Welcoming in a decade of dexterity,
diversity and digitisation
I
’m delighted to introduce issue four of Catalyst, my first since joining Alexander
Mann Solutions at the end of 2019. Having worked in the broader talent industry
for some years, albeit from different vantage points, I’m excited by the opportunity
to lead an organisation I have long admired, building on the foundations laid by founder
and former CEO Rosaleen Blair CBE, who has taken up the role of chair.
Today, virtually all chief executives worldwide claim that “people are their greatest
asset”, and I both recognise and welcome the growing importance of talent and skills
to organisations. At Alexander Mann Solutions, we are proud of the role we play in
partnering with clients to help solve increasingly complex talent problems.
The impact of the digital revolution on our industry is explored in this issue. From a
people perspective, tech brings with it the (media-hyped) threat of worker obsolescence
due to automation, alongside opportunities for growth, as new roles are created and
humans work at the higher end of their ability. Digitisation requires people to adapt
and learn; it blurs geographical and work/life boundaries, enhancing flexibility, but
intensifying pace and complexity. To thrive during the fourth industrial revolution,
organisations must have the dexterity to respond to unexpected challenges (p26).
With change the only constant, our 2019 Talent Acquisition survey, with Aptitude
Research, showed that companies embracing digital technology in talent-acquisition
processes were twice as likely to improve staff retention, performance and quality of hire
as those that were not and three times as likely to enhance candidate experience (p17).
This year, people challenges continue to drive organisations’ technology decisions,
and to fuel the “sky-rocketing investment” in HR solutions, highlighted in Josh
Bersin’s HR Tech 2020 Disruptions Study. His findings include the ubiquity of artificial
intelligence in every aspect of HR tech, new employee experience platforms, a focus on
systems to support internal talent mobility and the maturing of learning technology. He
also highlights the arrival of technology able to spot and diagnose harassment and to
promote diversity and inclusion (D&I) – another issue of focus in this edition, where we
consider how to inject true D&I into hiring processes (p58) and to harness the power of
difference (p66). A commitment to social mobility, which is part of the D&I agenda, sits
at the heart of our principles as a business. For us, it means impacting communities by
creating career opportunities for people around the world.
I hope you enjoy the magazine, and look forward to meeting many of our clients to
discuss the challenges and priorities for organisations as we enter a new decade.
David Leigh
CEO, Alexander Mann Solutions
Issue 4 - 2020
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