The future of HR in the next decade

2020. The decade could be messy for those organisations who fail to recognise the impending HR revolution and act upon it. And that action needs to take place now.

Things are changing fast and the main driver is the entry into the workforce of the Millennials. By 2020 they will make up half of the workforce and by 2025, they’ll dominate it with a 75% share of the jobs.

This shifting of the generations  through the workforce is not new and is quite normal.  However, it doesn’t always go smoothly as sometimes the new batch of working age people aren’t ready or able, culturally or otherwise, to continue the status quo. This is true of the latest influx of youngsters who come via a totally different upbringing to those before them.  Unlike their predecessors, the Millennials have been thoroughly digitised throughout childhood and adolescence.  Since an early age they’ve had access to the internet. As they’ve grown towards adulthood this has probably developed from occasional supervised connection to unsupervised and always-on. Many will have had a smartphone or tablet since their early teens or even before. They expect seamless access to the latest technology at work and at home and are very vocal and demanding when they don’t get it.

The digital transformation of growing up is not the only difference with the latest additions to the workforce. They will not conform to the old order of work. They do not hang around where they’re not happy, not properly equipped and not openly appreciated. Even if you do look after their every need, they are still not loyal and do not see a problem with having four jobs on their CV’s before their 25th birthday. They are not just mobile in an information technology sense, their careers are also mobile.

Big changes require brave and decisive responses. Organisations keen to attract and retain the best talent in this new environment need to be well-informed, properly advised and equip themselves to answer the demands of this changing workforce.  A white paper, provocatively titled ‘What Role for HR in 2020 – 2025, commissioned by Orange takes a detailed look into the world that this new generation will bring. The report is co-authored by Orange’s HR teams, Oliver Wyman and Mercer.  Download the report here

Glenn Le Santo
Glenn Le Santo

Editor in Chief, International, at Orange Business. I'm in charge of our International website and the English language blogs at Orange Business. In my spare time I'm literally captain of my own ship, spending my time on the wonderful rivers and canals of England.