Coding the future of work into a businesses’ DNA

As organisations face uncertainty and scarce resources, securing value from new technology becomes a necessity. However, realising ROI often proves elusive. A recent MIT study of 300 GenAI pilots concluded 95% returned no value.

A causal factor behind this disconnect is the failure to change the way people work to complement new technology.  Realising value is therefore dependent on defining what the future workforce needs to do differently and have a plan that re-wires jobs alongside the shiny tech.

Research highlights this problem is not being addressed. The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report concluded 9 out of 10 organisations anticipate significant skill gaps within the next five years, yet only one-third feel prepared to manage them effectively.

The skills disconnect underlines the need for businesses to change the way workforce planning is undertaken.

Workforce planning is often conducted as a cyclical one-off exercise. The initial traction made is often eroded as tactical operational decisions undermine the future state depicted in slides that only gather dust.

The following cycle supports organisations in adopting a more iterative approach that operationalises the planning process:

1. Discovery – capture near and long-term strategic drivers
2. Identify – translate demand into common people capabilities, identifying cross-functional overlaps and standalone requirements
3. Design – produce target structures depicting which roles/skills need to stop, start and continue
4. Implement – embed the structures and measure progress in governance forums (e.g. operational reviews)

Crucially this cycle needs to be continually run within the organisation. This creates a regular touchpoint that supports leaders in revising and iterating thinking, changing the way people use technology. Simply put, it’s a constant work in progress.

As the pace of change increases it’s crucial to continually assess and refine the future to adapt as the environment changes.