Karen Beaman states that the workforce is changing:
- Multi-Generational – we are are now seeing up to four generations of workers working simultaneously in the workplace — Veterans, Boomers, X’ers, and New Mils — each with differing world views, work/life needs, and job expectations of their employers.
- Multi-Cultural – we are experiencing increasing cultural differences as organizations continue to go global; pervasive globalization, continued immigration, and increased mobility is bringing greater global diversity to the workplace and creating considerable opportunities for cultural conflict.
- Multi-Contractual – we are living in challenging economic times which is spawning the rise of the contingent workforce and a plurality in worker contract types from full-time employees to part-timers, contractors, consultants, freelancers, outsourcers, partners, and other third-parties.
- Multi-Environmental – the ubiquity of the Internet and the evolution of Web 2.0 are enabling the digital, virtual, mobile, remote world in which workers can work anywhere, anytime, anyhow, reducing our perceptions about space and time and blurring the distinction between work and play. ((Beaman, Karen, May 5, 2008. “The Evolving Multi-Dimensional Talentforce.” Retrieved from http://www.jeitosa.com/blog/ on May 5, 2008.))
The question that arises in my mind is with such a diverse workforce, how does one create a singular employer value proposition? It’s easy(er) when your target is young Gen Y innovators, or recruiting for a call center in Des Moines, Iowa. But when you have a truly global workforce that is operating in may disparate locations/countries, has multiple modes of work (remote, contract, in a truck all day, on the phone all day….) then the EVP gets rather unwieldy.
It would be simple to say that your EVP can change for each operating unit or for each population, but the truth is that there still needs to be an underlying culture that ties back to the organizational strategy. But simply saying that “we value highly experienced senior talent and reward them accordingly” is very different in Japan where the employment relationship is still thought of as very long term versus the U.S. where employment is becoming transient to India where the talent market continues to evolve daily.
Ms. Beaman is certainly right – the workforce is changing both because skill levels are increasing sharply globally, but also because of technology making everyone more accessible. The answer to the EVP is something each organization will need to grapple with as there may not be a single simple answer. It’s hard enough to translate text in a database let alone strategy and culture.
Your thoughts?
8 responses to “The Value Proposition in a Multi-Dimensional Workforce”
“The Value Proposition in a Multi-Dimensional Workforce”highlights the fact that the workforce today is a very heterogeneous group. From global locations, to remote workers to generational issues… the workforce today doesn’t look like the workforce of the past.
A recent post on SystematicHR got me thinking. The post, called”The Value Proposition in a Multi-Dimensional Workforce”highlights the fact that the workforce today is a very heterogeneous group. From global locations, to remote workers to generational issues… the workforce today doesn’t look like the workforce of the past. This diversity is causing many companies
A recent post on SystematicHR got me thinking. The post, called”The Value Proposition in a Multi-Dimensional Workforce”highlights the fact that the workforce today is a very heterogeneous group. From global locations, to remote workers to generational issues… the workforce today doesn’t look like the workforce of the past. This diversity is causing many companies
12.The Value Proposition in a Multi-Dimensional Workforcesystematichr.com3 commentsSocialRank Karen Beaman states that the workforce is changing:Multi-Generational – we are are now seeing up to four generations of workers working simultaneously in the workplace — Veterans, Boomers, X’ers, and New
After a week of, I am still wearily loyal to Twitter. However, there are dissenters in the midst. 2. Two weeks notice gone wrong 3. WTF? This is wrong on every level. (Sending my protest email now) 4. The Value Proposition in aMulti-DimensionalWorkforce 5. Dan “The Man” Schawbel schools us on Social Media . Video: “Steve Jobs” skewers a job applicant in this scene from the movie, “Pirates of Silicon Valley.” . 6. Is there
It’s an interesting question. My opinion here is that what we are going to be building in our companies is new “work environements” (comprising physical space, virtual environnements, working tools, social networks, …).
This enhanced work environment should allow professionals to reach the point where they can contribue quickly and develop themselves from a profesionnal point of view. We will probably have to design specific work environments for each specific population (managers, experts, …)
This work environment and the different options (and namely contractual) that people will have to “join” a company will in my opinion make the core of the value proposition
I think marketers are ahead of us in this, and it’s time we started to learn from them. A recent article about Best Buy’s approach to allow sites to “go off script” when it comes to attracting and retaining customers starts to talk to how we can have flexibility inside our broader EVP. I blogged
about it in relation to the talent market
What we are missing is market segmentation. Product marketers don’t try to create value propositions towards an homogenous mass – they target them to market segments. In workforce planning, we do that with talent segments. But most people forget that side of the equation!
[…] recent post on SystematicHR got me thinking. The post, called "The Value Proposition in a Multi-Dimensional Workforce" highlights the fact that the workforce today is a very heterogeneous group. From global […]