Who is Super Hero of the New Era in Companies?

The year 2020 was the year of great changes for both individuals and institutions. After a heavy pandemic process, I think it is time to retreat in the summer months a bit and make an evaluation.

We are all aware that, we are living in the most important period of the century we are in. While millions of information, foresight, and rumors flow through us from many different channels, business leaders who have an important responsibility are trying to understand this situation more simply and clearly. Whether we are a business owner or a professional, if we want to protect or even increase what we have achieved so far, we need to make a clearer and simpler sense of this period and the near future. In fact, we have to change and transform to adapt to this new situation as soon as possible.

Am I the Leader of the Near Future?

Recently, the report titled “Skill shift: Automation and the future of the workforce” published by McKinsey & Company about how the future’s talent and competency changes in the business world and how companies can adapt to this has attracted attention.

In this report, how the skills used in the businesses will change are compared by comparing 2016 and 2030. Although we are not very surprised by the results, it will be more important to interpret these results and determine our position accordingly. As we all predicted, the importance of physical skills and basic cognitive skills decreased by 15%, while the importance of social and technological skills increased significantly by 55%. Accordingly, it becomes very clear that the leaders who will create the values ​​of the future will be made up of socially and active people adapted to technology. In fact, when we look at the successful business people of recent times, we can clearly see that they are already making a difference because they already have these features.

In line with these results, there are important questions that we all have to ask themselves. Can I perceive this new era clearly and honestly? How open am I to change? What level are my social and technological competencies? At the end of all these questions, perhaps the point we should come to is to ask ourselves, “Am I one of the leaders of the near future?”

Our Employees’ Profiles are Changing…

After leaders make this personal assessment, another important issue is how our institutions will adapt to this change. For a long time, we have seen that the need for physical labor decreases with the advancement of automation and artificial intelligence technologies. In fact, according to McKinsey’s research, the managers of the companies at almost every stage agree that there will be an average 20% decrease in the labor force over the next 3 years.

But the key issue to consider here is that this workforce profile will disappear altogether? Or will a different types of profiles join the business World to replace the current workforce? Again, the leaders of the institutions predict that the 20% decrease in the workforce will be replaced by 6% different profiles.

According to my assessment, I think these rates will change more dramatically. I estimate that 50% of companies’ current employee profiles will change in the near future. I also think that current leaders are not ready for these new profiles and job descriptions. Previously, we could say that this change will take time and that the entire business world will be prepared for this period through natural selection. However, after the pandemic, it was revealed that we did not have such a preparation time.

Super Heroes of the New Era

C-Level and HR leaders will play the most important and key role in this change in institutions, structuring companies in line with new needs, finding new profiles needed, retraining and managing. The point that we want to draw attention to is that HR, which is the most strategic part of the companies, maybe the shining star of the new era as the main reason and owner of the company performance.

After all, this change, perhaps more lean, flexible, people-oriented working structures will be waiting for us. However, you know that it is always more difficult to simplify and be leaner.