Harmonics Group, an indigenous Irish firm and lead member of OI Global Partners (one of the world’s largest career consulting partnerships), has launched a dynamic online research tool to measure how prepared individuals are for the future of work.
With the rise of AI and automation leading to new ways of working, Harmonics developed the Future Career Readiness Index to help busy working professionals to take stock and anticipate the critical skills they will need for future career success.
The impact of technology is bringing a lot of uncertainty and change to the global workforce. And, according to Harmonics who have been researching this area for a number of years, the greatest amount of change ever in corporate history will be experienced in the next five years.
John Fitzgerald, managing director of Harmonics Group, said “There has been a lot of scare-mongering about the ‘robots are coming’ in recent years. And it’s true, it is estimated that by 2025, more than half of all workplace tasks will be carried out by machines. But there is very little practical career advice available on how to prepare for these changes.”
The Future Career Readiness Index is designed for working professionals at any stage of their career; it’s free and takes just 10 minutes to complete online. The results are presented in a comprehensive downloadable report which identifies an individual’s key areas for development and includes 20 powerful career coaching questions to help them accelerate their future career.
The methodology behind the Index is based on the ‘Future of Work Globe’, a model created by Harmonics Group from their work with over 20,000 people. The Future of Work Globe illustrates the dynamic and evolving nature of work. It takes a 3-dimensional perspective and looks at the internal drivers (personal and professional development), the changing needs of organisations (internal market) and the rapidly changing world of work (external environment). The 20 statements presented in the Index are designed to score individuals on the 5 areas of most importance to their future career success.
“It is estimated that 75 million jobs worldwide will be lost in the next five years, but 133 million new roles will also be created. There will be winners and losers across all levels and professions. Every week I meet people who are too busy and focused on their current job to plan for their future career. They need to change before they become a victim of change,” he continued.
“The skills to succeed in the future are very different to what were required just three years ago. We can’t compete against smart machines, but we can learn to work side by side and hone our unique human skills to advance. We also need to develop a growth mindset, just like leading sports professionals, so that we can adapt to new ways of working and be at our best,” said Mr Fitzgerald.
