FUTURE TALENT February / May 2020 | Page 15

Our regular round up of the latest findings across talent, diversity and technology in business TOP SKILLS IN DEMAND As technology disrupts work, the most in-demand roles may look similar, yet the skills required continue to evolve rapidly. Skilled trade workers Sales and marketing executives Technicians Engineering executives Driving and logistics professionals MIND THE (INTELLIGENCE) GAP Employees in the US and UK are spending a disproportionate amount of time hunting for the information needed to do their jobs and seek opportunities to share their skills. 38% 61% Employees use just 38% of their knowledge and expertise, meaning firms are failing to unlock even half the intellectual capital of their people of workers can’t find the information they need to do their job effectively 90% of employees want more opportunities to share knowledge and expertise Meanwhile, individuals who want either to share skills and expertise or ask questions lack direction around who to approach and how. The sheer quantity of data at our disposal, coupled with an inability to find task-critical information easily, is posing a threat to productivity, as enterprises risk losing out to duplication, slowed innovation, mistakes and inhibited problem solving.    Information technology executives Accounting and finance professionals Manufacturing executives Construction labourers Healthcare executives Source: Manpower Closing the Skills Gap: What Workers Want, February 2020 An inability to track down experts: 57% of workers experience having a que s tion they need answering but don’t know who to ask and 52% avoid asking questions entirely because they don’t know who to approach Information overload means individuals are lost for answers: 57% feel overwhelmed by the volume of information they receive each day Hours wasted on non- productive, repetitive tasks are costing enterprises h e av i l y :   K n o w l e d g e workers spend over a working month each year (26 days) searching for information, knowledge and the right expertise in their organisation Source: Starmind’s Future of Work Research, February 2020 February – May 2020 // 15