The Trends I Think Will Shape Our Workforces in 2017

I think we can all agree that 2016 has been a volatile and unpredictable year - one we will never forget for many reasons. Now, as we head towards 2017, many of us are wondering what the next year and years to come, will yield, particularly given the uncertainty that we have now begun to accept as the new normal.

The past year has reaffirmed to me that it really is completely impossible to predict the future – in politics, in life or in business for that matter. But one thing I do think it is possible to forecast, and one that I believe remains true regardless of what the world throws at us, is that performance depends on the strength and resilience of people – and this couldn’t be more true than in business today.

The world of work is constantly changing, shifting and adapting for all of us, every day, and I firmly believe that a stable, skilled and strong workforce will put any business in its best stead to weather these uncertain times and make the most of every single opportunity. However, in order to ensure the continued success of our businesses along the road ahead, it is so important that we understand how changes in the working habits of our people, and the technology they now have at their fingertips will change both how we recruit them and how we will then get the best out of them.

I believe that this shift will open up endless opportunities but only to those employers and employees who stay ahead of the curve and really take the time to understand how the following trends will impact them in 2017:

1. Super temps will continue to rise

We’ve all heard about the increasing popularity of flexible working - it seems to be rarely out of the news. But I expect we’ll be hearing much more about it in 2017 as more companies turn to senior freelancers to progress one-off assignments. ‘Super temps’ – highly skilled professionals who manage or deliver projects in an interim, freelance role – can bring a highly valued skillset to provide businesses with a temporary boost, and many of our clients here at Hays are increasingly relying on these independent workers to carry out projects that would have been managed differently just a year ago.

With more economic uncertainty on the cards, it makes complete sense for organisations to budget for short-term senior ‘fixers’ rather than retain a higher number of salaried staff, and I already see more employers beginning to factor this sort of blended workforce into their forward planning. As a result, employers must also think about how they can be seen as an employer of choice to temporary workers, not only to permanent members of staff. This is particularly important as competition for these employees gets fiercer – contractors are often at the very forefront of the global skills shortage and the demand for the best consultants or freelancers is only increasing. JPMorgan is a good example of a business reacting to this need, providing full health insurance, childcare assistance and tuition reimbursement for part-time employees, whether they work at bank branches or corporate headquarters. I expect it will become more common for businesses to extend their existing benefit programmes to contractors as many companies begin to rely more on temporary workers in 2017 and beyond. 

From the perspective of the super temp themselves, we find that they tend to enjoy the autonomous nature of this type of work - the variety of projects on offer provides them with far more flexibility and choice than a permanent in-house role. This allows them to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit, build a rich and varied CV and keep their skills relevant for the future. I expect therefore that this type of employment will become increasingly attractive choice for many.

2. Workforces will become more and more multi-generational

Today’s modern workforces are becoming more multi-generational than ever before – we now see a mix of baby boomers (born between 1940 and 1960), Generation X (1961–82), Generation Y (1983–95) and Generation Z (since 1995) all working together under the same roof. There’s a number of reasons for this, including people needing to work for longer for financial reasons, and the rising cost of higher education, which is encouraging younger workers to enter the workplace sooner. The uncertain economic environment could well lead to this trend being accentuated – so business leaders cannot and must not ignore it.

From my own perspective, it’s been fascinating to see our own Hays employee population become more multi-generational - and it’s clear to see that all generations work, learn and communicate differently. It’s therefore important your business allows each of your employees to achieve both for themselves as well as your business - in a way that they respond to.

I believe that this type of workplace diversity can only be a good thing, but it needs to be managed properly. By recognising the changing demographics of your workforce, you can make the necessary changes in 2017 that will keep all generations fulfilled – from delivering tailored training and providing personalised benefits packages, to redesigning your offices, sculpting your employer brand and rethinking your approach to reward and recognition.

What I have seen in our own business is how strong people managers really are the key to unifying and getting the most out of multi-generational teams. Their success is pinned on their ability to practice a flexible and adaptable leadership style, and as a business leader, you must support your people managers in building and refining this skill. If you think about it, each generation of employee will expect different things from their boss, and it’s important your people managers are receptive to this and have the skills to deliver it. For example, we know that Generation Y want and expect a supportive boss who is a coach or mentor and a more informal relationship than maybe was expected in previous generations. And with this generation now accounting for the greatest percentage of the workforce, in 2017 people managers will need to adapt their leadership style accordingly, but also adjust their style to different members of their team, who may respond better to a different approach.

3. Demand will increase for mouldable employees 

We’ve all seen how rapid technological advances have created completely new roles at companies that simply would not have been around five years ago. This has sparked a war for hard technical talent and the value of these candidates, whether they be engineers, data scientists or those that can leverage technology to bring insights into their business is only set to increase in the jobs market in the years to come. At the same time, whole rafts of recent research and surveys highlight that the vast majority of company boards see "digitisation" as one of their top 3 strategic concerns - yet they also point out that virtually no boards are comfortable that they have in place the plans and resources to tackle one of their biggest issues. That cannot be sustainable without changes. 

However, you can’t just recruit and drop these technically skilled employees into a silo department and expect them to completely revolutionise your entire business without help. While these specialised candidates are obviously crucial, many businesses are now conscious of just how important it is for the wider company to really understand the potential and limits of the technology. 

In 2017 I therefore expect we’ll see employers increasingly searching for mouldable candidates – those that are open to learning new skills and want to push themselves out of their comfort zones. Employers will then look to these employees to become ‘tech and data ambassadors’ within their own departments. Not only that, but employees working in more traditional functions can increase their value-add by becoming more tech-savvy and acting as a bridge between the technical, specialised personnel and the wider business. As Carl Sagan said, "the world is driven by technology and yet very few of us understand how it actually works". The real value of the technology however is in the insights and efficiencies it can bring to a business, and I've found huge benefit in Hays as open-minded colleagues from the core of the business have invented ways to improve things which they've then partnered with our technical engineers to build. Jim Collins describes the "flywheel effect" of increasingly positive business momentum in his research and it absolutely is true as these teams build success upon earlier success.

There’s no denying that the economic, political and global landscape has shifted in 2016 and I expect that this era of uncertainty is far from over. However mankind has dealt with far worse circumstances and prevailed, so I urge you to understand that your people can help your business weather the storm and will prove integral to maintaining stability in your business.

On a separate note, I've been writing these articles for a number of years now and hope they bring some value to fellow members. It’s something I really enjoy doing each month – so, if there’s a topic you’d particularly like me to write about next year, I’d love to read your ideas in the comments below.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a hugely successful 2017 – regardless of what the world throws at us!