Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

Superjobs Are the Roles of the Future

As companies begin to spin back up, leaders are looking to refill the roles they may have had to cut to survive. But many new roles won’t look like the old ones —organizations can structure their workforces to most effectively distribute labor between employees and automation through newly defined roles called “superjobs.”

According to Deloitte’s 2019 Global Human Capital Trends report, superjobs include components of traditional jobs to maximize the strengths of both humans and automated services. When thoughtfully deployed within an organization, superjobs can offload routine work to automaton to free up employees to focus on more strategic, revenue-oriented tasks.

"Calling for both hard and soft skills and cutting across typical departmental silos, superjobs require the flexibility to combine tasks and merge responsibilities as needed," the Deloitte report says.

While Deloitte's research on superjobs mainly focused on large enterprises, the concept is applicable to small and midsize businesses as well. No matter the size of your organization, superjobs can streamline operations in functions like supply chain management, accounting and marketing — really, wherever software exists to supplement human efforts. Indeed, Deloitte's research found that 41 percent of respondents are using automation extensively or across multiple functions. (The survey "polled nearly 10,000 respondents in 119 countries.")

To get started on this path, businesses must undertake an intelligent job design process, flatten their hierarchies to make room for flexible, self-managed teams and boost their arsenal of applied technology skills.

Intelligent Job Design 

Traditional roles are narrower in scope — the tasks an employee performs directly maps to what the employer outlined in the job description.

But automation and algorithms take over the routine and fixed aspects of work, business leaders can free their employees to use their critical thinking and feeling talents on tasks such as like data interpretation, problem solving, empathy, creativity and teamwork.

While you don’t have to throw out all your existing job descriptions, it’s worth looking at your workforce with a broader lens. Consider creating what Deloitte calls a “job canvas” — a more fluid and expansive way of examining the work you need done.

You can launch your canvas, which can be organized by team or individual, by thinking through the following questions:

• What core business problem does this team or individual need to solve?
• What should their outputs or deliverables be?
• What kind of supervision will the team or individual need to accomplish these objectives?
• What technologies can this team or individual use to augment their capabilities? Which tasks related to this business problem are best suited to people, and which should we automate?
• What learning processes can we put in place to target essential skill development for this team or individual?
• How will we measure this team or individual’s success?

Because you are now looking at your workforce at a higher level, you will likely find that your superjobs (or superteams) cross departmental fault lines of HR, IT, finance, sales, etc. Integrating data-driven insights with human intuition will be a central component of all superjobs. Depending on your business, your superjobs might include:

• a “customer experience architect,” who uses sentiment analysis to create stronger real-time engagement;
• a “case synthesizer,” who examines legal precedents mined by an algorithm and handpicks the most impactful ones; or
• a “supply chain effectiveness analyst,” who uses performance data to make recommendations that balance both cost and sustainability.

For more on superjobs, check out the full article on the AMEX Business site.

Introducing Tours of Duty for the Business World

According to Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and author of the book The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age, a tour of duty is an employee situation that involves working full-time in consecutive roles within an organization, working full-time in consecutive organizations for the purpose of upskilling, or taking breaks or dialing down from a full-time role in an organization.

Within a single organization, a tour of duty typically lasts for a finite period of two to five years. Both manager and employee openly acknowledge that at the end of the tour, the employee may well leave the organization. “The new compact acknowledges the probable impermanence of the relationship yet seeks to build trust and investment anyway. Instead of entering into strict bonds of loyalty, both sides seek the mutual benefits of alliance,” commented Hoffman in Harvard Business Review. “As allies, employer and employee try to add value to each other. The employer says, ‘If you make us more valuable, we’ll make you more valuable.’ The employee says, ‘If you help me grow and flourish, I’ll help the company grow and flourish.’”

The best tours of duty involve the mastery of new skills, or entrepreneurial opportunities like building and launching a new product, reengineering an existing business process, or introducing an organizational innovation. Regardless, the notion of a compact is critical. The tour of duty agreement must be made between individual manager and employee and therefore cannot be legislated by HR.

For more on tours of duty, check out the full post at the SilkRoad blog.

Are You Ready for the Rise of the Contract Workforce?

When we think of the gig economy, ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft come immediately to mind. However, it’s much bigger than that. The US Department of Labor actually breaks down the four main types of alternative work arrangements into independent contractors, on-call workers, temp workers and workers employed by contract firms.

Since 2005, the number of workers in alternative arrangements has climbed by more than half, rising to nearly 16 percent of the workforce from 10 percent a decade ago, according to new research by Alan Krueger of Princeton University and Lawrence Katz of Harvard University. But the on-demand workforce (i.e. companies like Uber) employs only about 600,000 people or less than 0.5 percent of the workforce, the research found.

Krueger and Katz hired Rand Corporation to replicate their survey, sampling roughly 4,000 people. The findings showed how alternative work has spread across industries and occupations—including those not usually associated with the gig economy. For example, they estimated the share of workers in alternative arrangements has more than doubled to 11 percent in manufacturing and to 16 percent in health and education. It has quintupled, to 10 percent, in public administration.

For more about the professional contract workforce, visit the SilkRoad blog.

Gen X-ers Will Have the Best Careers of Anyone

I got into Northwestern University despite far-from-perfect SAT scores and missing the valedictorian spot by one grade. If I were a millennial, I would have had much longer odds. Born in 1976, I’m a late Generation X-er and have had less competition for everything pretty much all my life.

You’ve heard of Generation X. Due to plummeting fertility rates, the media called our birth years the "baby bust." Gen X includes those born between 1964 and 1979 and is bookended by the massive baby boomer generation (those born 1946–63) and the even more massive millennial generation (those born 1980–95). Historically, we’ve either been ignored or called slackers by pop culture and advertisers.

But we’re more influential in the modern workforce than we tend to get credit for and are about to become more so. And if the coming baby boomer exodus from the workplace is just revving up and Gen-Xers are next in line to fill the roles boomers retire from, it won't just be a sheer numerical advantage that plays to our favor. Here's why.

FILLING A COMMUNICATION SKILLS GAP

While these are sweeping and probably unfair stereotypes, you don't have to look far to find organizations urgently prodding their more senior employees to get with the technological program. Meanwhile, hiring managers and recruiters arepointing to a "soft skills" gap among recent grads and championing emotional intelligence as a job skill.

Our careers have tracked the rise of the digital workplace, and the foundation that's given many of us may pay dividends.

So while millennials may be unfairly caricatured as socially inept much the way boomers are wrongly dismissed en masse for poor technical chops, the trends in companies' staffing needs are unmistakable. Gen X-ers, on the other hand, may be more likely to prove communication maestros by comparison.

We grew up socializing without devices in our hands. Whether it was learning to cope with the neighborhood bully or sweet-talking our parents into letting us stay home alone while they went on vacation, many of us knew how to use words and persuasion to problem-solve and solicit cooperation.

Anna Garvey at Social Media Week called Gen X the "Oregon Trail generation,"referencing the 1980s adventure game that had millions of kids glued to their schools’ desktop computers. The idea was to get your wagon to Oregon before you lost all your oxen or died of disease. Oregon Trail and games like it showed us how to tinker with this new and strange technology and become masters of the machine.

Heading off to college and our first careers, the electronic age really started heating up. As Garvey aptly put it: "We came of age just as the very essence of communication was experiencing a seismic shift, and it’s given us a unique perspective that’s half analog old school and half digital new school."

To be sure, not every Gen Xer grew up the same way or acquired the same skills through their experiences. But our careers have tracked the rise of the digital workplace, and the foundation that's given many of us may pay dividends in helping us navigate the boomer brain drain.

In my first job at a PR agency in New York City, I dealt with issues typical of the alienated, twenty-something X-er. I struggled with how to meet people who could help me do my job, and how to talk to my boss about getting a raise.

There's more to it than just timing. Sure, we have valuable years behind us and just as many left on the clock. But we're also invested, comfortable, and happy.

But I was the only person in the office who knew how to use a search engine. I learned to survive in the boomers’ business world, but I also helped usher in the "tech everything" one that millennials would soon populate. I developed a useful hybrid of offline and online communication skills, easily shifting from one medium to the other.

When workplace clashes occurred, I understood where the boomers were coming from but also intuitively "got" the millennials. Eighteen years later, that role as a bridge still serves me well. Every day, as I serve as a translator and perform mediation and mentorship duties for boomer and millennial colleagues and clients alike. In the process, my skills as a leader of a multi-generational workforce only increase.

Of course, I'm just a sample of one. But the research seems to suggest that many other Gen X-ers share my experience. In a recent EY study that surveyed 1,200 professionals across generations and industries, Gen X scored higher than the other generations when it came to effective collaboration. In separate research published by the Center for Talent Innovation, 65% of respondents associated the "team player" label with Gen X-ers (compared to only 45% associating it with millennials).

Even if these findings don't reflect the innate personality traits shared by an entire generation—as some psychologists are quick to point out that they probably don't—they may still hint at the stage in our careers where my peers and I now find ourselves. More than that, from what we know about the skills companies need most in their new leaders, the research suggests that we're uniquely prepared for those roles—not just next in line for them.

For the rest of the piece, please visit the Fast Company website.

How to Become a Project Manager

PM certifications increase your earning potential and differentiate you on the job market. The Project Management Institute offers six certifications, and here are some details about each so you can assess which one is most applicable.

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

The CAPM certification recognizes a demonstrated understanding of the fundamental knowledge, processes and terminology that are needed for effective project management performance. It is designed for project team members who provide subject matter expertise (e.g., marketing, finance, customer care, processing, fulfillment) and serve as project sponsors, facilitators, liaisons or coordinators.

The CAPM requires a high school diploma, associate’s degree, or the global equivalent, as well as 23 hours of PM education (without work experience) or 1,500 hours of professional experience on a project team (without project management education). You will need to take a three-hour, 150-question, multiple-choice examination and the cost for non-PMI members is $300 (discounted for PMI members).

If you can answer “yes” to more than one of these questions, you might want to pursue the CAPM certification.

• Have you been in project management for less than two years or are you new to project management?
• Do you participate on a project team?

Project Management Professional (PMP)

The PMP certification recognizes competence of an individual to perform in the role of a project manager, specifically experience in leading and directing projects. It is meant for those who are responsible for all aspects of a project for the life of a project, and who lead and direct cross-functional teams to deliver projects within the constraints of time, budget and scope.

The PMP requires a high school degree, an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree – or their global equivalents. You must have 35 hours of PM education, and if you have obtained a bachelor’s degree within the last eight years, you must have a minimum of three years of non-overlapping professional experience, during which at least 4500 hours were spent leading and directing projects.

If you have obtained only a high school degree within the last eight years, you must have a minimum of five years of non-overlapping professional experience, during which at least 7500 hours were spent leading and directing projects.

You will need to take a four-hour, 200-question multiple-choice examination and the cost for non-PMI members is $465 (discounted for PMI members).

If you can answer “yes” to more than one of these questions, you might want to pursue the PMP certification.

• Are you responsible for all aspects of a project for the life of the project?
• Do you lead and direct cross-functional teams to deliver projects within the constraints of schedule, budget and scope?
• Do you demonstrate sufficient knowledge and experience to appropriately apply a methodology to projects that have reasonably well-defined requirements and deliverables?

For additional PM career options, head on over to Intuit's Fast Track blog.

Video Interview: Mass Career Customization with Deloitte's Cathy Benko

Technology advances have made it possible for organizations to customize employment and human resources practices, and companies that treat each employee as a “workforce of one” are experiencing improved productivity, higher engagement levels, and lower turnover rates.

I conducted an interview with Cathy Benko, Vice Chairman & Managing Principal at Deloitte and author of The Corporate Lattice: Achieving High Performance in the Changing World of Work, to learn more about this topic and how Cathy and Deloitte have been able to implement this strategy.  

Check out the video on the SilkRoad blog.

Boomers Over 50 More Likely to Succeed as Entrepreneurs

This post is in honor of Job Action Day:

A study by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation reported that the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity over the last few years is not Gen-Y upstarts, but Baby Boomers in the 55-64 year age group. In fact, Boomers are actually driving a new entrepreneurship boom as they retire from their traditional corporate jobs and seek more meaningful sources of work.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 60 percent of the country’s workforce is currently made up of senior employees, but long-term employment has fallen dramatically for people ages 35-64. Since the first Internet-era recession, transaction costs and barriers to entry have fallen for entrepreneurs of every age. And with longer life expectancies and greater health in later life, older generations are starting new firms and mentoring young entrepreneurs in record numbers.

According to Jeff Mariola, the Boomer CEO of online marketing firm Digital Brandworks, Boomers are also more likely to succeed as entrepreneurs. When I asked Jeff why this was the case, he provided four compelling reasons.

Greater emotional intelligence

The rapid growth and constant change environment inherent in a start-up business requires steady and consistent leadership. Boomer CEOs have worked through countless change management initiatives over the years. They can provide their coworkers with the guidance, inspiration and motivation required to get everyone focused on the vision of the business while acknowledging that the road to get there will naturally be filled with anxiety, fear and exhilaration.

Savvy talent management

The long term success of a start-up relies heavily on the recruitment of the best talent. Boomer CEOs have learned through painful trial and error the artful process of finding the right people. Having made a few bad hires in their time, they understand who to bring on and who to pass on – and why. They have also learned how to get the best work out of existing talent.

Networking that’s finally paying off

Experienced CEOs have a better understanding of how to manage critical external relationships with banks, investors and board members. Credibility is key in these relationships, and the fact that Boomer CEOs have “been there and done that” is reassuring to outside stakeholders. Also, most Boomers simply have bigger networks and thousands of valuable dormant ties as a result of decades of networking.

Financial experience and extra capital

Most start-ups fail because they run out of cash. Boomer CEOs fully understand the significance of cash flow and how to manage and protect it. They have a more accurate picture of what things will cost and how long it will take to turn a profit. Also, most Boomers have more savings to safely invest as capital in their business to give it the best fighting chance. In general, this is how the rich get richer in business.

If you think about it, the qualities and seasoning that make Boomers great entrepreneurs make them great employees and intrapreneurs as well. I always jump at the chance to work with a Boomer because I know I will learn a ton. I have numerous Boomer mentors who I tap for advice periodically. I drink up their experience and perspective like a sweet cocktail, and my efforts are always better for it.

Boomers sometimes get a reputation for being stuck in their ways. But sometimes, it’s because those ways work. So the next time you are tempted to be ageist, recognize that the Boomers have advantages that you don’t and thus should be an essential component of every team.

This piece was originally published on Intuit's Fast Track blog.

 

A Peek Inside the World of the CIO

At Intuit QuickBase’s recent #EMPOWER2015 conference, product marketing manager John Carione convened a panel of customer CIOs to discuss how cloud-based low-code platforms and citizen development are transforming the way IT is executed. We heard from Isaac Sacolick, CIO of financial consulting firm Greenwich Associates; Francois Tricot, CIO of veterinary medical supply company Ceva Sante Animale; and Will Weider, CIO of hospital network Ministry Healthcare.

How has the role of the CIO evolved?

Will: I have been a CIO for 20 years and it has changed for the better. My role has lessened somewhat because more people know how to leverage technology. I suppose my key question now is: how can we deliver more reliably and less expensively?

Isaac: I view myself as the technology steward for the business and I spend my time trying to grow revenue through the use of new technologies. In the last 4-5 years, I’ve asked myself: how can we make the organization more data-driven? How can we scale our effective platforms and how can we upgrade software quickly? How can we help non-IT employees develop the apps they need to grow their businesses?

Francois: The most important thing for a CIO today is to have a strong return on investment, and my strategy is: go beyond the cloud.

Why would you choose a low-code platform?

Isaac: It’s simple. Low code means we deliver faster and require less skilled labor. Once they’ve uncovered a need, business unit personnel developing an app can get 70 percent of the way on their own and then IT may step in. In particular, we assist with sandboxing, or testing out an app before it goes live to make sure the right information is encrypted and everything is backed up properly. It’s a partnership.

Francois: Self-service wins. The learning curve is short, the user interface is friendly, and you can get a live application in an hour. Everyone achieves their goals and the company saves a lot of money.

For the rest of the interview, head over to the full post at Intuit's Fast Track blog. And, to learn more about EMPOWER2016, check out www.empower2016.com.

The State of Information Technology

In order to get to the bottom of where IT is now and where the industry is going, Spiceworks recently surveyed over 1100 IT professionals in North America and EMEA. A majority of respondents work for small to medium-sized organizations with between 20-249 employees, although companies of all sizes were included. Industries with the highest representation were manufacturing, IT services, education, and non-profit. Ninety percent of respondents are involved in developing and managing IT budgets, and 37 percent hold the title of network or systems administrator.

IT Spending

Spiceworks learned that IT administrators have large annual budgets (over a quarter million on average) that are growing. Forty-two percent plan to increase budgets over the next year. The respondents’ organizations have an average of 4.2 IT professionals on staff, and 28 percent are adding staff this year (60 percent are staying the same). Compared to other employee costs, IT is exceedingly scalable. The more employees an organization has, the less it spends on IT per employee ($2770 per employee for organizations with fewer than 19 people versus $698 per employee for organizations with more than 500 people).

Cloud and Virtualization Adoption

Once a fluffy buzzword, the cloud is a reality for a majority of the respondents. Whether IT professionals are adopting services for web and email hosting, file sharing, or content filtering, the cloud is helping their departments scale infrastructure and keep costs down. Sixty-one percent of respondents overall have adopted cloud-based applications, and adoption is slightly higher the smaller the organization. In terms of the cloud-based services IT pros are eager to start using this year, online backup and recovery is #1.

Virtualization refers to taking hardware into the cloud, and Spiceworks’ respondents are on board this ship. Seventy-four percent of respondents overall have adopted virtualization, including 90 percent of respondents working in organizations with 500 or more employees. The most commonly employed virtual workloads are in IT services (81 percent), internal IT (77 percent), productivity apps (64 percent), industry-specific apps (62 percent), and business support (60 percent).

For more about the IT industry in 2015, have a look at Intuit's Fast Track blog.

Hot Field Alert: Project Management and Certification

The field of project management is always changing, but is official certification the way to keep up? Only you can answer that question for yourself, but here are some rationales from the Project Management Institute to consider.

Objective Third-Party Endorsement

A PMI certification reflects your project management knowledge, skills and abilities. As a respected institution in the industry, PMI can provide unbiased support for your project management expertise and professional experience.

Proof of Achievement

A PMI certification shows that you have demonstrated excellence in the field by meeting standard requirements established by global project management practitioners. The global aspect is critical because there may come a time very soon when the ability to manage cross-national project teams is imperative.

More Moolah

A PMI certification can lead to greater earnings. Many certification holders experience salary increases because of their certification status, and these increases definitely add up over the course of a career.

Opportunity Knocking

A PMI certification identifies you as a practitioner who has demonstrated competency in general project management processes or in specialty areas of practice based on industry standards. This may well lead to recruitment into a sexier area of project management or a role that’s a step up from your current one.

Employer Recognition

Employers like to see candidates and employees who invest in their own professional development. Certification shows your commitment to the field and illustrates that you are to in it to win it. This perception makes it likely that the most prestigious employers will consider hiring you for their open PM positions.

For more on why getting certified as a PM might be a smart move, check out the full post on Intuit's Fast Track blog.