4 recruitment experts predict what talent management will look like in 2020

Dive Brief:

The latest report is out on what global experts predict talent will look like by the year 2020. Aptly titled Talent 2020, HR Zone and Cornerstone OnDemand painstakingly researched recruitment trends and interviewed 4 top experts in the field of talent acquisition.
By the year 2020, half of the workforce will be made of freelancers and independent contractors, with a greater focus on skills and experience with special projects.
Some of the biggest predictions include the elimination of certain jobs (due to technology advancements), the increased use of predictive analytics and big data throughout the entire recruitment life cycle, faster decision making as enabled by technology tools, and changes coming in the way companies attract and hire the youngest generation of workers.

Dive Insight:

Talent acquisition analyst for Talent Insights, Mervyn Dinnen contributed to the HR Zone report and says, “Whether its freelancers, flexible workers, or assignment project collaborators, the talent pool is no longer just about current and future permanent employees, but reflects the wide range of skills.” Dinnen also points out that because there will be unknown new positions being created in the future, individuals will become increasingly responsible for their own career growth and development, with ongoing support from management instead of monitoring by supervisors.

Doug Shaw, an international consultant, founder and director of What Goes Around, was interviewed for the HR Zone report and he supports the prediction that the number of freelancers in the job market will reach 50% by the year 2020. Shaw mentions that, “A move to more self-determined learning should make talent communities more open, and make it easier to connect with relevant talent at relevant times.”

Tom Calvard, Ph.D., lecturer in Human Resource Management at the University of Edinburgh’s Business School, said that,” Organizations should avoid the extremes of nature and nurture in their beliefs about employees, skills, and workforces, and occupy a middle ground where they keep an open mind about the relative weight given to both under various circumstances.”

The final expert interviewed for this special report, Rob Briner, a professor of organizational psychology at the University of Bath, noted that data will become increasingly important in the future for recruitment professionals to hire the right people.