The last few years have been defined by turbulence and uncertainty. A global pandemic, wars, economic turmoil, and the emergence of new technologies have created a sense of overwhelm among employees. The workplace has shifted beyond recognition, in terms of both where and how we work. New technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) appear to offer solutions to the challenges of today, while simultaneously posing a threat to jobs and longstanding ways of working.
Against this backdrop of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity), financial organisations are facing rapidly evolving requirements for new skills. However, the way people consume learning has shifted significantly. In a hyperconnected world in which we are constantly bombarded with information, our natural filters for processing content are broken. This means that people must actively engage with learning, but they have less time and headspace for it.
It was in this context that Global HR Executive, in partnership with Alpha Development, convened a roundtable of senior HR leaders from top-tier financial institutions to explore how their organisations are tackling these challenges.
The discussion focused on the following topics:
1. Keeping pace with evolving business and market demands for skills
2. Employee agency over development vs mandated training from leadership
3. Motivations for learning
4. The future of HR roles
