Adecco: Managers pay little heed to changes that will come to the work-place
A survey conducted by Respons Analyse, on behalf of Adecco, indicates that managers recruit conservatively, taking little account of changes that will come to the work-place, based mainly on concerns for today’s needs.
‘I think many companies take too few risks when recruiting, and want to stick with employees who have the wrong skills for when the changes really arrive,’ said the CEO of Adecco, Torben Sneve.
Recruitment is based mainly on today’s needs
Only 7% of the respondents expect major changes in the work situation of the future, and therefore do not recruit those with other competence than that which they need today.
Around 36% of managers recruit based only on today’s needs. 57% take some small consideration about changes they think will comein the future, but basically they recruit based on today’s needs.
‘Most businesses will win by using more long-term thinking when they recruit, they must dare to rely on a different proficiency profile than they have traditionally done,’ said Sneve.
According to the survey, the majority of managers (49%) believe that the changes will happen in 5 to 10 years. 23% think they will have arrived already in between 2 to 5 years.
‘Digitalisation and automation in the labor market are now taking place at record speed. Many companies can get a real shock when they see that the rate of change is accelerating so quickly, and they are sitting there with employees who only have a competence adapted to old needs’, said Torben Sneve.
Construction, the retail trade, health, social and care services tend to recruit the most conservatively.
They relate only to a small extent to changes in the work situation when they recruit.
‘You will see big upheavals in these industries as well. If something can be automated, it will be automated, even at the construction site’, said Sneve.
A total of 61% of the leaders surveyed believe that technical and digital skills are important in most jobs. 36% believe that robots and algorithms will take over, doing more jobs.
37% believe that a person will get many career opportunities, and will constantly have to adapt to change.
‘The winners in the future’s labour market will be those who manage to change themselves, thus acquiring the necessary skills throughout their working lives,’ said Sneve.
© Adecco / Norway Today
