The trends and pressures facing 21st century leaders and the workplace can be tempting to overwhelm even today’s most experienced leader. But many organizations preparing for growth recognize that the long-term health of workplace culture needs further examination and is beginning to move away from prescribed traditional workforce management approaches to a new workplace. possible.

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According to a recent Gallup poll (April 26, 2010), the expected retirement age for Americans continues to rise. Of the poll:

• 34% of non-retirees say they will retire after age 65, while those who say they will retire before age 65 have dropped to 29%.
• 27% say they will retire at age 65.

This marks a significant shift in retirement intentions compared to a previous survey conducted in 1995. Additionally, the 2010 Global Workforce Study, conducted by Towers Watson, a global professional services firm, identified:

• Today’s employees understand that they are solely responsible for their long-term physical and financial health and well-being, as well as their career and performance.

As businesses work to improve financial performance, employees are also taking on side jobs and/or considering home-based businesses to improve their personal financial balance sheets that may have been hit by the Great Recession and/or have been frustrated by the lack of career advancement.

These changes, among others, can present creative opportunities for 21st century leaders and employees to merge possible new employment. Exploring healthcare benefit costs and business strategies, the need for more strategic and disciplined people management processes grows as both organizations and employees create a new possible workplace that reflects the differing expectations of the 21st century workforce with the nature and rewards of future work. .

Key questions to consider:

• How adequate will the leadership be for future conditions?
• How variable is the quality of workforce skills and talent pool?
• In which core disciplines are we exceptional? What are we missing?
• What processes are in place to help us build on future capacity? What can be hindering us?

now?
• How could we redesign the work and/or organizational structure to improve the flow of talent, productivity and efficiency?

results?
• What employee and leader behaviors can have a significant impact?

Bottom line

The shift in workforce demographics and the strategic alignment of talent resources is great news for organizations seeking novel approaches to workforce management that can be customized to meet complex business needs and complement strategy. and the unique values ​​of an organization. The way that 21st century leaders and employees adapt to new processes, assess current needs, and strive to make the necessary trade-offs can bring good news to the bottom line on both sides when strategic disciplines are well harnessed and targeted. balance workforce costs with agility, personalizing the employee experience. work experiences and promoting excellence in execution.