Ardent Partners defines the “Future of Work” as the optimization of work, accomplished via the transformation of business operations, talent, and seamless and holistic solutions, as well as flexible enterprise thinking. At its core, the foundational elements of the Future of Work are all focused on the optimization of how work is done. And, this reflects the core of why the Future of Work has become such an important business consideration. Historically, procurement and human resources (HR)/human capital management (HCM) executives have been focused on myriad issues, ranging from budgets and cost, compliance with regulatory policies and guidelines, lack of visibility into core corporate finances, supply chain challenges, and so much more.

While those matters remain ever-important to how a business operates today, enterprises must not only focus on merely surviving in these changing times, they must work today to ensure that they are able to truly thrive in the months and years ahead.

Last week, CPO Rising highlighted why 2020 would be a critical year for the Future of Work movement. Here are several attributes of the evolving world of work that will prove that the Future of Work is, indeed, for real:

• “Agility” moves from “fad” territory into a truly desired business state. Agility is a word thrown around so frequently across the business stratosphere, often leveraged to describe the means in which today’s enterprises will transform their operations into real-time, value-added competencies. The truth is this: 78% of businesses (according to upcoming Ardent Partners research) believe that they will shift to more of an “agile culture” (which includes an agile workforce, agile technology, and agile operations/processes) in the years ahead. This stat proves that, amongst other new and common challenges, a widespread state of agility continues to be a core focal area for the average business in 2020.
• Digital and on-demand staffing solutions will hit their collective tipping point in the year ahead. With over 300% growth in utilization since 2016, digital staffing platforms have a major opportunity ahead as more and more businesses understand the value of alternative talent engagement models. This concept is so much more than “businesses desire a more direct relationship with its talent,” as digital and on-demand staffing solutions (which include the power of talent pool curation and development via Freelancer Management System (FMS) functionality) offer powerful functionality for helping companies tap into the necessary skillsets and expertise they require to be competitive in an increasingly-globalized market.
• The notion of “skills” will be a fundamental focus for businesses in 2020. It’s no longer a conversation based on costs or budget (although these areas will always be important), nor a discussion centered around traditional and tactical processes. The dialogue in 2020 regarding how businesses will thrive revolves around skills. Businesses must prepare for gaps in internal expertise, must understand how generational shifts in the workforce will affect total productivity and impact, and, most importantly, they must truly understand which skillsets are required not only today, but in the future as well, to help the greater organization succeed in evolving times. Reskilling and upskilling hold their rightful, critical places in the Future of Work movement.

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