Human Capital Issues

As executives exit the enterprise, an inflection point will be created whereby institutional memory preservation, knowledge management, and strategic initiative realization will be challenged by the capabilities and preparedness of the next wave of leaders.  Subsequent to the Pandemic, the pace of executive transitions has accelerated and the "off-ramp age" is getting younger.  This phenomenon according to McKinsey Insights, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review among multiple sources has resulted in stressors to Succession Planning and Board of Director dissatisfaction. 

In the times in which we are navigating, companies will be challenged to reengage the commitment of it's High Potentials.  Expectations for this constituency are intensifying, demanding clarity regarding career progression, recognition, and observable reset of leadership behaviors.  Improving engagement for High Potentials will require innovative human capital practices as a condition of enterprise success, emphasizing empathy, transparency, and accountability. 

 As organizations transform and position themselves for future growth, there is a ongoing need for disciplined development of staff to manage what are becoming more complex enterprises. Taking the medium term view, companies need to recognize that shifting demographics and declining engagement before the pandemic compel a new way of planning for the future worker, and workforce - Talent Readiness 

 While the approximate age of the entry level worker remains consistent, their aspirations are substantively different from those of their enterprise colleagues. Ten years ago, companies were hiring Gen Y workers for their entry level positions,  Now, the dominant generation for entry level positions is Gen Z and they bring with them different attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that are creating challenges for today’s managers.