Consulting Magazine - October 2019

ARE HUMANS THE WEAK LINK in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR)? It certainly looks like 4IR progress may be impeded by a talent management challenge.

“There is now the very real prospect of tech worker shortages affecting industry growth,” Tim Herbert, executive vice president for research and market intelligence at technology association Comp TIA, noted earlier this year. “Firms seeking to expand into new areas such as the Internet of Things, robotic process automation or artificial intelligence may be inhibited by a lack of workers with these advanced skills, not to mention shortages in the complementary areas of technology infrastructure and cybersecurity.” Related research conducted by Comp TIA indicates that there are approximately 700,000 unfilled IT jobs in the U.S. alone.

“Acquiring talent can be a challenge for many organizations,” responds IBM Vice President of Product Management & Chief Innovation Officer Watson IoT Stephan Biller when asked what risks 4IR poses to consulting firms and practices.

This labor supply-and-de-
mand imbalance explains why
more consulting firms are ex-
panding their focus on the hu-
man aspects of 4IR. Deloitte
began surveying global execu-
tives about 4IR trends, challeng-
es and progress last year, and
its 2019 survey research promi-
nently features an assessment
of the leadership competencies
that tend to be present within
organizations that have notched
above-average progress with
4IR-related initiatives. These
capabilities include data-driven
decision-making, a willingness
to invest in disruptive technolo-
gies, an awareness of social
and/or environmental issues
and impacts, and a commitment
to investing in new talent man-
agement programs.

Boston Consulting Group’s ongoing digital talent research examines where global digital experts currently work, their willingness to relocate and what they value when weighing job offers.

If you want to entice an AI expert to accept your offer, consider offering him (72 percent are male) a post in your large company (preferred over small to medium-sized employers) in New York or Berlin and make sure you offer ample opportunities for learning and training (their top priority). Also, be aware that your candidate is more likely than other type of digital experts (e.g., agile experts) to consider working outside of the tech industry. —E.K.