Is your business prepared for the blended workforce?
With the pace at which digitalization is distrupting traditional business models, and the covid-19 crisis still prevalent across the globe, organizational speed has been on the top priority lists for businesses. To thrive in the new era of the post pandemic world, however, operating models need to move towards fostering agility by being fast and nimble in their organizational structure, and this can be done through embracing the blended workforce. But the question remains, how prepared is your company to do so?
Covid-19 has been tough on the global economy, firms and people, but the crisis has allowed business leaders to rethink their organizations and has been an opportunity for HR departements to reassess their workforce and plan for actions that will allow them to tackle the next big hurdle, the war on talent. Embracing the blended workforce will be critical for companies to compete in the future and the ones that effectively build an organization around agile talent will see this as a major competitive advantage.
Building and successfully leading a blended workforce requires companies to be well-prepared but Forbes highlight that most HR executives are lacking this prepardness which will be an issue in the future.
“Thoughtful leaders understand that the war for talent is a factor for top independent professionals as for full time professionals, and must build organizations with a new, blended workforce in mind. To get full value from the blended workforce, organizations need to assure readiness, and that takes planning, leadership, communication, welcoming culture and managerial skill sets” (Forbes)
From our own research and interviews with HR managers, they too agree that the success of an organization depends on the agility of the organization, and this need for flexibility and agility has only accelerated with Covid-19. The need for a flexible organization that quickly can gear up and down and adjust to changeable environments will be crucial for today as well as in the post-covid world.
Gain flexibility and agility with an interim manager
By hiring an interim manager into your business, leaders can offset the lack of time, skills, resources and capabilities that was holding back their ability to grow and compete. By embracing flexibility in whom they hire, businesses can speed up operations and deliver faster on strategy. An interim manager is a leader and a highly-skilled resource that has deliberately chosen to go for a flexible work-life. It is his/her choice to work in a flexible manner; in terms of being employed in various organizations, industries and work on different projects (sometimes referred to as gigs) and different time spans.
What does this mean for the business? By hiring an interim manager, the organization receives a manager who is used to act in dynamic and changing environments, and possesses the personality traits that make them thrive in such environments, making them well-prepared to deal with sudden and unpredictable change.
HR should recognize the value of a blended workforce
It is important for executives to clearly communicate the role of the interim manager in the future workforce, the contribution expected of them, and the implications that they have on full-time employees. Furthermore, assessing and identifying in what situations it makes sense to hire an interim manager is critical, so the issues quickly can be solved. Finally, building relationships with interim management firms will be key.
The magic lies in the mix
It is not only Forbes and Harvard Business Review that highlight the growth of the blended workforce, but prominent consultancy firms like McKinsey and Deloitte all anticipate this growth, where the demand for C-Suite talent will see a surge. Finding the right talent at the right time has become an imperative for a firms, and this does not longer just apply to full-time talent. The magic lies in the mix
Prepare for the future of work with Interim Management
By utilizing interim management, firms can become future ready organizations. Interim management allows firms to become faster, more nimble and agile organizations.
The on-demand workforce is large and growing, where forward thinking organizations are proactively changing to take advantage of this important new resource and the potential for HR’s contribution has never been greater. Strategic leaders and HR need to build organizations with a new, blended workforce in mind as the war for talent and the challenges that come with that will only increase over time.
Want to know more?
Nextt Management are experts in Interim Management and have operated in the industry since 2003. Our philosophy is to provide top quality managerial solutions that your business achieve your desired results.
Contact us today if you found this blog post relevant or if it sparked your interest. We are happy to have an informal talk with you on how an interim manager can create positive results to your business.
