The workforce is changing, not only in composition (contingents, full-time workers, temps, etc.) but also in terms of demographics and attitude. And in turn, HR managers, recruiters and business leaders are adjusting their workforce, recruitment and business strategies.
Here's a recap of some of the indications of this shift we've seen over the past two weeks:
Harvard Business Publishing: Inside Proctor & Gamble's New Values-Based Strategy. As companies contemplate how to emerge from the recession, some are radically adjusting their business strategies. Proctor & Gamble, for one, just announced a new values-based strategy that will focus primarily not on profits, but on touching and improving the lives of customers.
Marketing Charts: Older Americans to Fuel 93% of Future Workforce Growth. A new report from Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project shows that older adults are staying in the workforce longer, while younger adults are delaying their entry. In fact, 93 percent of growth in the U.S. labor force from 2006 to 2016 will be among workers ages 55+. The survey attributes this trend to a number of demographic, economic and attitudinal factors.
Workforce Management's Global Work Watch: From Disposable to Recyclable Employees. The post recaps the findings of recent studies that looked at employee security, satisfaction and loyalty, and insinuates that there needs to be a movement away from viewing employees as dispensable. Companies should create a culture of respect and show they are invested in helping their employees develop their skills and careers. Results will follow.
The Wall Street Journal: A New Job Just a Tweet Away. Skyrocketing unemployment has led to major overcrowding of online job boards. Sorting through the scrolls of resumes and applicants--many of whom are inapplicable--has become a time-consuming and costly task. To cope, many larger companies (for instance, Google) are changing the way they recruit, abandoning or limiting their activity on the boards, and instead using the microblogging site Twitter to post open positions and find candidates. They say it's a cheaper, more convenient and more personal way to attract candidates.
These are just a few examples, but I'm eager to see what other new strategies emerge in the coming months. The workforce has irreversibly changed, and it's going to be interesting to watch how businesses--and employees themselves--adapt.
How is your organization responding to the evolving workforce?