In The Coronavirus Era, Why Is Employee Mobility Important?

Covid employee mobility workforce development
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    For many of us in the professional world, 2020 has brought on new worries and challenges. According to The Economist, four-fifths of CEOs worry about skill shortages. In 2012, only half of the CEOs reported this worry. 

    Many organizations are reassessing their talent acquisition strategies and learning that the way they not only acquire but nurture talent, needs to undergo a makeover. Why, during a time of such uncertainty and restriction, is employee mobility more important than ever?

    This post will guide you through the reasons why companies should aim to create more flexible and mobile plans for their workers, and how employee mobility might support an age of innovative thinking. 

    Essential Stakeholders In Your Firm

    Employee Engagement Right In Front of You: Before looking outside your business for the best talent, try reevaluating the people you already have. Start by investing in a solid career development program, which will keep your most talented employees engaged and excited. 

    This is a tough time. Organizations are facing a massive talent shortage (the worst in over a decade) and top talent is becoming harder to find. Looking inside your company, rather than outside to find skilled employees will save you time and help strengthen the professional community you have already invested in building. 

    In light of the world’s current crisis, organizations need to react quickly and effectively to internal and external challenges. This means the jobs and employee expectations need to be redesigned and restructured, which conflicts with the linear methods that many companies currently use.  

    Alternative Career Development 

    There are also many reasons why organizations are being pushed to consider other approaches in career development and talent acquisition strategy. Below are some of the most crucial. 

    Unpredictability: The world has become a more uncertain place. The same goes for the organizations we work for. Many individuals can no longer assume that they will have a lifetime of employment from their company, especially those who work in the arts or education.  

    Due to extreme circumstances, people are taking charge of their careers rather than relying on key stakeholders to provide a path for them. In a time of job restructuring, layoffs, and the global pandemic, workers are beginning to move across companies and look into developing their skills

    The gig-economy: Contract workers, consultants, gig-workers, and freelancers  make up about 30-40% of the workforce in the United States. 

    Even major organizations like Google have begun to utilize this sector of the workforce and focus on its development. 

    The independent freelance worker wants wiggle room. Freelancers do not usually remain with one business for a long time, and therefore, companies need to approach this kind of worker with a flexible attitude.  

    New Work, New Learning Philosophy 

    New Kinds of Work: As mentioned previously, some companies are finding themselves inspired by the current gig-economy, and as a result, are organizing projects and teams around them. 

    For example, the major innovator AT&T is actively excited by the future of work, claiming that it will be mostly project-based. Projects can be altered to fit the surrounding environment, and perhaps more importantly, require a deeper knowledge of coworkers across multiple disciplines. 

    New Expectations: Change is present in every element of work, including how employees expect to move forward in their careers. 

    Career paths aren’t like lines anymore. Many modern employees no longer expect to stay with one company or even in one career for the rest of their lives. Millennials especially want to keep their options open and put their various skills to use. To stay in the game, companies need to realize that workers want to work more holistically, increase their curiosity, and expand their skill stack rather than staying stagnant in one position. 

    The Ultimate Importance of Employee Mobility 

    This pandemic has been proved a traumatic experience both in and out of the workplace, and it’s no secret that the economic impacts will be tough to bear for millions.

    While it can be tempting to focus on the short term in times of crisis, take a breath and think about the future. Soon, we will rise again from these challenges, and you will be rewarded for your long-term approach. How has your business made positions more flexible and inviting for modern employees? What are the changes you would like to see in the structure of your job? Let’s start a conversation here at WeLearn because together, we can thrive.

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