The liquid workforce – Are you ready for it?

In the digital revolution era the world is evolving in ways previously unimaginable. The digital revolution is not only shaping the future of humanity, but also the present workforce and the way we innovate and create change. It has created what is known as the liquid workforce, a workforce that is agile, flexible, innovative, effective and engaging. Keeping up with the technology is only one part of the challenge. Along with technology, the people who make up the workforce must also adapt alongside the revolution. This applies to people at all levels of the workforce from the base, to the executive level.

Accenture Technology Vision 2016 has done research on the Liquid Workforce trend. It looks at the need not only to invest in tools and technologies but actually in the workforce itself. The ‘liquid’ workforce needs to be adaptable to change, flexibility and constant innovation. A number of corporations such as GE, Unilever and Oracle have already implemented the liquid workforce trend.

Technology has changed the way we work, thus the workforce needs to be able to adapt in order to meet evolving demands. The increase in automation of jobs, rise of freelancing, pace of innovation and simply the presence of the largest segment of the workforce; millennials and adapting to their style of working, has meant that the workforce needs to evolve, hence become liquid. The workforce needs to be able to develop skillsets that will help them in achieving these goals.

This can be done through worker redistribution helping companies retain talent and apply human labour where needed, as well as increase efficiency. On-going training, focus on new strategies and engagement with employees is essential in the liquid workforce.

There are three key areas to focus on: skills, projects and organisation. In the liquid workforce, continuous learning is a core competency. Using online courses such as MOOCs, virtual training, employee ‘boot camps’ and different types of learning platforms allows employees to be skilled according to the culture and needs of the company. The government, universities and companies need to work together to build the skills needed within a liquid workforce.

Along with skills, the approach to working itself must also undergo a transformation. By combining internal employee skill sets, freelancers with specialised knowledge and technology for each project, the absolute innovation rate increases, as well as boosting collaboration and engagement within the company culture. Cloud based services can be implemented and used to make content available to employees anywhere anytime, allowing clear communication and flexibility in terms of working style.

In terms of organisation, a more flexible structure is required. A focus on people management is required in order to raise employee satisfaction. Leaders need to shift to a co-creation style of working as opposed to traditional task based management styles. Mangers need to be transparent, provide feedback and trust their employees in their decisions. By effectively harnessing power within the workforce, the company grows smarter and faster which as Accenture describes is not just desirable, but essential in the digital revolution era.

The liquid workforce by definition is flexible, agile, innovative, effective and engaging. Looking at the way the workforce is evolving with millennials making up over a third of the workforce, it is clear that change can no longer be avoided or delayed. Companies need to start changing their structures to accommodate the liquid workforce and employees need to be ready for a constantly challenging, yet rewarding environment. The liquid workforce is not only the future, but also the present, so change needs to start now.