What does the concept of “employability” mean?
Is it simply being “employable”? The term, if we have the courage to say it, describes a current reality in a way that is both obsolete and unattractive.
Let’s talk about “transferable skills” for a 4.0 world, since that’s what it’s all about!
The goal of this “transfer” is to give employees the opportunity to anticipate their own future and to pro-actively position themselves when faced with a changing world, thus facilitating the transition to new ways of working.
For a company, it is about ensuring that the skills it needs—and that are constantly evolving—can be mobilized quickly and effectively, with all the necessary agility.
EPFL President, Martin Vetterli, recently compared future developments to true “tsunamis”.
Must we remind ourselves of our existing context? Volatility and uncertainty characterized by the acceleration of increasingly complex economic dynamics; the arrival on the market of artificial intelligence, hyper connectivity (IoT – Internet of Things) and, at the same time, “digitalization” which is growing exponentially in efficiency and conquering more and more areas.
These major changes in our environment are an opportunity for companies and employees to find the most relevant way to ensure that their skills are not only systematically updated, but also developed while taking into account the perspectives and challenges of tomorrow.
If, in a self-learning world, the employee’s first duty is to develop and maintain their own skills, the company’s goal is to provide a framework where it can happen.
Younger generations—and the new perspectives they bring—are here to remind us: it is here and now that everything is being played out, in an evolving relationship seen as a partnership, which is much more than a traditional “employer-employee” relationship.
As a result, between “putting up with” and “acting”, we have a choice.
To keep some control, it means going beyond a “reactive” discourse on change which is understood as “everything changes and I will adapt”. It means being aware that “everything is changing and I’m part of that change”.
The recent movements observed in Swiss civil society invite us to take this reflection even further. The time is one of mobilization. “Everything changes. I am part of these changes. I want to be able to fully assume my position as an actor of change and, as a result, I expect everyone to mobilize with me to change things.”
In other words, it’s not just about “taking change by the hand before it takes me by the throat” (Churchill), but about bringing it along with me and mobilizing those around me. This new momentum is an energy we must seize.
We believe that companies that have understood in time that they are themselves the creators and accelerators of the change they announce will be perfectly positioned to negotiate the next turn. They will have prepared—while creating it—the ground necessary for a favorable reception of future transformations.
Written by: John Borruat ✪ Senior Leadership Development Consultant and Partner @Direction Plus