Global Talent Trends 2022

The events of the past two years have left an indelible mark on investor, employee and consumer attitudes. The new world of work – more nuanced and personalized – demands a reset of priorities and new skills around listening, learning and adapting to identify and address unmet needs. Companies that fail to adapt will lose the ability to raise capital, attract and retain talent, and stay relevant. Relatable organizations are coming off mute on what they stand for, and setting “good work” standards that reflect the values of all their stakeholders. They relentlessly listen to what drives consumer and employee behavior, and build cultures and practices that are adaptive by design.

People no longer want to work for a company; they want to work with a company. The future of work depends on flatter and more networked talent models, fueled by a more flexible, fungible and globally dispersed workforce. This represents a shift in the social contract of work, one that will succeed only if everyone feels they are getting a fair deal. In response, relatable organizations are developing a partnership mindset across their ecosystem. They are building business resilience by infusing equity and inclusion into their talent models, accessing broader and more diverse talent pools, and building out more robust supplier and partner networks. Today, “partnering” over “leading” might be a company’s biggest competitive advantage. 

The pandemic exposed and worsened the health and wealth gaps for different populations, underscoring that accessibility and affordability of care is not enough. The well-being ROI that matters today is less about a return on investment (focused on reducing healthcare costs) and more about what makes a difference to drive current and future health outcomes of the workforce. This puts the onus on an employer to ensure the emotional, physical, social and financial well-being of their employees. Relatable organizations actively encourage healthy, rewarding and sustainable work behaviors and offer personalized support during moments that matter. 

The significant supply and demand gap in both skills and workers has highlighted the role that organizations play not just in ensuring their own sustainability but also in safeguarding the future employability of their people. The pandemic underscored the importance of a skills-based talent model and agile work design in building the workforce of the future. More than ever, organizations are instilling a mindset of lifelong learning, democratizing work opportunities, and helping workers of all backgrounds and generations pave a pathway to prosperity.

The “future of work” has been a hot topic for many years – but as the name indicates, it was always seen as a long-term play. The pandemic accelerated the timeline and exponentially increased the importance of new business models, new ways of working and new technologies. Ideas that were once met with resistance, skepticism and reluctance are now solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time – and while people are exhausted, they are also much more optimistic. Now, companies have a unique opportunity to unlock energy by ensuring that the transformation agenda is centered around the human experience and to redesign work, working and the workplace for a new age.