Canadian HR Reporter

F E A T U R E 20 www.hrreporter.com skilled and have experience in different departments, they can shift into new roles and teams if their existing position is no longer needed (or is automated). Plus, there will be jobs that exist one to five years from now that haven't been considered. It's estimated that two-thirds of children entering primary school today will work in positions that are not yet on our radar. It's difficult to upskill someone to be ready for a role that cannot be described, but if they have a range of skills and experiences, that will make it easier for them to adapt to a new position as it appears. Building new skills and under- standing: Workers don't just have to be mobilized into new permanent positions, the y can also take on temporar y roles and stretch assignments. This leads to another benefit — by working with different people and in different teams, workers are exposed to new experiences and develop an understanding of how other areas of the business work. This can broaden their thinking and skills. It's a tactic used by Mars, Inc. to develop employees who can contribute with more depth. As Kerry Grigg, global university recruitment and early talent pipeline development director, explained in a 2016 Forbes article: "The best way to accelerate the development of our associates' perspective and learning agility is to experience rotations in stretching and real roles across a range of functions." Improved skills utilization: Canadian workers are now better educated than at any other point in history with 58 per cent holding a tertiary qualification, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. How- ever, many feel unable to use all their skills at work. They are limited by a shortage of work opportunities that effectively use their skills and this is hindering their personal growth as well as the economy and individual businesses. Improving skills utilization will help businesses recover from the 2020 crisis. Furthermore, with many companies implementing hiring freezes, more must be done to make the most of every existing worker. There also is a knock-on effect on productivity because if every worker is doing their best work and reaching their full potential, their output and quality will increase, too. Shareholder returns and market p e r fo r m a n ce : C o m p a n i e s w i t h effective talent management are six times more likely to report higher shareholder returns compared to their less effective peers, according to McKinsey & Company. Reallocating talent as strategic priorities rise and fall leads to a 1.4-times greater l i k e l i h o o d o f o u t p e r f o r m i n g competitors. This is likely linked to the productivity and skills utilization gains already discussed. A more attractive employer brand: If employees feel as though their time at their employer will be fleeting, especially given today's job uncertainty, then they are likely to leave for the next safe harbour. The same applies if employees feel undervalued and if their career growth is hindered. This rings particularly true for younger workers, with 87 per cent of millennials ranking "professional or career growth and development opportunities" as important to them in a job, according to a 2016 survey by Gallup. Offering work opportunities through career mobility — in the form of secondments, stretch assignment or new positions — will improve retention and help an employer brand stand out in the market. Given the many changes that have happened to the workforce in 2020, now is an opportune time to explore career mobility options. Improving career mobility will impact all parts of an organization, from finances and operations to futureproofing and brand. It offers a win-win for everyone — providing people with greater job sec urity, upskilling oppor tunities a n d c a r e e r g r o w t h , a s w e l l a s providing your organization with the adaptability needed to navigate the coming months. CHRR Chris Milligan is vice president of career mobility at Degreed in London, U.K. For more information, visit www. degreed.uk. TD Bank redeployed more than 2,000 front-of-house staff into customer support roles when its retail banks were temporarily closed. F E A T U R E S F E A T U R E S

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