Disruptive changes in digital technology and workforce demographics across the globe, are rendering local business landscapes nearly unrecognisable, – leaving companies struggling to keep pace.
In a joint global initiative by Deloitte Consulting International and Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies in the US, a free open online course has been developed to help business and human resource (HR) leaders around the world grapple with the rapidly evolving workplace.
The course, with insights from Deloitte, informs business leaders about the human capital trends reshaping the HR and talent landscape.
The online course is accessible by Deloitte’s South African clients. The curricula is based on the findings of Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends 2016 report, which took the pulse of 7 000 executives across 130 countries, including South Africa and identifies the most significant HR trends impacting organisations.
The top finding of the report reveals that while 92% of organisations see organization  design as a critical priority to meet the demands of digital technology and the speed of innovation, only 14% of executives surveyed believe that their company is ready to effectively redesign their organisation.
Tumelo Seaketso director : human capital at Deloitte Consulting, says: “If African companies want to remain competitive and retain top talent, business and HR leaders must dive more deeply into the workplace trends impacting their bottom lines.
“Deloitte’s online course offers self-directed learning opportunities for these professionals to uncover options for redesigning their organisational structure, evolving their leadership models, transforming their HR functions, and driving an employee-centric culture.”
Entitled ‘Global Human Capital Trends’, Seaketso says the online course offers professionals an opportunity to deepen their awareness of topics emerging from the 2016 Deloitte trends report. These include the rise of teams, leadership, culture and engagement, design thinking, the gig economy, people analytics, and catering to the employee experience.
The course is already available, and includes 12 learning modules anchored by mini-lectures from academic experts and supplemented by high-quality, multi-media content and assessments.
Each executive briefing about the 10 trends averages five to ten minutes in length and is accompanied by additional recommended resources.
Participants can select any learning module of interest to them, thereby tailoring the online course to their specific needs.
The course is available in English, as well as more than 20 languages.
Dr Jason Wingard, dean of Columbia’s School of Professional Studies and the lead course instructor comments: “This course is an example of how the School accelerates students’ learning and is adapted to deliver best-in-class services for the market’s imminent challenges. The curriculum is designed to offer valuable insights for any professional seeking to enhance productivity and applied relevance.”
Leaders across geographies and industry sectors can explore the shift from traditional business models to interconnected teams and learn how to navigate an increasingly mobile and contingent workforce.
Additionally, as companies increasingly rely on data to inform major business decisions, HR leaders will learn how to leverage people analytics to develop talent retention strategies.
Understanding the complexities of the changing workforce is pivotal for companies to remain competitive.
Seaketso concludes: “Business leaders want to get ahead of the frenetic changes in the workplace. Together with an esteemed academic institution like Columbia, Deloitte can arm professionals across the world with the knowledge they need to strategise and innovate around these trends.”