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    Developing Skills in Today’s Workforce for Tomorrow’s Data Challenges

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    As businesses are put under more pressure to deliver more with fewer resources, ensuring they’re equipped with a refined and skilled data-literate workforce is crucial. An uptake in technology adoption will mean very little, if only a fraction of the workforce has the skills needed to reap the benefits. With upskilling and training integral parts of technological advancement, it’s vital to ensure that all workers are able to question and understand how to use the data and insights received from any new technology.
    PwCs CEO research has recently revealed that 61% of CEOs’ tech investment is focused on transforming (rather than just maintaining) their current business to ensure they can endure today’s economic turbulence. As they seek to gather and provide the necessary skills to remain competitive and relevant on a global scale, the skills shortage presents an ever-changing challenge for companies. While some skills gaps have closed, new shortages have emerged. This is also true for data analysis. With data everywhere and every department in every business trying to work with data, the challenge is due to a great demand for, but an equally significant shortage of, highly qualified data scientists.
    Building a workforce from within, not from scratch
    As businesses grow and the demand for data analysts increases, the options business leaders can take to differentiate themselves is simple: grow what is already present. Tackling the data skills shortage is a journey. While companies often look outwards for technical solutions, the key component to successfully developing a broader data-literate workforce comes from within.
    Delivering the decision intelligence required to deliver split-second business insights in real-time requires employees who can competently work with data. These workers don’t need advanced coding skills but instead are often the in-department experts. Knowledge workers in the line of business are an often-untapped resource. With hard-won domain expertise and the ability to effectively combine this knowledge with code-friendly and/or code-free self-service technology, they can easily address their data problems creatively. Whether businesses have data on-premises, in the cloud, or somewhere in between, the combined approach of accessible self-service data platforms and data-literate knowledge workers can make data-literate workforces a reality.
    Data literacy and technology
    It’s been proven that we are not only operating in the greatest period of data generation in history but also in a remarkably disrupted global economic landscape. While this data surge provides new opportunities for delivering decision intelligence at scale, many businesses struggle to deliver the insights they need at the required speed and scale. Research completed by Statista proves this, as it showed that just 2% of the data produced and consumed in 2020 was saved – and retained – into 2021. This presents a huge opportunity for organizations across the world to train and upskill their current workforce in data literacy so they can understand, interpret, and apply data-driven insights to decision-making.
    Data literacy and the ability to harness analytics effectively are key to delivering value from data. Data literacy is also a crucial tool when it comes to developing the next generation of data science talent. It can make a huge difference in how data is interpreted or how AI algorithms are trained. But technology alone cannot solve what is a very human problem. Technology is only ever a facilitator of the human expertise behind it. The analytics skills gap won’t be resolved by teaching more people coding or buying more technology. Instead, business leaders need to focus on democratized analytics – the enablement of anyone in an organization to work with and deliver value from data.
    Upskilling is a continuous investment
    Developing data literacy and digital skills boils down to how business leaders engage these domain experts – allowing them to lean into analytic opportunities, discover new use cases, and deliver specific end results through a continuous cycle of improvement. Any company aiming to tackle its data skills shortage must focus on the journey: utilizing, upskilling, and enabling the knowledge workers they already employ to support existing data science teams. Domain experts understand the nitty-gritty of the business but might lack the technical knowledge to make data-based decisions. Upskilling this set of employees will levitate the business growth. They already possess the skills to make impactful business decisions; reskilling them with powerful analytical knowledge will provide them with the ability to back these decisions with data insights.
    As the need for data intelligence grows, industries must look at how they fulfill their data and analytics needs. The benefits of improving data literacy are plentiful; it helps businesses earn employee loyalty. It helps employees grow their careers as individuals by learning more efficient ways to use data; it helps businesses earn employee loyalty, as well as create a data-intelligent workforce capable of efficient decision-making. In this age of unprecedented data creation, the untapped potential of a data-driven workforce without a data science qualification is yet to be seen, but the possibilities are endless. Yet the upskilling and reskilling of all employees – from IT to sales, accounting, and marketing– in data literacy needs to be a continuous investment. Businesses that understand this will lead the charge by creating a culture of data literacy where anyone can leverage data for strategic decision-making without relying on skilled data workers. Those who fail to take these steps will quickly fall behind the competition.
    By Libby Duane Adams, Cofounder and Chief Advocacy Officer at Alteryx.
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      in Workplace

      How Employers Can Maximize Engagement and Productivity for a Hybrid Workforce

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      Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, non-essential employees across the U.S. have adjusted to working from home on a full-time basis. As companies plan for an eventual return to “normalcy,” many are navigating how to reintroduce their workforce to an office setting. However, the pandemic has seemingly demystified working from home, and many organizations are turning to a new hybrid model that combines remote work and office collaboration.
      In fact, Global Workplace Analytics estimates that 56% of U.S. workers have jobs that enable them to work from home at least part of the time, and between 25% and 30% of the workforce will continue to work remotely multiple days per week when this year reaches its end. Hybrid work models – and a hybrid workforce – are here to stay. As such, it is more critical than ever before that companies invest in the wellness of their workforce and consider methods to retain and engage employees in this new paradigm. Employers need to provide the hybrid workforce with the proper tools and methods required to achieve sustained productivity and engagement, regardless of where they work.
      Physical Implications of an Employee’s Remote Workplace
      The impact of an employee’s workstation on his or her physical health is no secret; physical therapists are experiencing a surge of patients complaining about head, neck, shoulder, and back pain linked to ergonomically unsound home office setups – and in one survey, 92 percent of chiropractors said that patients are reporting more neck pain, back pain or other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) since the COVID-19 stay-at-home guidance first began last year – and this is only expected to increase over the next 12 to 18 months. Considering the average cost of an individual ergonomic claim in the U.S. is approximately $17,000, the health of the hybrid employee is posed to be a major issue for all businesses moving forward.
      Providing Employees with Effective Workplace Tools
      Though there are both health and cost-savings benefits associated with the appropriate remote workstation, most employers are unfortunately not doing enough to ensure their workforce is provided with the proper workstation tools. Effective tools to promote remote employee productivity and efficiency include reliable internet and intranet connectivity, a height-adjustable workstation, a second desktop display, and monitor arm for the display, and an ergonomically sound office chair. To achieve maximum value out of this investment, it’s imperative to train employees on proper use for the different components within their workstation. For example, as many as 93% of employees that have access to a height-adjustable workstation do not use them effectively – and simply providing employees with a stipend and directing them to a catalog to “pick out what they think they need” is not sufficient.
      Powering Employee Productivity Through Engagement Tools
      An incredibly effective way to leverage an employee’s workstation and encourage a workforce to use the workstations effectively is through a gamification strategy. Leveraging a gamification strategy is the process of taking something that already exists – such as a software application – and using gaming techniques, or gamification, to motivate consistent participation and long-term engagement. Gamification is increasingly leveraged within organizations in search of new ways to engage, teach, reward, and retain employees. Leveraging health and productivity challenges, for example, employees can work to reduce sedentary behavior and improve posture – keeping their workforce, healthy and engaged by being part of a team working towards a common goal – both in-office and at home This will lead to an overall increase in productivity.
      By Mike Kind, StanData CEO. 
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      in Talent Acquisition

      How Recruiters Can Adapt to Major Shifts in Candidate Attitudes

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      This past year has greatly altered the dynamics of the U.S. labor market, including job seekers’ expectations of employers, according to a new 2021 Job Seeker Nation Report from Jobvite. It is predicted that many of the changes experienced will be here to stay, bringing about what many believe to be the rise of the optimized workforce. As a result, talent leaders and recruiters must understand how to adjust efforts for the job market today and into the future.
      Remote work & company culture.
      The pandemic has created profound changes in workplace preferences for job seekers, including the desire for remote work. Per the Job Seeker Nation Report, 35% have declined or would decline a job offer that required them to work full time on location, in an office, or at a worksite, and 100% remote work is preferred by 33% of workers.
      Despite an increasing number of employees working remotely, the importance of company culture in applying for a job has continued to rebound. Nearly half of workers believe company culture is very important in their decision to accept or reject a job – a 21% increase since 2019.
      Employers need to implement a hybrid and culture-centric work environment to lure top-quality talent. Likewise, talent leaders must incorporate these company values into the hiring process. This can be accomplished by implementing a cohesive recruitment marketing strategy that includes social media, as more than 33% of job seekers use social media networks to learn about an employer’s culture.
      Diversity hiring is vital.
      With this year prompting many Americans to reflect on what is important to them, it is fitting that those beliefs and priorities are being brought into the job search. This year’s report found a significant number of workers (42%) would turn down a job if the company lacked diversity in its workforce or had no clear goals for improving diversity in hiring.
      Separately, 49% have inquired about employer’s goals and efforts around improving diversity in the workplace during interviews. Based on these results, it’s evident that recruiters need to embrace diversity initiatives, as it significantly influences workers’ decisions to apply, accept, or even reject a job.
      To do this, recruiters must create employment opportunities for all regardless of race, religion, color, gender, identity, age, ability, location, or creed by mitigating challenges in the job-seeking process due to unconscious bias. This can manifest itself in how a job description is written, how a job opening is marketed, what schools an organization recruits candidates from, how a candidate is interviewed, and much more.
      Balance in today’s always-on workforce.
      The majority of surveyed workers report increased stress levels since the onset of the pandemic. In today’s world of competing priorities and unexpected distractions, remote workers are also struggling to transition between “work time” and “home life.” In 2021, 42% of surveyed workers said they are working longer hours compared to the year before.
      Employers must deliver a more thoughtful approach to helping employees achieve a more balanced life based on workers’ individual needs. Talent leaders can then highlight how the company supports its employees through these practices, both now and into the future. This can be delivered through information and videos on the employer’s career site, which continues to be one of the most powerful recruiting assets.
      Interviewing tactics & preferences.
      Here’s the good news for recruiters. Over the past year, an overwhelming majority of surveyed workers consider their most recent candidate experience to be primarily positive. Excellent communication from recruiters, ease of scheduling, and easy job application process were the top reasons for positive candidate experiences.
      A preference for texting is also on the rise. This year’s report found that a majority of job seekers prefer texting for scheduling interviews in comparison to email or phone. This is especially true for workers with children, as 30% are comfortable participating in an interview via texting. Like consumer behavior, candidates have renewed expectations of their job-seeking experience, especially while on a mobile device.
      However, lack of access to adequate technology or Wi-Fi has negatively impacted 35% of job seekers’ ability to participate in a video interview. Recruiters need to consider how this may affect a candidate’s participation and outline strategies to overcome this challenge, as virtual interviews continue to be leveraged in the recruiting process.
      The Rise of the Optimized Workforce.
      The expectations of job seekers and employees have changed forever. As a result, recruiters need a complete understanding of how to adjust efforts to meet the demands of varied realities for today’s workers. To do this, talent leaders must equip themselves with the right skills, knowledge, and strategies to effectively navigate the current reality and engage high-quality talent.
      Kurt Jones is a Senior Manager of Product Marketing at Jobvite, a leading end-to-end talent acquisition suite provider that serves thousands of customers across a wide range of industries.
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