LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Authors Toni Jones, Partner and Local Government Lead,
KPMG Enterprise and Lisa Barry, Partner, People & Change,
Management Consulting, KPMG.
Changing workplace, changing trends
Digital disruption, changing demographics,
competition for skills and regulatory
compliance, mean organisations and councils
need to critically assess their current workforce,
the workforce they truly need and how they can
transform it to be ready for the future.
Successful transformation in the digital
age requires businesses to have a clear
destination and an intelligently-designed
roadmap to get there.
This encompasses determining the skills
needed to support the organisational
strategy and a talent acquisition strategy that
In this dynamic terrain, traditional hierarchies stretches beyond a typical approach to hiring.
are upturned, humans and machines work
together, unheard of jobs will arise, continual While there are some unique challenges, local
government has many similarities to any
up-skilling is essential, the war for talent is
fierce, and workforces are increasingly cross- other business. Conversations and planning
are crucial to ensure that the organisation is
generational. Where and how people work is
equipped to attract, retain and develop the
increasingly mobile.
right skills and equip them for what the future
Within all of this is the need to meet
demands. This is even more important now,
customer needs, as digitally-savvy rate
with the competition for future skills ever
payers increasingly demand the high levels
increasing, and councils need to be able to
of service they have come to expect from the
position themselves to provide a compelling
organisations they interact with regularly.
offering to potential employees.
Local councils have to prepare for the impact
on their people and sustainability. They must Now is the time for council leaders to
rethink how to be productive through change, conduct conversations for a higher purpose,
how to develop optimal human and machine identify the dilemmas, challenges and key
workforces, and instil the right leadership
considerations that will shape the future
approaches to steer their teams successfully
workforce and deliver on business objectives.
into the future.
GOVLINK ยป ISSUE 2 2018
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