Going Global, Embracing Disruption -- and Giving Back

Going Global, Embracing Disruption -- and Giving Back

August and September have been extraordinary opportunities for me to join with Mercer colleagues and clients in some fascinating markets around the world – from Japan to China and, most recently, Lisbon and Amsterdam. And, while all my business travel brings on its share of jet lag and busy weeks balancing ongoing business commitments with local events, few things are more invigorating than visiting, sharing, listening, and learning on such a global basis. That’s especially true when I get to join with Mercer people in celebrating and giving back to their communities.

Indeed, it wasn’t long after I arrived in Tokyo that meetings with clients and prospective clients began, convincing me that nothing can replace face-to-face interaction in terms of discovering the human-capital challenges and changes faced by organizations everywhere. The same goes for the town hall meeting I held with Japan and Korean colleagues, followed by even more client meetings. By the time I got to Shanghai, I had a fresher perspective on Asia, certainly, and I was reminded of just how dynamic this part of the world is as I enjoyed the high-speed train ride from Shanghai to Hangzhou.

That sense of speed and change only helped me in discussing thoughts on tackling the challenges of the future at a lunch attended by Hangzhou’s business leaders, all from local organizations now facing the knowns and unknowns of going global. What’s true in Hangzhou is true in virtually all geographies: We live in an interconnected world, a world of profound technological, demographic, and socio-economic changes and trends. Companies are facing the need for a global expansion of their workforces. As we prepare for that future of the workforce -- and the jobs it will depend upon – it’s critical to understand the trends, the accompanying challenges, and the solutions associated with the changing dynamics of the jobs market.

We at Mercer predict that potentially only 40% of the skills needed in the workplace today will be applicable in 2020. That’s less than five short years from now. Skills instability will be high for all industries regardless of their employment outlook. We also see differences in the degree of disruption individual markets will face with respect to skills required.  China ranks high at nearly half of current roles likely to be disrupted by the change in the need for skills, while Japan and ASEAN show a bit more confidence in the readiness of their workforces, but still anticipate around 20 to 25 percent of the workforce will be disrupted in the next few years.

What does this disruption mean, though? Our talent consultants will explain, for example, that for business marketing people, it means taking on newer digital and social media skills; for IT professionals, it can mean programming more for the cloud and to meet the needs of the contingent workforce; and for HR professionals, it means developing marketing skills which connect them in new ways to those digitally and socially connected people. And as for manufacturing, people on the production line will require skills around automated and robotic systems that are increasingly more complex. And, obviously, disruption is at the heart of the aforementioned contingent workforce -- those who will function almost entirely in a free-lance, or “gig,” economy, and with whom our businesses are relying on more and more. In other words, nearly all jobs, old and new, will require new skill sets.

Carrying this message -- and my belief in Mercer’s ability to provide key strategic help in those areas – from Japan to China, and more recently, to our offices in Lisbon and finally, Amsterdam, I was struck by how global our goals can be.

Thankfully, though, all is not business – and as I have written here before, much of what gives purpose to my and to my colleagues’ efforts is the opportunity to give back to our communities.

In Lisbon, for example, I held another all-employee town hall, answering questions and talking Mercer business, but not before my colleagues presented me with the colorful jersey (and a matching scarf) of the Portuguese soccer team (with my name and the number 1 on it!), so I could share in the communal excitement of Portugal’s first-ever football European championship this year.

But what really made this show of community spirit matter most was the opportunity I had to join with Lisbon colleagues before I left, and visit Lisbon’s wonderful Ajuda de Ber?o shelter, which cares for homeless and at-risk children. Donating some much-needed supplies and spending time with the kids in need made all the travel and, yes, all the disruption of August and September more than worthwhile. It opened my eyes once again to how much we have in common across the globe! I’d love to hear your perspectives on the complexity -- and community -- of our organizational journeys.

Julio Portalatin