It’s been a fast-paced first quarter of 2019 in the Career, Future of Work, and Talentindustries. If you want to keep up, you’ve come to the right place as we’ve gathered the latest news and best insights in this article to make sure you’re always in the loop.

The Future of Work

Your future coworkers could be a swarm of robots

In Australia, unmanned aerial vehicles are now used in agricultural monitoring and surf and rescue operations in the ocean. The rescue application is a particular breakthrough since time-sensitive situations are now better served through the efficiency of these technologies.

Airlie Chapman from the Melbourne School of Engineering, says there is a great opportunity for human and robot collaboration as both can combine forces to solve grand challenges we face today.

Chapman says this is a trend we’ll see increasing in the future, as the potential for robots to help humans in unlimited. (World Economic Forum)’

The Skills New Grads Are Learning the Most

Recent graduates are learning hard skills as they enter the workforce, with emphasis on skills that revolve around analyzing and storytelling with data. New grads are enrolling on courses in these 5 areas:

Data Visualization
Data Modeling
Python (a programming language often used in data science)
Web Analytics
Databases

Not only are these skills in-demand and will help you become a remarkable candidate, these are key learnings that are useful throughout an individual’s entire career. (LinkedIn)

Learning the soft skills to get the career you want: What are effective ways to acquire it?

Most people aren’t aware of it but we are now in the era facing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. All aspects of the way we live are constantly changing day by day, and the idea that the job you have now may not even be around in the next 3-5 years isn’t so improbable.

While it is imperative that you have a solid set of hard skills, in this highly competitive environment, soft skills are what gets you ahead. Soft skills gear you up for the career you want and gives you a better chance at keeping it and progressing further. (impaCCCt)

Career Development

Managing Teams—and Careers—in the Age of Disruption

There is a pressing need for managers to learn an entirely new set of skills brought about by technological transformations, complexities of changing aspects of a workforce, and dynamics of teamwork. Pamela Rucker, a teacher for Harvard Extension School’s Professional Development Programs on Leading Through Digital Disruption, says "...managers who take the time to understand their industry, their competition, their customers, and their company’s organizational structure provide needed context for smart strategic change.”

There is also the demand for autonomy and mobility, with the new workforce demanding for more choices and options about how and where they work. Rucker says more autonomy - in a sense of having a choice about how and where they work, will bring about self-motivation resulting in better engagement, deeper commitment, and getting results done.

Executive development expert Jennifer Stine says "Predictable career paths are long gone. Companies are constantly reinventing and reorganizing themselves in new and interesting ways. To stay competitive, managers need to do the same.”

Stine adds that in order to survive, workers may need to be able to transition seamlessly to unfamiliar roles and take responsibility in acquiring and learning new skills. (Harvard)

Proven Tips to Get Known In Your Industry

Your Personal Brand works with a combined effort of your knowledge and content making to help you build an image of thought leadership. Building and promoting a Personal Brand is not a popularity contest-- It is all about putting out content that imparts value to your audience and sharing the knowledge you have. This, in turn, helps you get known and solidify your career in whatever industry you are in.

Writing LinkedIn articles, volunteering for boards and charities, and attending MeetUps, Conferences and networking are just some of the proven effective ways to help establish thought leadership in your chosen industry. (impaCCCt)

Talent Management and Employer Branding

Talent Acquisition Teams Plan to Increase Spend on These 6 Things in 2019

With several factors and disruptions playing part, the market for talent is now more competitive than ever. Employers and businesses are faced with the challenge of attracting not just the top, but the most fit talent for their organisations.

In order to do this successfully, talent teams are focusing on increasing spending on these several areas:

44 % - Employer brand and image
44% - Career development for existing employees
43% - Finding high-quality talents
42% - Cultivating a positive work environment
42% - Employee training program
42% - Highly efficient training process (LinkedIn)

Forget Work Perks. Millennial Employees Value Engagement.

In a modern workplace run by individuals who have a completely different set of ideals and demands, a business needs to adapt and find ways to live up to them. Peter J. Martel, senior talent development consultant at Harvard Business School, says employees want to feel valued and that “An engaged workforce is optimal from an organizational performance point of view.”

It’s true, a recent study by Gallup showed that employee engagement across industries and organisations consistently affects performance outcomes, with 21% higher profitability, 20% increase in productivity, and 10% customer loyalty or engagement.

Investing in employees in ways other than paid incentive is also seen as valuable, as a recent study by Cornerstone OnDemandshows, a big motivator for changing positions is purpose and fulfillment. Professional growth and continuous learning within the company are some key strategies worth focusing on, as well as career-planning and support in exploring various paths and transitions to other functions. (Harvard

Industry Updates 2019