The venture aims to support companies respond to emerging employment trends in the digital age with smarter workforce strategies. It is based on findings from the consultancies’ study, Delivering the Workforce for the Future. “To succeed in the digital economy, organisations are transforming structures and jobs for increased efficiency, agility and customer intimacy,” said Julio A. Portalatin, CEO of Mercer.“These two pieces — business strategy and people strategy — brought Oliver Wyman and Mercer together to deliver essential solutions in digital workforce transformation.” 

Strategic workforce planning in the digital age

Mercer’s 2017 Global Talent Trends report suggests 93% of business executives plan to make a design change in their company within the next two years.In its Future of Jobs study, the World Economic Forum predicts 35% of core skills will change by 2020. Mercer’s Workforce for the Future project seeks to offer a “holistic and integrated view” that enables organisations to transition to a technology-enhanced environment, while ensuring that their workforce thrives.

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Read more HR news from Relocate Global:

• HR outpaced by business and IT transformation: study
• Talent and technology: creating a modern, mobile workforce
• Boardrooms now recognising mobility as growth engine: study

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Role of politics and technology in new talent ecosystem

Among the changes and challenges reported in the study are the arrival of extended talent ecosystems, with employees, freelancers, crowdfunding expertise and partnerships all now increasing the mix and scope of skills available to businesses.This presents the opportunity for companies to quickly acquire new capabilities, flexibility in the face of rapid change and greater cost efficiency from improved alignment of labour cost to business cycles.For HR, global mobility and international talent management, it means existing challenges around talent management are multiplied.Broader talent pools need to be managed in an integrated way across the HR value chain, with differentiated strategies across the lifecycle for each, the report finds.

Workforce planning 'more critical'

“Our world is changing; technology and politics are key drivers,” said Scott McDonald, CEO of Oliver Wyman. “Workforce planning has become even more critical for leaders. Success involves a deep strategic focus on re-training, hiring of different types of talent and understanding the new nature of work.  “Oliver Wyman’s collaboration with Mercer delivers a unique perspective on these complex issues. By mapping the talents of the current workforce with the projected needs of the future workforce, skills gaps can be identified and addressed through change management and employee engagement programmes.”For related news and features, visit our Human Resources section. Look out for the launch of 2018's Relocate Awards, entries open in January. Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory  

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