Bridgr Insights

Preparing for tomorrow’s workforce, today – A PwC report

In this survey, the consulting firm PwC try to understand how companies can prepare for the future of work at a time where technological progress is disrupting it. It also raises the question of the HR investments that need to be made today to prepare for the future of work, while the context of tomorrow is still unclear,

Indeed, although most companies have been able to identify the technologies they need to implement to ensure their success, this study shows that most of them do not know how to integrate them into their organization. How can today’s companies have a clear vision of the future of work when they do not know what tomorrow will look like? To answer this question, the firm interviewed 1246 leaders in 79 countries. What are the facts to remember from this study?

1- Key findings

In several surveys, HR executives were asked to rank, in order of importance, 45 capabilities that will enable companies to succeed in the context of tomorrow and the 10 capabilities that will become at risk if no action is taken. Among the 10 capabilities at risk, the most frequently mentioned are:

Data-driven decisions: Companies are well aware of the potential of data and data analysis to enable better decision making but are not yet able to use them for HR decisions.

Skill gap: Companies need to analyze skill gaps and not achieving this could be a major risk to talent retention.

Remove bias: Data analysis could play a key role in enabling organizations to make decisions by eliminating bias in recruitment or rewards.

Flexible talents: The ability to use talent from external sources is a key success factor, but 58% of respondents believe that they do not have the flexibility to use it when they need it.

2- The actions to be undertaken

In the second part of the study, the authors study six key priorities for HR departments and the ways in which they can be addressed. These key actions are the following:

  • Create a competitive advantage by strengthening employee engagement,
  • Use the data analysis of skills to leverage your talents,
  • Engage business leaders and HR teams to initiate real change,
  • Integrate technology into HR processes,
  • Unlock the potential of external talents and gain flexibility by using these resources
  • Have a clear vision. Indeed, some tasks will necessarily be automated, and HR must not deny it but support employees in the transformation of their job.

To discover all the key findings and how you can prepare tomorrow’s workforce today, check the full study. 

Read the full report

Clementine Roy

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