Workforce of the future: The competing forces shaping 2030 Who leads on people strategy? What does the workforce look like? Organisational challenges “There’s a lack of loyalty from the company • Innovation and people are inseparable in the • Specialism is highly prized and workers seek • Speed to market is everything in the Red towards the employees. Red World. to develop the most sought‑after skills to World – any decision‑making process or Workers with skills in command the biggest reward package. hierarchy that delays innovation is a barrier demand will prosper, • HR does not exist as a separate function and to success. those with outdated skills entrepreneurial leaders rely on outsourced • Organisations are typically stripped‑down and services and automation for people processes. nimble, supplemented by talent attracted by the • While ideas flourish, organisations compete to will be abandoned.” next promising opportunity. ‘own’ them. Part-time Government • Larger organisations scour the world to employee (66), USA ‘acqui‑hire’ talent and intellectual property • A small number of ‘pivotal people’ with • Innovation creates a high‑risk environment; using specialist talent strategists in combination outstanding management skills command regulation struggles to catch up – but when it with AI to identify the specialists they want. high rewards. does, it impacts unevenly and suddenly. • Digital platforms match worker with employer • Like‑minded workers gravitate towards each • Workforces are lean but there’s still intense and skills with demand. other, aided by technology, sparking bubbles competition for critical skills. of innovation. • Performance is all about the end result rather than the process – ‘old‑fashioned’ performance • Projects quickly flourish, evolve and resolve and measurement and analysis is rare. specialists move rapidly from one to the next. 14