Jobs … or Skills… What’s it to You?

The way we do business – and the talent we engage – has dramatically changed in recent years.

It seems that the old-fashioned notion of ‘jobs’ is no longer relevant to organisational strategy – with ‘skills’ – broadly defined as hard skills (such as coding, data analysis, and accounting), human capabilities (such as critical thinking and emotional intelligence), and potential (including latent qualities, abilities, or adjacent skills that may be developed and lead to future success) – becoming far more important determinants when it comes to building a sustainable workforce.

By focussing more on defining people by the skills they have, as opposed to the ‘jobs’ they do, businesses can become more agile to meet changing needs.

This shift is borne out in results from a recent Deloitte survey,1 in which 63% of executives reported work in their organisations is currently being performed in teams or projects outside of people’s core job descriptions; 81% said work was increasingly performed across functional boundaries; and 36% said work was increasingly performed by workers outside of the organisation who don’t have defined jobs in the organisation at all.

Fewer than half (42%) of respondents said their organisation’s job descriptions did an “excellent job” of specifying the work that needed to be done.

When looking forward, Deloittes said only 19% of those surveyed said traditional jobs are the best way to organise work to fulfill business goals.

How Does Your Organisational Structure Look?

Now could be the time to redefine your organisational structure – and it may be that you identify skills required that you don’t currently have. Contractors – whether for short- or long-term projects – can be the most cost-effective way to plug gaps in your workforce.  As they provide the skills you need now, they can also be upskilling your existing team – and because they’re not engaged as permanent employees, once you don’t need them anymore, you’ll be able to let them go with ease.

The Ayers Group helps businesses like yours grow by providing comprehensive contractor management services. When we manage your contractors’ administrative arrangements, including onboarding, payroll and more, you can be sure that the contractors you engage are fully compliant with government legislation and that their payroll, expenses, taxation, and remuneration are managed with efficiency and yet with little involvement from your own back-office team.

Contact an expert at The Ayers Group today.