“The pandemic underscores the need for ‘fluidity’ in talent and a seamless flow of knowledge and innovative ideas to enable capability, capacity and agility,” Kevin Martin, chief research officer at the Institute for Corporate Productivity, writes for The Financial Times. “As companies begin their return to the office, shoring up this talent supply chain is a crucial part of mitigating risk.”
Martin, who describes his organization as a think-tank that researches human capital, notes that the pandemic has shown companies that being prepared for worst-case scenarios is not enough. These companies also need to make certain that their “talent supply chains can not only respond to further outbreaks, but also capitalise on opportunities that may arise.”
The pandemic has made clear that firms must be able to respond immediately to crisis, says Diane Gherson, IBM’s chief HR officer. “We need real-time, sense-and-respond capabilities for skills as our businesses move to agile models and adopt new technology, exponentially changing the nature of work,” she says. “In this environment, strategic workforce planning is relegated to the trash bin.”