Taking Action to Anticipate

Many organisations have (large) groups of employees whose skills and capabilities were well suited to the challenges and work of the past. However, the nature and volume of work are changing rapidly. As a result, existing employees do not necessarily have the qualities and capabilities needed in the (near) future. Time is running out to find an answer to the (looming) structural mismatch between employees’ current knowledge and skills and those required in the future. This paper explores how organisations can support and motivate employees to take action, empowering them to feel confident and free to take control of their own future employability and strengthen their position in the labour market. This is not easy, but it is possible.

Bright & Company investigated the main reasons why employees find it difficult to take proactive action on their own initiative, and the extent to which existing organisational structures, culture, leadership and HR practices act as barriers. We translated these findings into guiding principles for achieving a breakthrough and identified practical levers for taking concrete action, including a call to action for the key stakeholders. This paper makes the case for a more strategic and integrated approach to this challenge.