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Future of Work 2017

July 17, 2017 —  OI Global Partners, a leading human resources consulting firm that provides career transition, executive coaching, leadership consulting and recruitment services, has released the results of a proprietary survey of Talent Managers representing over 500 organizations from North America, Europe and Australia. The goals of the survey were to understand the following:

1. the skills employees must have to be competitive today;
2. the most significant people challenges currently facing organizations;
3. the most effective ways to develop talent; and
4. the roles most at risk.

“We’re grateful to our clients across the globe who shared their firsthand knowledge and insights,” said Susan Ruhl, Co-Chair of OI Global Partners and a founding partner of ICC Inc. “The results are fascinating. Across the globe, our clients are facing common challenges and risks and they are implementing solutions that are effective in managing a changing work landscape.”

Among the key findings of the survey, respondents indicated that the skills employees must have to be competitive are:

1. strong communication ability;
2. leadership agility;
3. eagerness to learn;
4. emotional intelligence; and
5. understanding analytics.

The most significant people challenges currently facing organizations are:

1. adapting to change;
2. employee engagement;
3. attracting and hiring new talent;
4. the lack of coaching skills by managers; and
5. retaining key talent.

The most effective ways to develop talent are:

1. career conversations;
2. internal leadership development programs;
3. assessments;
4. mentoring programs; and
5. one-to-one coaching, with external coaches.

“Our professional coaches are a resource for developing an organization’s leaders to sharpen skills, engage employees and improve team performance, prioritize and address pressing organizational issues, to manage strategically and capitalize on new opportunities,” added Ms. Ruhl. “When you engage us to train your managers to build their coaching skills, they conduct more effective career conversations leading to clarity in goal-setting, stronger employee engagement, excellence in performance, and retention of the best talent.”

The roles most at risk are:

1. administrative roles;
2. manufacturing & production jobs;
3. middle management;
4. finance & accounting; and
5. support staff.

“Of course,” Ms. Ruhl continued, “as you need assistance to bring new talent on board or transition employees out of your organization, our recruitment and compassionate outplacement services will extend and enhance your brand.”

The full set of survey results can be downloaded here.

About OI Global Partners
OI Global Partners is a leading human resources consulting firm that helps organizations manage their talent and individuals manage their careers. We are local experts with global perspective. Our firm has its roots in OI Partners Inc., founded in 1987, and CareerNet International Ltd., founded in 1998. We are managed by a global board of directors with administrative operations in Nashville and Amsterdam. For more information, please visit www.oiglobalpartners.com or contact S. Thomas Wharton at [email protected] or 401.884.7959.