived barriers to the implementation of new technologies across the industry, as ranked by the share of survey respondents. The following graphic will show you which were the obstacles that were selected by the surveyed people that were perceived as impediments to successful new technology adoption faced by their company.
Thirdly we have the expected impact of new technology adoption on the workforce. In the following graphic, you can see the percentages representing the share of survey respondents from the industry who expect their company to have adopted the stated measure(s) over the 2018–2022 period as part of their current growth strategy.
Technological advancements are very likely to present real challenges to existing business models and practices. But hopefully, in the next years, these dynamic changes, whether they are disruptive or constructive will be the exact reason why new opportunities for growth develop.
What are the top industries where employment numbers have increased? Whether we are talking about the private or the public sector, the following industries continued the upward trend in 2018: construction, manufacturing, retail trade, education, health services, professional and business services.
From one year to another (December 2017 to December 2018), payroll employment (referring to the number of U.S. workers in the economy that excludes proprietors, private household employees, unpaid volunteers, farm employees, and the unincorporated self-employed) rose by 2.6 million (1.8 percent), compared with a gain of 2.2 million for the previous 12 months.
The employment growth has a positive effect on the economy. For instance, it affects large, multinational as well as small, regional organizations’ demand for talent and their ability to recruit the best candidates. In order to have an advantage in a competitive struggle for talent, organizations need to be aware of the current economic trends and the effect they have on the labor market.
High employment makes attracting and retaining the very best employees a little more difficult. Organizations should think proactively and integrate workforce planning into their business planning process in order to stay ahead of talent shortages (if the case) and increased competition for talent.
Workforce planning can actually help organizations analyze their current workforce, and more importantly, determine future workforce needs, to identify the gaps between the current and future workforce.
Organizations are reaching out to recruitment solutions specialists, who are experts in recruiting and retaining people with the benefit of a consultative partnership. In that scenario, the provider acts as an extension of an organization’s HR department, helping to streamline the recruiting process (sourcing, assessments, in-depth interviews, and selection).
Forecast Total employment is projected to grow by 11.5 million jobs over the 2016–26 decade, reaching 167.6 million jobs in 2026 and industry employment is projected to grow at a rate of 0.7 percent per year until 2026 (projections before 2016), faster than the 0.5 percent annual rate from 2006 to 2016 but much slower than rates seen during the decades leading up to the 2007–09 recession.
We are now living in a time where we can see the Fourth Industrial Revolution with our own eyes. One of the things we are going to notice is that major changes are being made in the business environment. These occur due to the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on other socio-economic and demographic factors. This combination creates significant disruptions in the labor market. As a result, you’ll notice the emergence of new job categories. That means some of the legacy jobs are being replaced by new ones. People must be ready for this kind of change as it transforms the way people work.
There are four drivers of change that have a strong say in the market today. Here are the ones that we must take into account: the ubiquitous high-speed mobile internet, artificial intelligence, widespread adoption of big data analytics and, last but not least, cloud technology. These are set to dominate the 2018-2022 period because these drivers of change will most definitely affect in a positive way the way businesses grow. Another important change comes with the increasing transition towards automation as nearly 50% of companies surveyed expect that their full-time workforce will decrease as a consequence.
This finding is based on the job profiles of their employee base today. Even with this happening, we must take into account the fact that 38% of businesses surveyed expect to extend their workforce to new productivity-enhancing roles, and more than a quarter expects automation to lead to the creation of new roles in their enterprise. There is a range of roles that will experience increases in the period up to 2022: Data Analysts and Scientists, Software and Applications Developers, and E-commerce and Social Media Specialists. We can tell that these roles that are significantly dependable on the use of technology. Another important aspect is that there is obvious evidence of accelerating demand for the latest technologies such as AI and Machine Learning Specialists, Process Automation Experts, Big Data Specialists, User Experience and Human-Machine Interaction Designers, Information Security Analysts, Robotics Engineers, and Blockchain Specialists.
Everyone must be ready for what’s coming by preparing ahead of time instead of adapting to change that’s already happened.
The first graphic presents the technology adoption by Automotive, Aerospace, Supply Chain & Transport industry. A huge share of survey respondents from the industry indicated that, by 2022, their company was “likely” or “very likely” (on a 5-point scale) to have adopted new technology as part of its growth strategy.
In the second graphic, we can see the five biggest perceived barriers to the implementation of new technologies across the industry, as ranked by the share of survey respondents. The following graphic will show you which were the obstacles that were selected by the surveyed people that were perceived as impediments to successful new technology adoption faced by their company.
The following graphic shows the expected impact of new technologies adoption on workforce. Here you can see the percentages representing the share of survey respondents from the industry who expect their company to have adopted the stated measure(s) over the 2018–2022 period as part of their current growth strategy.
Technological advancements are very likely to present real challenges to existing business models and practices. But hopefully in the next years, these dynamic changes, whether they are disruptive or constructive will be the exact reason why new opportunities of growth appear.
We’re all familiar with the fact that communication has two dimensions which are: speaking (expression) and listening (reception). Furthermore, there are four ways we communicate: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. But, what does it takes to become an excellent communicator? It is not just about speaking but also about listening. Speakers have the power to share their opinion and influence, but in the end, listeners will be the ones to who validate a message or not. One of the greatest lessons in life is to listen with the intent to understand what is being said, instead of just listening to respond. However, listening is essential to those who want to be successful in their professional or personal life. And the best way to start listening effectively is by not talking.
There are a few questions out there, that many of you may be wondering: How many of us are really good listeners? Can we learn something by listening? The fact is, that real listeners are hard to find, but when you come across one, it is like a breath of fresh air and it gives one the satisfaction of real communication. People spend 70 to 80% of their time engaged in many different forms of communication but only 55% of them, are really listening. Nowadays, it is easier to connect with others than before. But the question is: “Are we becoming bad at communicating?”. You might also wonder, what does this have to do with recruiting? It has everything to do with recruiting. Becoming a better listener is not as hard as it seems, but it requires commitment and effort. Still, before you go in this direction of learning how to become a better listener, remember that nobody is perfect, but being persistent and dedicated leads to improvement. There are two types of listeners: Active listeners and passive listeners.
Active listeners The person who pays attention and listens to understand what the speaker has to say and also provides feedback when it’s required is an active listener. It is also the person who has the careful attention to non-verbal forms of communication such as eye contact, expressions and also hand gestures. The truth is that this skill requires a lot of practice, it is not as easy as it sounds. During an interview with a candidate or a typical conversation, the most important thing to do is be present at the moment. Allow that person/ candidate to speak, stay focused on his words instead of planning your response. Active listeners are also open-minded. They absorb what other people are saying without interruption and accepting new ideas or perspectives instead of interjecting their own opinion. Instead of jumping into conclusions, let the other person express his or her view.
Passive listeners Passive listeners don’t make an effort to understand what the speaker has to say. However, they can be physically present and they can hear the conversation but may be completely distracted. Their job is to sit quietly and not respond to what the speaker has to say. Picture yourself listening to music when you are doing something. Although the music is playing, you pay attention to other work. Students are constantly dealing with this type of listening. They hear the teacher but are not attentive, therefore they do not retain the information. The former Senior VP and General manager of Nordstrom company, Betsy Sanders, said: “To learn through listening, practice it naively and actively. Naively means that you listen openly, ready to learn something, as opposed to listening defensively, ready to rebut. Listening actively means you acknowledge what you heard and act accordingly.”
How can we improve our listening skills?
Don’t look for the next thing to say, hear what the other person has to say, without planning your response. Our team of recruiters has many interviews every day and sometimes it can be challenging. If you’re a recruiter, it might be that you’ve had the perfect interview with a candidate. Therefore you are convinced that she will be the right fit for the job and you quickly screen her up by running through your checklist of questions. Scheduling the interview with the hiring manager would be the next step to take, but later you might find out that you have missed a few things which are important, and you’ll need to go back to talking with the candidate. Being engaged in the conversation and not looking for the next thing to say, will actually save you time in the long term.
Less talking more listening People who talk too much don’t always have much to say. That doesn’t mean that they know everything. This can lead to problems. You need to know when to stop talking and start listening. In our business, meetings and interviews are very important, they give you the opportunity to learn more and improve your knowledge. “A person who’s talking is giving away information–often more than he or she intended. A person who’s listening is receiving information”.(The Medium). A few things you can avoid doing are: giving out wrong information, making wrong assumptions, and also making use of the same resources. These can make you look less intelligent than you actually are.
Stop multitasking For recruiters as for many others, time is very valuable. Reports, emails, scheduled interviews, training other employees and many other tasks can be difficult. If you miss doing them at the right time, your projects and even your job might be at risk. But still, multitasking isn’t a superpower. Many are convinced that it helps them be more efficient and productive. Instead, it reduces your efficiency and performance. It is also slowing down your productivity and decreases the quality of your work. Let’s not forget that multitasking is affecting the quality of the conversation and also make people feel uncomfortable and unimportant, and some even angry. Instead of multitasking focus on being more organized, you will be amazed to see how many things you will do.
Always maintain eye contact with the speaker You don’t have to stare at the speaker, you can look away now and then acting normal, but still, be attentive. Picture yourself in a meeting, when your project manager has a presentation and you are distracted by your phone, or computer. Are you consciously taking that information in? You might create an uncomfortable situation. When you allow your mind to be distracted, those around you will notice it. Always maintain eye contact during a conversation, it is the most essential aspect of effective communication. Also, making eye contact with your listeners establishes a connection with them and conveys confidence and honesty.
Interrupting and imposing solutions We all know how that interrupting someone during a conversation is rude. If one of your clients is presenting their problem, refrain from talking about your solution until the end. Try to listen before you talk. If they need your help or advice, they’ll ask. Keep your ideas until the end and ask the speaker’s permission if he would like to hear about them. More than often, this is just basic communication courtesy, and most will not refuse. Although it is important if you are often interrupted during your speech, something might be wrong with it. Did you get the listeners attention, did you miss anything? Try figure it out, what didn’t work? Dealing with this kind of situation is challenging and requires a lot of practice, interruptions are not exceptions.
Ask questions One of the simplest ways to become a better listener is to ask more questions than you can answer. You can also create a safe space for others to be honest with you. Questions not only make you look smarter but also show that you are interested. It is also helpful when you are in doubt, to clear up misunderstandings. Wait for the speaker to pause, though, then ask the clarifying questions.
Be empathic Being empathic allows you to feel the same as the speaker does. You also give others permission to be relatable. Don’t forget to express joy when your speaker expresses happiness, and sadness when the other person is sad. To experience empathy, you need to put yourself in the other person’s place. It takes determination and concentration. But in the end, it is the best thing you can do in communication.
Summarize One great way to become a good listener is to summarize what the other person just said. This can help you understand what really happened. You can avoid any misunderstanding that could lead to frustration. Instead of making assumptions, summarizing helps you add your perspective, thoughts or even questions about what’s being said or not. We all have meetings, important conversations, and informal chats. Regardless of the person in front of you, wanting to understand what they’re really saying will go a long way. Listen carefully and write down only the essential words without adding any personal opinions.
According to the great psychotherapist, Carl Rogers, the major barrier in communication is our very natural inclination to judge, to approve or disapprove and to evaluate the disclosure of the other person or the other group. However, this evaluative tendency can be avoided when we listen to understand. “It means to see the expressed idea and attitude from the other person’s point of view, to sense how it feels to him, to achieve his frame of reference in regard to the thing he is talking about.”
A good listener is patient, attentive, responsive, curious, provides constructive feedback, is empathic, shows interest to the speaker as a person, is open-minded, doesn’t criticize and is nonjudgmental. Mastering the art of listening is a tremendous ability! Nonetheless, becoming a good listener takes time and practice, and it won’t happen in a flash. It requires willingness and commitment. By learning, we develop our virtues of patience and humbleness. It also teaches us to resolve conflicts by avoiding them. “Listening actually changes the person to whom you are listening”(Carl Rogers). We encourage you to listen and actually wait for your turn to talk. Listen attentively, you can always learn new things from another person’s experience. Once you are aware that you won’t jump into “Ok, it’s my turn”, you’ll have the ability to appreciate someone’s story or advice.
We strongly believe that a recruiter’s most powerful skill is being an active listener. Our advice is to take time to listen to your candidates and try to find what is really important to them. Recruiters have the responsibility to match the best candidates with the right positions. When it comes to our client’s organizations, it’s important we understand their requirements, get familiar with their business and culture before we can think about what candidates would be a good fit.
Our team is valuable, therefore keeping them motivated and happy is important. Trust your employees and encourage them to speak their minds. When they talk, it’s your turn to listen. Concerns or complaints are inevitable, and our mission is to solve them properly without rushing to judgments. Sometimes communication becomes a problem when we need to confront someone about their mistakes. Do it wisely without assuming that you have people figured out. Ask questions, listen and do your best to understand the whole picture. “Make sure that good listening techniques are a part of training at all levels of management, leadership, and HR so all your employees can feel comfortable addressing and reacting to complaints in the proper manner”(Cathy Siska, Chief Operating Officer).
Companies expect a good improvement by implementing the technologies below by changing the frontier between humans and machines when it comes to existing tasks between 2018 and 2022. Until last year, 2018, 71% of tasks were performed by humans, compared to 29%, by machines. By 2022, this standard is expected to change to 58% task hours for humans and 42% by machines. However, last year no work task was yet estimated to be performed, most of all by algorithms or machines. At the same time, the expectation for 2022 is different, by increasing the contribution of machines and algorithms to 57%. For instance, by 2022, 62% of the organization’s information and data processing, searching reports and transmission tasks will be completed by machines, compared to 46% today. Even the ordinary tasks that are not so overwhelming for humans such as communicating and interacting (23%), developing, managing and advising (20%); likewise decision-making and reasoning (18%) will start to be automated ( 30%, 29%, and 27%).
So what do these numbers tell us?
The large firms in the global (non-agricultural) workforce indicate that 75 million jobs may be displaced by a shift in the division of activity between machines and humans, while 133 million new roles may arise that are suitable to the new division of work between humans, algorithms, and machines. At the same time, these estimates and hypothesis behind them should be treated with caution, because they represent a subdivision of employment globally, they are useful in highlighting the types of adaptation strategies that must be installed to assist the progress of the transition of the workforce to the new world.
Here are three aspects tackled for you. They will show you how Energy Utilities & Technologies are influenced by the adoption of new technologies, they will also illustrate the existing barriers created, and they will summarize the impact on the workforce.
Let’s start with a look at the following infographic. A huge share of analysis of the respondents from the industry indicated that, by 2022, their company was “likely” or “very likely” (on a 5-point scale) to have adopted new technology as part of its growth strategy.
Secondly, if we check out the barriers to adoption of new technologies, we can discover that the five biggest perceived barriers to the implementation of new technologies across the industry, as ranked by the share of survey respondents. The following graphic will inform you which were the major obstacles, that were chosen by the surveyed people, perceived as impediments to successful new technology adoption faced by their company.
Thirdly, we would like to share this information related to the expected impact of new technology adoption on the workforce. In this last graphic, you can see the percentages representing the share of survey respondents from the industry who expect their company to have adopted the stated measure(s) over the 2018–2022 period as part of their current growth strategy.
The expectation of this technological progress presents a real challenge to the existing business models and practices. At the same time, we hope for the next years that these dynamic changes, whether they are causing confusion or will be constructive will be the exact reason why new opportunities of growth appear.
Creating a diverse workplace definitely pays off. These recruitment statistics show that the top reasons companies focus on creating a diverse workplace are statistically connected to the benefits that come with it. Firstly, diversity improves company culture as reported by 78% of respondents. Secondly, it improves company performance at least according to 62% of the surveyed lot. And thirdly, a percentage of 49 of respondents said they incorporate diversity in their business so they can be more relatable to their clients.
Business leaders might want to better relate to customers because of the benefits it brings. McKinsey’s research on the link between company financial performance and ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity finds that companies in the top quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to have financial returns above their national industry medians. In this case, some might want to look into ways of integrating into their organization people with different cultural backgrounds that would match the cultural dimensions of the business clientele. With regards to improving company performance, the same study pointed out that diversity is a competitive differentiator that is shifting market share toward more diverse companies. The analysis of the data revealed a positive relationship between financial performance and greater diversity in leadership. The reason for this might be because the more diverse a company is the better it is to improve employee satisfaction and thus decision making.
In conclusion, although improving organizational culture through variety might be difficult, it is well worth it. It might be hard to achieve a cohesive one direction oriented group with people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds because of unconscious bias, but companies that manage to do it are also able to achieve a global mindset and cultural fluency which in turn translates into higher profit.
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