Talent Transformation, post the Pandemic

The global pandemic has created a situation that requires many industries and organisations to change to a new mode of business. Organisations will need to think of new models to deliver the business. Also, the worker and the manager, both have realized that a certain amount of work can be executed away from the workplace. While this may vary from industry to industry, we can certainly bank on them to be able to identify the chunk of this ‘remote work’. But of course, this needs many changes to happen at the workplace, at the operating model level; and so, the organisation will need to change the practice of talent management.

Change in the way work gets executed means that organisations will need to relook at the aspects of workforce composition, work allocation, measuring the performance and keeping its workforce intact. Changes in the operating model would impact how work gets done in a distributed manner; precise and objective reporting of work will be needed; a practical and accurate means of collaboration and communication which relies on the right data made available to the right person at the right time. Bringing about all these changes will need the management to provide the required support; in ensuring that the employees pick up new skills quickly (from remote locations too), in providing the right technology support to the employees to ensure high levels of productivity.

This global change is already happening, and change management will need to be expedited. The client (or the end user) will also be undergoing change, in the way they organize themselves, in the way they work, and this would, in turn, trigger a demand for change from its vendors. This is a good situation, with the client and the vendors being subject to similar changes and therefore mutual sensitivity will exist. However, the complexity arises from having to provide the same service levels and quality in the new way of life.

Is your organisation (Business and the HR) prepared to handle this transformation? Conventional thinking may have to take a back seat, thinking out of the box for enabling the workforce will be needed. Speed will be of essence in implementing this change.