Tracking Trends Boosts Your Marketability

The 21st Century workplace will be quite different than its predecessor. What should you be looking at to be adaptive or stay ahead of the curve? Understanding and following the trends in these four workplace indicators will give you a competitive edge in increasing your marketability.

1. What is the global economy? In simple terms, it is the ability for business to be conducted internationally. As a result, small businesses can now compete in a larger marketplace, and big corporations now span the globe and have international influence. As communication, transportation and production options have improved, our ability to trade with businesses in other countries has grown. Outsourcing labor is not only financially viable, but may offer other advantages to a company. We need to be aware of what is happening in different countries and industries (especially your own) because of the potential impact it might have locally.
2. Technological and scientific advancements have dramatically altered the way we work and communicate. The most obvious examples are the internet and computer. First, solid computer skills and savvy are seen as a basic skill for everyone, not optional. However, it is the power that these new tools offer that will drive change at an increasingly accelerating rate. The impact will be seen in industries from food production to housing, transportation to education and medicine. We are in our infancy as we look at the possibilities for innovation and advancement in the next ten years. Even those individuals in fields commonly thought of as “non-technical” need to stay abreast of new software, technical knowledge and skill changes in their profession or they risk becoming obsolete.
3. Lifelong learning is necessary to keep current. With the pace of change from new discoveries and expanded knowledge, it is taking longer to acquire the basic knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to compete. In fact, a consistent investment in staying current or improving your ability to contribute is necessary. Companies that invest in employee development through mentoring programs, special project assignments and continuing education will be prized. However, the responsibility to manage your career is ultimately yours.
4. The demographics of working with increasingly diverse co-workers and customers. Diversity can be defined as understanding and accepting differences among people with respect to age, ethnicity, race, gender, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, and spiritual practice. Here are examples of a few trends that will push us to grow in our interpersonal relationships:First, tomorrow’s workplace will span four generations! The net result can be seen in different values that will have people seeing situations from different perspectives.Secondly, there will be fewer workers aged 34-45 years of age in the pipeline, causing a push for talent, employee retention, and perhaps an older workforce.Lastly, over 60% of women over the age of 16 years participated in the workforce in 2003 compared to about 30% in 1950. This cohort of women will drive issues such as work/life balance and the childcare and eldercare industries.

These evolutionary shifts are changing our perception of work. There is a recognition that each of us needs to be responsible for growing and managing our own career.