Emerging Skills and Shifts in Workforce Planning: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Work

The traditional approaches to workforce planning are no longer sufficient as technological advancements, globalization, and demographic shifts reshape the world of work. 

Today, effective workforce planning has become a critical factor in organizational success. 

We will explore the key emerging skills and shifts in workforce planning and discuss how organizations can navigate changes to build a resilient and future-ready workforce. 

The Changing Landscape of Workforce Planning 

Historically, workforce planning focused on assessing current workforce requirements and sourcing talent to meet those requirements. However, the rapid rate of change in the business world has necessitated a change in this strategy. 

1. Technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence and automation, have disrupted industries and rendered some job roles obsolete while simultaneously creating new ones. 
2. Globalization has created new markets and increased competition, necessitating an organization’s diverse and adaptable workforce. 
3. Moreover, demographic shifts, such as an aging population and the rise of the millennial generation, have influenced changes in workplace expectations and values. 

Consider Emerging Skills While Workforce Planning 

Organizations must develop emerging skills to navigate the shifting landscape. Prioritizing specific emerging skills is essential for individuals and teams to thrive in the modern workforce. 

Consider these game-changing areas and traits for workforce planning: 

1. Digital literacy and technological proficiency: As technology plays an ever-increasing role in the workplace, employees must have a solid foundation in digital literacy and be proficient with various digital tools and platforms. 
2. Data analysis and interpretation: As organizations collect large amounts of data, finding meaningful insights is essential for making informed decisions. 
3. Critical thinking and problem-solving: The ability to think critically and solve complex problems is invaluable in workforce planning, as it requires analyzing different scenarios, identifying potential challenges, and devising effective strategies. 
4. Adaptability and agility: Individuals and organizations must approach workforce planning with adaptability and agility. This includes being receptive to new ideas, embracing change, and adapting quickly to changing business requirements. 
5. Emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills: In an increasingly interconnected world, strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence are essential for effective collaboration, communication, and building positive relationships within diverse teams. 
6. Creativity and innovation: Organizations must foster a culture of creativity and innovation. This includes encouraging employees to think creatively, generate new ideas, and contribute to strategic workforce planning.

The infographic lists only a few functions, such as procurement, finance, and marketing. We must update our skill sets and job descriptions. 

Shifts in Workforce Planning Strategies 

While organizations must adopt new workforce planning strategies to incorporate emerging skills, we already see some notable shifts:

1. Data-driven and predictive analytics-based approaches: Traditionally, workforce planning methods relied on historical data and assumptions.

However, with the advancements in data analytics and predictive modeling, organizations can now utilize data-driven insights to forecast future talent requirements, identify skill gaps, and develop proactive workforce strategies.

2. Focus on agility and flexibility: Beyond rigid, long-term plans, workforce planning must embrace agility and adaptability. This involves monitoring and adjusting strategies in response to changing business needs, market dynamics, and emerging skill requirements.

3. Diversity and inclusion: Workforce planning teams embrace diversity and inclusion. Recognize the value of diverse perspectives, establish inclusive workplaces, ensure equal access to opportunities, and leverage diverse skills to drive innovation and competitiveness.

4. Be wary of changing catchment areas: The recent shift in the talent landscape has changed catchment area evaluations.

Draup recently mapped Poland to find the most accessible talent sources. Our findings showed a fascinating new talent pool with opportunities and challenges businesses must adapt to thrive in an evolving environment.

5. Lifelong learning and upskilling/reskilling initiatives: Reduced shelf life of skills is directly proportional to technological progress.

The new workplaces value skills over degrees. They prefer to find ways to upskill or reskill workers and give those left behind the chance to compete for well-paying jobs today and tomorrow. 

Hence, workforce planning must involve investment in continuous learning and upskilling/reskilling programs to increase employability, employee engagement, and retention.

6. Break the perception of the aging workforce: Western nations view the aging population as a burden, but that needs to change. Healthcare technology, better living conditions, and GPT platforms can help older workers remain productive.

Generational differences aren’t always a problem, and new studies show this. We must value the aging population and their contributions to our changing world. 

New skill- and cost-effective opportunities will arise if we change our mindsets and apply granular reskilling paths. 

Conclusion 

Workforce planning teams can build a resilient and agile workforce that adapts to change, drives growth, and stays competitive with new skills and strategies. 

Additionally, the focus must emphasize digital literacy, data analysis, critical thinking, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and creativity. 

Organizations must invest in workforce planning and development to ensure long-term success in the face of changing skill needs. 

A talent intelligence platform such as Draup eliminates workforce challenges to assist workforce planning teams in developing a strategic plan to achieve business objectives. 

This analytics-driven platform aids in making smarter business decisions, thereby enabling the achievement of business objectives. 

It analyzes over 10+ million data points across 33 industries and over 4 million career paths and offers insights into the ecosystem at emerging locations and archetype analysis of specific businesses.