The global technology industry makes up close to 35% of the entire global market according to reports from Zippia. This year alone, global spending on IT will reach close to $4.6tn. This is simultaneously giving rise to new job roles and opportunities on emerging technologies, with an anticipated 2X workforce expansion globally.
With such rising demands, it only makes sense for a business to transform its operations and presence digitally, doing away with obsolete mechanisms, workflows, technologies, and mindsets. If your organization is exactly at the juncture of implementing digital transformation, this article is just for you. Workforce transformation is one of the most crucial aspects in digital transformation that could either stall or complement your business goals.
So, here are some 3 effective strategies to prepare your workforce for emerging technologies.
Understanding That Emerging Technologies Have Already Emerged
When we say emerging technologies, it feels quite distant and futuristic. But that’s not the case with technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), Data Science, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity and more. Statistically speaking, CIOs around the world have started deploying emerging technologies into their workflows. Here are some quick stats on this:
Technologies Topping The Priorities Of CIOs
– Artificial Intelligence – 72%
– IoT – 46%
– Robotic Process Automation – 35%
– Cloud Native Development – 24%
– Blockchain – 22%
Emerging technologies have already emerged and are influencing major aspects of industry operations and workflows. The first step in preparing your workforce for the future is to understand the technologies right for your business. By this, I mean technology that will complement your business goals and visions and help you optimize both profits and productivity.
Identifying Existing Skills Gaps
Once the crucial barrier of understanding the right technology for your business is crossed, it’s time to identify existing skill gaps in your workforce required to tackle the upgrade. As your workforce embraces new technologies, it should also have the right talent pool capable of handling and working on them. By identifying skill gaps in your workforce, you will have a clear understanding of the impact of your digital transformation initiatives. It will also help you answer some crucial questions such as:
- How competent are your teams with respect to working on new systems, platforms, tools, and devices post transformation?
- What are some effective ways to develop the required skill sets across teams?
- How long until you start getting your RoI from your upgraded workforce.
Answers to these will not only help you budget your workforce transformation strategies the ideal way but uncover precise actionable insights from the initiative you intend to implement as well.
Rolling Out A Tailored Workforce Transformation Program
Now that you have identified the skills you want your workforce to pick up in specific order of priority, now it’s time to launch a tailored transformation program. Emerging technologies are dynamic in nature and it’s best to have a rigid approach with specific curriculum and modules for maximum learning impact. That’s why partnering with talent transformation companies is the most ideal way forward to bring in new competencies in your teams.
Workforce transformation companies like UNext offer certifications, experiential modules through capstone projects, assessments, and more as part of talent transformation programs. Powered by the KASH model, this will also enable learning to become a mindset in your organization so your team members need no external push to pick up evolving skills.
Final Thoughts
Preparing your workforce on emerging technologies is just one minor aspect in the grander scheme of things. Making learning perpetual is the ultimate reward that would put the entire journey on autopilot. Also, with skill development leading to increased involvement in work and decreased attrition levels, you can ensure unhampered productivity all year long.
So, when are you getting started?
This article is written by Sarita Digumarti, Chief Learning Officer, UNext Learning, and the views expressed in this article are her own.
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