The Straits Times, Singapore: Cognizant’s Asia Pacific Head Says Companies Must Ensure That They are Building the Right Roster of Skills for the Digital Future
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“The digital era promises rapid innovation and seamless collaboration. However, relying on technology alone is not enough in today’s rapidly changing business landscape,” writes Jayajyoti Sengupta. “Leveraging talent with digital capabilities forms the antidote to slow innovation cycles and can help instill a culture of speed in response to today’s dynamic and volatile business world.” Excerpts:
“Attracting and managing the talent needed to make this shift will be radically different from what worked in the past. Technology matters a lot because new technologies will impact how knowledge work is organized, distributed and completed. Human talent must adapt to this new reality.
The workforce of the future, therefore, must evolve amid a digital revolution that will undoubtedly upend revenue flows, business models and cost structures.
Since digital is the primary driver of all business success today, and change starts from the top, managers need to make the first move in inculcating this mindset within their teams. Here’s what leaders at traditional companies can do to cultivate a digital‑first mindset, proactive marketing and an electronically‑empowered workforce.
Define what ‘digital transformation’ means to the company. The ideal approach to this problem is to create and articulate a vision for the company.
Conduct a culture assessment. As with all change, cultural transformations must start at the top. Senior management cannot defer or delegate digital culture down the line but must lead from the front.
Set company wide, explicit and measurable goals. These goals should create a sense of urgency and speak to the hearts and minds of employees, rather than just serving as financial goals.
Ensure that leaders exemplify the new culture through highly visible and symbolic actions. Simply put, the new mantra to adopt should be, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.
Be it baby boomers or millennials, building a digital-first mindset is important as it creates work environments in which technological expertise can develop across generations.
As a cross-discipline practice, companies should consider adopting these four primary functions to ensure that their digital future is building the right roster of skills. Get it right and this new breed of talent can be used to harness innovation, drive customer co-creation and develop intercompany collaboration over time.”
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