How to bring future-readiness to your business
Change has become the new normal, so it’s never been more important for businesses to be agile – ready, willing and capable to respond to an ever-changing market and, as we’ve seen with the recent tragic bushfires, even the environmental landscape.
No organisation is blessed with a crystal ball to predict the future, so who knows when the next Netflix or Uber will come along? However, one thing that is a constant in these turbulent times is an organisation’s workforce – without which, no company can survive, let alone thrive.
Companies to weather these storms will be those who successfully manage to utilise their people strategy to underpin business goals. Specifically, staffing organisations with those who may not necessarily possess all the technical skills for the future (whatever they may be), but with the soft skills to be able to respond positively to the inevitable challenges that will arise, as well as the appetite to actively seek out change needed to progress – agility.
A ‘good hire’ used to be judged by conformity, uniformity and conscientiousness. This blueprint is instead being replaced by those possessing ‘the 4 A’s of Agility:
Aspiration – Those who can inspire a shared vision and set of goals.
Alignment – The ability to generate a shared sense of purpose and ambition.
Acceleration – Someone with strong resilience who can survive and thrive in a fast-paced environment, understanding the need for flex and with strong problem-solving abilities.
Achievement – Structure, tenacity and a focus on delivery are key for day-to-day attainment, which must be balanced with a focus on sustainability for long-lasting success.
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At a micro level, agile individuals can be relied upon to apply knowledge in a flexible and self-aware fashion, utilising their skills in a more holistic way. Agile teams can thrive working within virtual, fluid talent pools, made up of workers spread across extensive boundaries, enabling highly effective cross-functional collaborations to achieve business goals. At a macro level, by being supported by such robust foundations, businesses are much more equipped to move and adapt in line with the ever-steepening curve of change we find ourselves faced with.
Many organisations realise the significance of adaptability and resilience, but those really making progress not only change with the times, but have a workforce with the foresight and ambition to work in a disruptive way – demonstrated by the success of brands like ASOS, compared to larger high-street stalwarts struggling to meet emerging consumer needs.
The tricky part is identifying these hires who can bring such attributes to the party. To do so effectively requires hiring managers to overhaul almost everything we think we know - we will no longer necessarily find the best candidates by looking at experience, tenure and the gradual development of seniority.
One company trailblazing the financial sector is applying a 10-year workforce planning strategy, heavily weighted to preparing for the significant digital transformation in the industry. This involves actively identifying and developing leaders with vital skills such as an ability to manage a digital workforce and partnering with other new and different organisations.
By turning our standard recruitment criteria on its head and looking at a whole person assessment, which includes measuring key indicators of agility, we open up the potential to identify those star hires. In finding those with the requisite acumen to contribute in meaningful, future-facing way, businesses will not only survive but thrive.
Sova is a global talent technology company, combining the best of psychology with the latest digital technology in a seamless end-to-end talent assessment platform for use at every career stage.
Sova Assessment: APAC works closely with organisations such as National Australia Bank and Pitcher Partners to deliver configurable, digital, fair, accurate and affordable talent assessment solutions that provide a future-focused view of people and potential, allowing for data-driven decisions at every stage of the employee journey.