Experis Blog

IoT can dramatically improve a huge number of the ways in which we work and live. Yet for every silver lining, there’s a cloud. For businesses, IoT offers a huge opportunity to harness data, optimise their operations and deliver ever more relevant experiences to users, whether employees, consumers, or other businesses. But it also represents a significant challenge. As organisations become more connected, their digital footprints grow. This increased surface area offers opportunities for hostile parties to penetrate deep into enterprises’ systems. Whether a smart factory, connected home or autonomous car, cyber criminals have a host of new entry points to exploit and wreak havoc. According to Deloitte, 40% of professionals report that managing increasing amounts of data and connected device security pose the greatest cyber security challenges to their organisation. This leaves organisations needing to capitalise on IoT related opportunities, without exposing their operations to significant cyber threats. In these instances, many people’s initial reaction is to think of the technology required to deliver those objectives. How can we acquire the tools, the infrastructure, the systems to deploy and protect IoT sensors? How will we gather, analyse and action the resulting data? And how can we do all this, while protecting our businesses from increasing threats? Yet to think implementing and securing IoT is just a matter of hardware or software is to overlook the role of people. As with any technology, having the right skills and abilities in place is as important, if not more so, as having the appropriate tools. Cyber security talent has long been a major focus for employers, with the need such that research house Cyber Security Ventures predicts there would be 3.5 million unfulfilled cyber security job openings by 2021. Professionals with the necessary IoT skills are seeing a similar boom in demand. Balancing IoT Skill Requirements Getting the right balance of skills is not straight forward. All companies can be distracted by shiny object syndrome. IoT is new and exciting, while cyber security is about dealing with threats and could be perceived as restricting access, rather than enabling safe innovation. With increased demand for both cyber security and IoT skills, one would expect spiralling salaries and every-growing demand. To an extent, that’s true. Following a review of vacancies covering both permanent and contract roles, in Q4 2018 there were 13,214 cyber security roles across the whole of the UK. This equates to a year-on-year increase of almost 10%, up from 12,064 roles at the end of 2017. When looked at quarter by quarter, that demand has spiked – up 16.5% from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018. However, that has not necessarily equated to an increase in salary. At the end of 2018, the average salary for permanent cyber security roles in the UK was £58,557, rising to £63,243 in London – a drop of almost 2% nationally year-on-year. For contractors, the picture was much better, with the average day rate climbing 19.6% from the previous year, to an average of £505. This perhaps suggests that organisations are prepared to move quickly to acquire the skills they need immediately, but then taking a longer view of what they need on a more permanent basis. When it comes to IoT salaries, both permanent and contractor remuneration has gone up year-on-year – by 1.5% for the former, and just above 4% for the latter. The rise suggests that demand will pick up in the next few years – assuming organisations can address their security concerns. ​When it comes to the types of roles required, an analysis of job titles reveals that it is the front line that is much in demand. In cyber security, security engineers, consultants, architects and analysts are required most. While in IoT related postings, software engineers, technical architects, managers and testers are most sought after. This highlights how much emphasis is being put on being able to build and analyse, in both areas of technology. IoT offers huge opportunities for organisations, if they can get the right balance with security. By hiring the right talent, businesses will be better placed to fully protect their operations from malicious attacks. To do that, they need to have a broad perspective on how, who and what they hire, and how they develop their existing staff. Only through a blended approach that covers the broadest relevant talent will they acquire the ability to protect themselves against cyber threats without hampering their IoT potential. To find out more about the changing demand for IoT and Cyber Security, download the latest Industry Insiders report below. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4674640", formId: "a52c320e-9ac0-4d88-be4b-62059589991c" }); ​

Insurance is a careful balancing act. Since it’s typically based on a risk-distribution model, individuals or companies are grouped together based on certain behaviours or attributes, and premiums are charged accordingly. Charge too much, and potential customers will look elsewhere. But if you charge too little, or if there are more claims than anticipated, then it’s the insurer that will feel the pinch. Yet the careful balance that insurers tread is under threat, since people and companies want different things from their insurers than they did in the past. They want greater personalisation, ultra-flexibility, convenience, and better value for money – all this, without making any compromises on their cover or additional risk. We’re living in a 24/7, always-on culture, and so they also expect to be able to make remote changes to their service, with no fuss and little interaction with other people. New business strategies are needed for insurers to be able to adapt to these changing expectations – and this will have a significant impact on how they construct and manage their workforce. Right Insurance Service, Right Time There’s a growing gap between the service customers expect and the one they receive. To bridge this divide, insurers need to place greater focus on their customers, rather than their services. According to a survey by loyalty and benefits firm Collinson, just 24% of people feel their insurer treats them as an individual. Insurers need to be able to align their offerings with the unique requirements of each customer, and offer them the right service, at the right time. Take home insurance as an example. When someone is at home, their risk of a break-in is likely to be lower than when they were at work. Instead of signing up for an insurance product that provides the same level of cover at all times, would it give them a better level of service if they could click a button on their phone to adjust their level of insurance when they arrive home? Fluctuating insurance cover in line with real-time lifestyle or business changes can convert into much higher levels of customer satisfaction. Higher revenue and increased retention can be achieved as a result, too. But to deliver this hyper-personalised level of service, insurers will need a workforce with different skills than in the past. The Challenge Of InsurTechs Not only are insurance providers being tested by changing customer expectations, but they’re also being challenged by InsurTechs. These emerging companies deliver digitally-led insurance services to customers, often through an insurance-as-a-service model. Their lean operating models, lower cost burdens and lack of legacy infrastructures mean they’re far nimbler than many incumbent insurance providers. This means they can operate in fundamentally different ways – tapping into new markets and delivering enhanced services through new innovations and digital processes. InsurTechs are unpinned by Big Data and the Internet of Things. Together, these power the deep, predictive analytics that allow InsurTechs to really get under the skin of their customers’ behaviour. Armed with this intelligence, they can tailor an insurance package to the individual’s specific needs and nurture a very customised and personalised experience. It’s clear that incumbent insurance providers need to look at how they can compete with these emerging Insurtechs, and better meet the demands of customers – and this all starts with people and skills. Better Meeting The Needs Of Customers While many insurance firms recognise they need to change to better meet customer expectations and compete against InsurTechs, they often struggle to make progress quickly enough. In many cases, large-scale digital transformation is required – legacy platforms need to be realigned; new processes need to be embedded; and overall digital capabilities need to be enhanced and improved. What’s more, important IT security considerations must be taken into account too, before an organisation expands its digital footprint. This all takes significant investment, both from a financial perspective and a resource point of view. When an organisation’s business model changes, so too must their workforce strategy. Throughout any digital transformation, some tasks will be automated, while new jobs will be created, to help build, manage and augment new technologies. In fact, our research found that 87% of employers plan to increase or maintain headcount because of automation. In the years ahead, insurers can expect to see significant churn in the workforce, as skill requirements rapidly change. Blending People, Processes And Technology Developing the right blend of people, processes and technology is key. Humans will continue to be critical in the years ahead – but the skills that insurers will require of them will change. And, when the skill requirements of an organisation evolve, so too must the overarching strategy by which they are managed. It’s critical that insurers understand the skills they have in their workforce right now and can forecast the skills they will need in the future, so they can take steps to bridge the inevitable gap. One solution that can help involves taking a Total Talent Management approach. This means uniting the entire workforce (permanent worker, contractor, freelancer, statements of work, outsourced services and more) in a single talent management programme. This approach can give insurers the complete workforce visibility they need to make more strategic decisions about recruiting and managing talent. This all means insurers can better identify future skills gaps, and take steps to upskill and train existing workers to fill them. Throughout their business transformation, insurers will need to find the right balance between technology and humans within the organisation. There’s a plethora of tools that can support with this, under the guidance of your workforce solutions provider. By taking a more holistic view of their workforce, insurers can more easily adapt to changing skill requirements – ensuring they secure and retain the talent they need to transform their business. Learn more about the importance of Total Talent Management, download our whitepaper Breaking Down Barriers: Total Talent Management Comes Of Age. This article is an extract from our guide The Future of Insurance Recruitment. To download the full guide, please click on the link below. hbspt.cta.load(4674640, '9e80ed18-b2c0-442a-b533-a1358959a5e9', {});

The insurance industry is being transformed, because people and businesses want different things from their insurers than they did in the past. They’re looking for insurers that offer greater personalisation, ultra-flexibility, increased convenience, and better value for money – all this, without making any compromises on their cover or taking on additional risk. Adapting to these heightened expectations means insurers need to adopt new business strategies. And this will have a significant impact on the skills their business needs, and the ways in which they construct and manage their workforce. The Transformation of the Insurance Workforce While many insurers recognise they need to change how their business operates, many struggle to make progress quickly enough. As a result, the industry faces an uphill battle when competing for talent against society’s most attractive employers. In this guide, we explore the key trends that are transforming the future of insurance recruitment. We examine the forces that are forcing insurers to think differently about their workforce, and provide recommendations on the changes insurers can make to attract and retain the best talent in a competitive jobs market. Download the free report by completing the form below: hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4674640", formId: "810dfea3-ab4b-4232-b07c-dcccbe5ad8ea" });

Innovation is a baseline expectation for all organisations. It’s something that every business strives for, yet many struggle to achieve. What does it really mean to be innovative? And how can business leaders promote and nurture a culture of innovation across their workforce? Countless studies have proved that financial success can be achieved when organisations have innovation at the heart of their culture. In fact, a study by Accenture revealed that 51% of businesses with a formal innovation system in place are first to market with new innovations, products and services. As TomTom recognised, to develop a culture of innovation, it’s important that there is an organisational mindset that promotes and supports the ideas of individuals. It must be accepted across all levels of the organisation that your culture is more than an abstract concept. Instead, it’s a way to produce measurable and quantifiable change. It isn’t always easy to create a culture of innovation, but it’s one of the best ways to drive sustainable competitive advantage. It’s about focusing on tomorrow, as much as today. Even with a plethora of creative ideas, bringing new innovations to fruition requires strategy and execution. Many organisations struggle to fill this gap. Having a formal innovation system and structure in place can see your organisation reap significant rewards and create enhanced ROI. But it requires paying constant attention to the culture that you nurture within the workplace. We believe that the most successful, innovative companies have nine key traits in common. Create a business culture with each of these elements, and your organisation is likely to be innovation-ready. The Nine Indicators Of Innovation 1. TRUST Trust is a safety net. It gives your employees permission to try something new, even if they don’t know what the outcome will be. It enables innovation by providing an atmosphere that accepts mistakes will happen from time to time, but the important thing is that you learn from them. Leaders must trust their people to find creative solutions and push the boundaries, within the context of a broader transformation plan. 2. CURIOSITY Curiosity is the lifeblood of creativity. To build a culture of innovation, leaders must nurture critical thinking, and allow their people to challenge authority and speak up about their ideas, even if it means creating discord. As a leader, your behaviours will have a strong influence on the behaviour and performance of your teams. With this in mind, it’s important that you practise what you preach and demonstrate how you unlock your curiosity. Your people will follow suit. 3. EXPERIMENTATION We’re all natural experimenters. We practise, we succeed, we fail – and then we experiment again. Organisations thrive when their people have time to try new approaches and learn from their successes and their failures. Gathering the thoughts of consumers, employees, investors, competitors, and even machines and systems can help to inform new approaches. 4. PERSISTENCE In any project or workflow, it’s inevitable that roadblocks will emerge that hamper progress. But successful companies are persistent, and they adapt their approach when issues arise. Things don’t always go completely to plan, but the best organisations embrace change and ambiguity, and expect hurdles on their route. They understand that opportunity can often be found through flexibility and agility. 5. GRIT Blend talent with direction, determination and passion, and you’ll have grit. During inevitable difficulties, people with grit have strength of character, resolve and courage. As with curiosity, it’s important that you lead by example. As a leader, if you make a mistake, accept responsibility and learn the lessons so as not to repeat them. Successful companies acknowledge failure, seek ways to mitigate fallout, and avoid pointing fingers or blaming others. 6. COLLECTIVENESS In any working group, each individual plays two roles: a functional role, based on their formal position and technical skill, and a psychological role, based on the kind of person they are. Too many companies focus on each individual’s functional role, and hope that good team performance will somehow follow. But that’s not always the case. Observing the balance of roles in a team offers insight into its dynamics. It also indicates the likelihood of success or failure for an assigned task. 7. DIVERSITY Old assumptions can be dangerous. For innovation to happen, you need diverse perspectives. To make organisations more diverse, the focus shouldn’t just be on addressing bias. Organisations should also turn their attention to conscious inclusion – ensuring all people feel that their human potential is valued. Change can come from individuals. Ask yourself: What will you commit to make it happen? Who will you sponsor and who will you invite in? 8. COMMUNICATION Successful innovation is driven by a clear vision and purpose. This needs to be articulated openly and regularly to set the parameters for new ideas. It’s important that your people understand the company’s roadmap and hopes for the future, so they can put forward ideas that will support the journey. Complement this with open networks and feedback loops marked by candour and constructiveness. 9. LEARNABILITY What you know today is less relevant than what you may learn in the future; and knowing the answer to questions is less critical than having the ability to ask the right questions in the first place. Hire people with high learnability – the desire and ability to quickly grow and adapt one’s skill set. Too often we focus on training and development, while undermining the importance of proper selection. But the reality is that it’s easier to prevent and predict, than to fix and change. Good selection makes training and development more effective because it’s easier to augment potential. Investing in innovation and culture as an inextricable pair will prepare any organisation for its digital future. Done well, the return can be significant and swift. Yet, organisations must be clear in building a culture that walks its talk. Employees cannot hear their leaders celebrate disruption, only to be punished for risk-taking. Corporate websites shouldn’t be filled with statements about valuing innovation, if the organisation is hyper-focused on cost-cutting to produce short-term results. This is the balancing act for any organisational culture change. This article first appeared in the tenth edition of The Human Age Newspaper.

From Brexit and IR35, to digitisation and globalisation – change is evident in so many aspects of today’s labour market, and industries are transforming at an unprecedented pace. As a result, the ways in which people and organisations work is experiencing a fundamental evolution. Yet, while these changes may create challenges for organisations, they also provide the opportunity for forward-thinking companies to explore new options and build new realities for the people they serve. Through dynamic talent strategies and fresh workforce models, business leaders can prepare their organisation for whatever the future of work may hold. Reaching New Heights Is Humanly Possible The Human Age newspaper is our overview of the workforce trends that are challenging employers to think differently about their workforce. In this tenth edition, we are proud to share some of the exciting ways ManpowerGroup is helping organisations to transform in an ever-changing world of work. As well as sharing our latest research and insights, this edition also explores how organisations can augment technology with human skills; create a workforce culture of innovation; and reimagine skills development for the digital age. Highlights from the latest edition of the Human Age newspaper include: Reimagining Skills Development For The Digital Age New Partnership To Tackle The UK’s Driver Shortage Augmenting Technology With Human Skills 20 Years Of Supporting Veterans Into New Careers Creating A Workforce Culture Of Innovation Preparing For IR35 Choosing Where To Locate Your Workforce To download your copy of The Human Age Newspaper, we invite you to click on the link below.

Since the Industrial Revolution and the development of mass production through machinery, factories have made steady progress in how they automate the production of goods to improve efficiency and potential revenue generation. But with the rapidly evolving technological capabilities of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the roll-out of 5G networks, factories have the potential to take a significant step forward. Organisations across the globe are starting to develop the first generation of truly ‘smart’ factories – moving from traditional automation to fully integrated and flexible systems. These can learn from the constant stream of data which they are presented with, and adapt to new demands. In the UK, the first 5G smart factory opened earlier this year. Developed as part of an industrial trial assessing how British factories can be modernised, the factory, owned by Bosch, has been developed as part of a Government-backed Worcestershire 5G Consortium trial and represents a significant step towards smarter factories. Fitted with sensors and 5G-based technology, which has been designed to help predict failures before they occur, the increased efficiency will be significant. And more smart factories are set to follow, with Dowty on schedule to open their new factory in Gloucester later this year, incorporating the latest ‘Brilliant Factory’ technology. What is a ‘smart factory’? So, aside from being one of the latest in a raft of new tech terms, what is a smart factory and why should you care? A truly smart factory is one which integrates data from physical, operational and human sources to maximise efficiency and reduce downtime in manufacturing, maintenance, inventory tracking and other types of activities across the entire organisation. As a learning system, smart factories will also continuously evolve and develop in line with the needs of the organisation; taking into account shifting customer demands, expansion into new markets and development of new products. Understandably, the performance improvements this technology can offer for an organisation represents a significant competitive advantage. It offers the opportunity to disrupt the marketplace, whilst other organisations continue to operate using traditional automation techniques. This represents a huge, if expensive, opportunity for those prepared to brave taking the first move. The development of smart factories is likely to be particularly important for the UK whilst trade deals are developed with trade partners following Brexit. They could help to inject energy into stale productivity figures. Automation versus talent The struggle to find the right talent has not improved in the manufacturing sector. Organisations are faced with an ageing workforce that’s starting to retire and a lack of new talent interested in qualifications and training in the space, compounded by a lack of understanding about the breadth of roles available. Investing in a smart factory is likely to remove the need for some roles. But this doesn’t mean that talent isn’t important in the smart factory. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, with humans needed to maximise the output of the robots. As Jonas Prising, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup, said “Digitisation is transforming the jobs market, creating a need for people with more advanced skills in manufacturing”. Alongside those roles which will no longer be required in smart factories, many roles will offer improved job satisfaction as a result of reduced admin (now handled by AI and automation) and an improved visibility of what is happening in the factory at any point. This will free up time for workers to engage with other, more meaningful or complex tasks. It is also likely to lead to the creation of new and unfamiliar roles, such as collaborative robotics specialists, lifecycle digital twin architects and enterprise digital ethicists (Digital Workforce Succession in Manufacturing, 2017). Employees and the technology they work with will be linked more closely together than ever before. Unfortunately, employers are often unsure of the skills needed to work most effectively alongside this new technology, making it harder to realise the benefits of such a significant investment. Whilst planning for the development of new smart factories, it is essential that organisations and consortiums also consider the human skills they will need for the future. They need to understand where they will get the skills they need to meet new talent requirements, and how they will raise critical awareness about job vacancies at a time of high employment in the UK. If you’re interested in finding out more about the impact of IoT on Advanced Manufacturing, why not register for our Future of IoT 2019 conference taking place on the 25th April? We’ll be joined by organisations including Dowty, UK Defence Solutions Centre and Digital Catapult. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4674640", formId: "91abbfcc-992b-4583-955a-f7dffca88e0b" });

The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey for the second quarter 2019 was conducted by interviewing a representative sample of 2,124 employers in the UK. All survey participants were asked, “How do you anticipate total employment at your location to change in the three months to the end of June 2019 as compared to the current quarter?” The survey results for this quarter report that: Finance & Business Services is negative for only the second time in a decade Transport, Storage and Comms reports most pessimistic quarter since 2010 Utilities is a bright spot, driven by specialist hiring. As the Brexit countdown reaches its final stages, ManpowerGroup’s latest Employment Outlook Survey suggests that the boom in the UK jobs market is coming to an end. The national Outlook for the second quarter of 2019 has fallen to +4%, on a par with the weakest levels of confidence we have seen in recent years. More worryingly, the negative Outlook in the Business and Financial services sector – which employs nearly a fifth of all UK workers – suggests jobs are set to be lost in Britain’s most important sector. ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Report ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Infographic Regional Press Releases London North East North West South West Yorkshire and the Humber

As a rule, we know that our people perform at their best when the role they are performing aligns with their natural strengths and capabilities. Despite this, many individuals are in their current job as a result of less relevant factors, such as how long they have been with the organisation, qualifications achieved over a decade ago, or the businesses they worked for in the past. The clearest way for businesses to understand the potential of their employees and matching them to the best role is through assessment. And, when people are in the right role, employers are rewarded with more engaged, productive and motivated individuals. Assessments can also help organisations to identify skills adjacencies which may be helpful when there are skills shortages in areas of the business, or when looking to make better use of an individual’s talents. Assessments should be standard procedure across the board, as they increase the likelihood of placing the right person in the right role from 50% to over 80%. And yet, just 48% of employees have had an assessment of their skills. This means that organisations are potentially missing out on the opportunity for optimising roles as a result. Using AI to predict future skills and assess, map and develop talent To help companies understand the skills their workforce currently has, the skills they will need to help them remain competitive for the future, and how they can bridge the gap to build talent within their organisation, ManpowerGroup has designed an innovative Artificial Intelligence driven platform. Visi-Skill combines data analytics and workforce insights to help employers develop their own cloud-based skills bank. Visi-Skill captures the specific technical skills and human strengths of the workforce, analyses current roles and generates an AI dashboard of skills changes over time, projecting the evolution of roles over a one to three year period. Every role breaks down the proportion of skills required: for example, a java developer role may require 50% java coding skills, 20% C# coding, 10% software design and 20% creativity. AI uses semantics to analyse people within the organisation, and can also analyse the CVs of prospective candidates, assessing whose skills most closely align with the current and future skills demands. All of this gives businesses an unprecedented level of visibility into the skills they have available within their organisation. How organisations can use assessment and upskilling to collaborate with the machines Skills are the passport to growth and resilience for organisations and individuals alike. Here are a few ways to make sure that your organisation has the right talent for the future: 1. Know The Capabilities Of Your People Organisations need to use assessment, clean data and predictive performance to deploy talent in the most effective way, and avoid creating “skills silos”. 2. Tailor Training Companies must replace sheep-dip approaches to training with focused strategies and guidance to develop critical, in-demand skills for their workforce. 3. Bet On Soft Skills Organisations should fine-tune talent strategies to account for the fact that human skills are harder to develop than technical skills. 4. Enable Humans To Augment Technology Companies must continuously upskill their workers and create talent. And they must assess and reevaluate the skills they need, to ensure human talent complements automation. Interested in finding out more about talent strategies for the digital age? Read more of our latest insights on the future of work and skills today.

Experis, techUK and HBB are pleased to host the second Future of IoT Conference in Bristol on the 25th April. With IoT moving from connecting single products and functions, to connecting systems or multiple ecosystems with the support of 5G, AI and Blockchain integrations, interest and adoption in IoT are surging. This year, the event will cover how the burgeoning IoT ecosystem can help businesses in the UK in their transformation journeys - improving business performance and changing the way employees work. Vodafone's recent IoT Barometer report found that 34% of businesses surveyed globally have now adopted IoT, with 95% of these organisations seeing 'clear benefits of their investment'. 60% of those surveyed believed that IoT had either already disrupted their industry or would do so within the next five years. Whilst there are pockets of world-leading excellence in IoT in the UK, organisations must continue to assess where it can help to drive benefits for their customers, employess and profits in order to continue to compete at a global scale. Our keynote talks and panel discussions will be filled with insights and debate on the future of IoT, making it a worthwhile afternoon out of the office. Speakers include Professor Rob Rolley, Head of Innovation for UK Defence Solutions Centre, Geraldina Ireheta, Director of Business Development at Digital Catapult and Jill Bassett, Workforce Solutions Director at ManpowerGroup. There will also be the chance to network throughout the day with technology and industry leaders. Agenda 12.00-12.40Arrival and lunch12.40-12.50Introduction, Housekeeping and Scene Setting. Martin Ewings, Brand Leader - Experis12.50-13.10Opening Keynote - Geraldina Iraheta, Director of Business Development - Digital Catapult Session 1: IoT and business transformation The session will examine how IoT will help to support business transformation, changing the way we work and innovate, and improving performance throughout the supply chain.13.10-13.35Keynote - Prof. Rob Rolley FIET, Head of Innovation - UK Defence Solutions Centre13.35-14.05Panel Session Matthew Evans, Director, Market Programmes, techUK - Moderator Bryan Lillie, Cyber Security Managing Consultant, Capgemini Prof. Rob Rolley FIET,Head of Innovation - UK Defence Solutions Centre Geraldina Iraheta, Director of Business Development - Digital Catapult Session 2: Harnessing IoT skills across industries: Build, Buy Borrow and Bridge This session will address the changing skillsets required for organisations to make the most of the Internet of Things. We'll cover what the talent market looks like for IoT today, and how businesses can prepare themselves for their future talent requirements.14.05-14.30Keynote - James Hick, Managing Director, ManpowerGroup Enterprise & Jill Bassett, Workforce Solutions Director, ManpowerGroup Enterprise14.30-15.05Panel Session Jill Bassett, Workforce Solutions Director, ManpowerGroup Enterprise - Moderator Damon Ballinger, Manufacturing Training Manager, Dowty Maria Rancel-Lopez, Head of Procurement - People and Culture, Nationwide Dr Benedict Gaster, Associate Professor in Physical Computing, University of West of England Serrie Chapman, Founder, Women's Tech Jobs Evelyn Thompson, Group Resourcing Partner, QinetiQ15.05-15.30Afternoon break Session 3: Advancing Manufacturing through IoT This session will cover the connectivity challenge facing manufacturing and many other sectors, discussing how innovation and IoT can help to drive change and enhance performance for the future.15.30-15.55Keynote - Charles Paumelle, Co-founder and Managing Director, Microshare15.55-16.25Panel session Matthew Evans, Director, Market Programmes, techUK - Moderator Charles Paumelle, Co-founder and Managing Director, Microshare Amar Mundi, Senior Solutions Director, HCL Justin Paul, Director of Marketing, Zeetta Networks16.25-16.40Closing remarks. Martin Ewings, Brand Leader - Experis16.40-17.30Networking & Drinks ​

As technological advancements continue to reshape the context and content of work, rapid digital transformation is required across organisations of all shapes and sizes. In our ever-changing landscape, transformation has to start at the top and leaders need to lead differently to capture opportunity and stay relevant. Technology brings disruption, as well as opportunity. To keep up with the pace of change and remain competitive, leaders must be ready to lead through rapid digital transformation. And organisations must be ready to prioritise the need to develop digital leaders. A new mindset to be transformation-ready To be ready to transform, organisations must create a culture of innovation. Change always brings a level of uncertainty and resistance. It can impact decisions, hamper progress and risk disengaging people. So the imperative for leaders to drive the right behaviours has never been greater. Wherever companies are on their digital journey, they need to be even more agile and be able to deliver in the short-term while adapting for the long-term. They must take advantage of new tools and fresh thinking to help maximise opportunities. Yet, mindset and skills challenges – including resistance to new ways of working and feeling overwhelmed by complexity – prevent many organisations from achieving effective digital transformation. At the same time, a leadership gap exists in many sectors for digital leaders who are preparing their organisations to be transformation-ready. Developing digital leaders through the 80/20 rule Traditional ideas of leadership effectiveness will not drive sustained business performance in the digital age. Nonetheless, digital leadership is not a total replacement of these fundamental attributes. Instead, the 80/20 rule applies. Eighty percent of the competencies and enablers that have always made leaders effective remain the same. The other 20 percent is made up of the capabilities that are now critical for current and future leaders to be able to drive digital transformation. The 80 percent: Strong leadership skills are not to be underestimated Leaders have spent years developing valuable skills and experience. The current challenges of leading through digital transformation make this experience even more vital. Developing the critical skills and coachable capabilities of NextGen leaders is required to rapidly transform organisations. In addition to having the right inherent enablers, all leaders should possess Curiosity and Learnability together with Digital Skills and Expertise. The 20 percent: New capabilities for digital-ready leaders In addition to the strong foundation of traditional leadership skills, digital leaders also require the ability to Unleash Talent, Accelerate Performance and Dare to Lead. Existing leaders and high-potentials can be upskilled to develop these capabilities. These skills can also be amplified by infusing your talent pool with digital-ready leaders from other businesses that may be more advanced in their transformation journey. Amplifying what’s humanly possible in a digital world To lead in the digital age, business leaders need to combine the best of human and machine intelligence to create an inclusive, tech-enabled and forward-thinking company. Organisations at every stage of the transformation journey will need to identify, nurture and develop their existing workforce and future leaders to amplify what’s humanly possible in a digital world. Leaders that drive organisational strategy, set the culture, provide a clear vision and roadmap for their people, and identify, nurture and develop existing and future leaders, will successfully transform their organisations. Digital transformation is ongoing and change is dynamic, so agility and continuous adaption is essential. Leaders in the digital age must encourage a culture of measured innovation and experimentation within clear parameters, and they must learn fast. They should be prepared to quickly course-correct and optimise opportunities. They must break down silos and champion seamless collaboration and exchange of information. And, importantly, they must compete for scarce skills, engage talent in a greater variety of ways, and champion broader thinking and learnability, to fast-track upskilling and reskilling of their people. This article first appeared in the ninth edition of The Human Age Newspaper.

Technology has opened up fresh ways of working and getting work done. This means companies have more options than ever before when choosing where and how to build their workforce. Yet, overwhelming workforce data, changing talent requirements and shifting legal frameworks add layers of complexity to decision-making. Companies need greater market transparency, in order to be able to make better and faster choices about where to locate their workforces. That’s where the Total Workforce Index can help. Drawing on a global analysis of more than 90 data points, the Total Workforce Index evaluates skills availability, cost efficiency, regulation and workforce productivity of permanent and contingent workers across 75 countries. The result is a comprehensive report ranking countries where skills, productivity and labour laws make it most favourable to do business. The tool can answer questions like “How will shifting regulation and changing wages in a specific location impact our business?” and “Where can I find workers with the skills my organisation needs as technology advances?” It also offers specificity: “Where should we put our next office?”, “What should our workforce mix be in this country?” and “Where is the right location in my market to offer flexible work schedules?” Through real-time, robust data and tested insight, the Total Workforce Index™ turns complexity into opportunity. It enables businesses to execute a precise talent strategy that’s aligned to their unique needs, and most importantly, the needs of talent. Complete the below form to download your copy today. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4674640", formId: "0baeb2f7-387b-44fb-a4e7-9a1fa5162b05" });

Digital transformation does not happen overnight, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach which works for all. When it’s done well, it allows businesses to drive new value for customers. Yet it relies on an organisation’s ability to effectively integrate their workforce with new technologies and quickly evolve their business processes. Our Digital Maturity Assessment is here to help. This short online test has been designed to give you a real-time view of your organisation and processes during your digital transformation. It allows you to measure how far you have progressed in evolving your strategy, culture, processes and technology – the four critical components of any change initiative. When you have completed your assessment, you’ll receive a tailored report benchmarking where you are on your digital journey, from aware, engaged, connected, to optimised. Whether you’re at the very beginning of your transformation journey, or if you’ve been on one for some time, the Digital Maturity Assessment will identify areas for improvement, so you can drive short and long term return on your digital investments. We invite you to click on the link below to begin the assessment. hbspt.cta.load(4674640, '18ce85b4-ff23-4593-ba12-9fd2876ce204', {});