Hello Digital Future, Are You Hiring?
The 9-to-5 work culture is dead, and everyone knows it. As Carl Camden, CEO of Kelly Services, stated that experience was a nice experiment; it lasted for 70 years and now it’s over. Camden and other executives participated at the Digital Future of Work Summit hosted by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) and New York University’s Stern School of Business (http://ow.ly/UDnY30dZirw). 9-to-5 represents much more than the hours people clock-in for work; it is symbolic of the notion that to “work” means to physically enter an office, for the same employer that you will work for your entire career, in the same capacity that you studied in college/trade-school, using the same skills you had as you entered the workforce.
There are numerous theories as to why the work culture is changing – technology, growth of freelance work, more individual choices for benefits that once were primarily only available through employment (e.g. health insurance), etc. – how fast is it changing, and whether or not millennials caused the death of the 9-to-5 or simply pointed out to older generations that it is dying (http://ow.ly/Pujw30dZiuT). Most likely a mix of these plus some other factors are driving the transformation in the work place. But let’s not pause and ask “why?”, let’s move forward and ask “what now?”.
Does this mean if you are employed by a company with a more traditional work culture you should get ahead of the curve, quit your job, and start working as an Uber-driving, Barista-making, Day Trad-ing, Freelance Java-programming individual? Probably not. In fact, when researching advice from key contributors on what the future of work will be like in the digital age, the answer to the question of “what now?” is “how”. How well do you collaborate with and lead teams? How do you deal with information? How do you demonstrate a willingness to continually learn? These are the questions that individuals should look to answer as they consider what are their core competencies that they can market to employers. Hint: these are also the top traits employers are looking for; see National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2016, Top Attributes (http://ow.ly/gA2a30dZiy1).
The digital age is transforming every employer and industry. We workers must transform ourselves. There are two meta-trends that are developing in the digital world. The first trend is the notion that we must continually learn and develop new skills. Susan Lund, a partner at MGI, discusses this in her interview at the Digital Future of Work Summit (http://ow.ly/howF30dZiBf). The second is that there are underlying core skills that are transferrable between roles, companies, and industries. These skills are even more foundational than “proficient in Java, C++, and C#”. Building skills that demonstrate dealing with information, solving complex problems, and taking initiative were all valued more than technical and computer skills according to NACE.
When Steve Herrod, Managing Director for General Catalyst and Ex-CTO VMWare, recently spoke to our class he highlighted a top concern in cybersecurity is the lack of professionals in this space. Herrod added that a recent poll suggested there are approximately six hundred thousand job shortages in this space. As he suggested if you want guaranteed employment you should become a cybersecurity analyst.
Why is there a talent shortage? The Harvard Business Review tackles this question in a recent post by Marc van Zadelhoff, General Manager of IBM Security (http://ow.ly/FWab30dZiOj). His suggestion is that, surprise, companies should open cybersecurity positions to applicants with non-traditional tech backgrounds. Zadelhoff highlights IBM’s approach with “new collar” jobs in the cybersecurity space where knowledge and willingness to learn is prioritized over degrees and the industries where these applicants gained their initial work experience. Recent hires to IBM’s security team have come from a diversity of industries such as retail, or even the entertainment industry. What they shared was a curiosity about security and were motivated to learn.
“Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning”1 says William Arthur Ward and we should look to illuminate the world.
1 “William Arthur Ward Quotes.” Quotes.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2017. Web. 28 Jul 2017. <http://www.quotes.net/quote/6649>
2 comments on “Hello Digital Future, Are You Hiring?”
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Hey Will,
This was a lovely read. I wrote an article on the similar topic of cybersecurity and its is really insightful knowing about the talent shortage in this space. However, I kind of disagree with what Mr. Marc van Zadelhoff, General Manager of IBM Security has said in regards to opening cybersecurity positions to applicants with non-traditional tech background. Doing so will result in many problems such as not enough expertise and many others. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens in the future!
Hey Will, this was an interesting read.
Adding to your take on the 9-5 work culture, I would mention the growing trend of companies allowing their employees to work remotely. Although most companies currently are following this trend, IBM which until most recently was a big proponent of remote work is now calling back a majority of its work force to work its 6 major hubs across the U.S. Employees unable to do so are being asked to leave the company.
Chief marketing officer Michelle Peluso said, “there is something about a team being more powerful, more impactful, more creative, and frankly hopefully having more fun when they are shoulder to shoulder.” The move is, however, being seen as more of an excuse to cut a portion of the workforce, and in particular older workers who have already put down roots with a home and family in a specific area. Would love to hear your take on this.