Meet the Four Forces Shaping Your Workforce Strategy | strategy + business

This 14-page article highlights how companies are navigating four forces to inform their workforce strategy. The four forces and the questions they help firms answer include: 1) Specialization (the expertise we obtain and build to succeed). How can we anticipate the roles we’ll need (and the roles being displaced)? 2) Scarcity (the talent shortages and skills deficits that could harm our performance). Where are we short on talent now? What skills will we need? 3) Rivalry (the reasons employees choose us over competitors). Are we winning now? How can we win as our requirements change with our strategy? 4) Humanity (the good we do for our people—and the world. Does our company purpose resonate with our people? The article provides examples of how companies are examining workforce challenges and opportunities with the four forces in mind, and asking additional questions such as: Which roles risk being automated most quickly (specialization)? Where are our biggest skills surpluses and deficits—and which employees are most at risk of leaving (scarcity)? What’s our employee value proposition, and how could it be stronger (rivalry)? What’s our current commitment to an organizational purpose, as well as to the communities in which we operate (humanity)? HR leaders can use this framework and underlying questions to guide the development of their workforce strategy.