UNLEASH 2019: THE RISE OF THE FRAGMENTED, COMPLEX CAREER
Having not long returned from UNLEASH, we’ve been enlightened and motivated by fresh perspectives, inspiring calls for action and a better grasp on the fast-moving HR tech vendor space.
Here are just a couple of takeaways from the two days…
(Disclaimer: we saw a fantastic host of sessions – and I’m sure we missed some great ones too. This is just a small flavour of the event.)
TWO PROMINENT MARKET ERUPTIONS
From walking through the expo hall and glancing at the signage it became clear that employee experience is now a core focus in the HR tech marketplace. Indeed, it came as no surprise when Josh Bersin, who opened up day two of the conference with his usual HR tech update, claimed that “employee experience is the biggest buzzword invented since employee engagement” a few decades ago.
Talent acquisition and management technology solutions are also booming. On the recruitment side this stems from the fact that hiring employees with the right skills is harder than it has been in the past 50 years, Bersin pointed out.
In the talent management space, he argued that we’re seeing a whole new host of apps born out of a philosophical shift in how we manage our people. With distrust and political upheaval rife, leaders now need to be more ethical and transparent in their approach and to drive forward growth mindsets that create more career opportunities.
FROM LIFELONG CAREERS TO FRAGMENTED WORK
This changing perspective on career development leads nicely to exploring a powerful message that rung true in nearly every session we attended. To ensure a positive future for business, and wider society, HR must encourage its people to view their careers as an ongoing journey of development.
We know that the era of completing education in university or college, before starting a lifelong career in one industry, and then retiring, is long gone. As future of work strategist Heather McGowan highlighted in her session on day one, we’ve now moved away from education towards learning – and there is no end to learning.