Millennials will form the largest and most influential workforce during the next decade, representing nearly 75 percent of all employees by 2030, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Addressing the growth, and a host of other topics, global thinkers and industry leaders, led by Malcolm Gladwell, discussed various topics impacting the global employment landscape during the 13th HR Summit and Expo 2016, that kicked-off on (14 November) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Author of five New York Times bestsellers — The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, and David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants, Gladwell named as one of the 100 most influential people by TIME magazine and one of the Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers and an inspirational leader.
During his keynote, Gladwell debated the importance of millennials within the workplace, delve into how organisations can best structure themselves, and provided an understanding of the millennial mind-set and their specific needs. In addition, he also highlighted the significance of innovation and the ideas on how to build a successful organisation of the future to attract people entering the workplace, and what it means to build a team in the digital world.
“The emergence of millennial workers will bring major transformation in organisations. It is critical for corporations to formulate models with the ability to attract and retain these talents. Looking ahead, organisations are going to become more flexible – workplaces will become flatter and less structured, giving wings to millennial workers’ career aspiration, growth and development,” Gladwell said.
Influenced by the digital era, millennials are drawn to networks, having grown up with the latest of technologies at their disposal, according to Gladwell. He added that this foundation has provided infinite and easy access to information gathering and sharing, which has made this generation better critical thinkers and efficient problem solvers compared to their predecessors.
Furthermore, Gladwell believes that the millennials workforce will gradually eliminate hierarchy work mechanisms, characterised as more structured, disciplined, centralised, and authoritative, with a clear distinction between people and power. The importance of a flat and open structure that is more creative and flexible, with better career advancement opportunities will be the key, with an emphasis on employers playing more of a mentor role rather than the traditional manager.
The HR Summit and Expo 2016 is Middle East’s largest gathering of HR professionals in Talent Management, Compensation and Benefits, Engagement, HR Analytics and Technology, Recruitment and Learning. The three day event will take place from 14-16 November at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and will host 125 globally-renowned speakers and more than 100 international exhibitors from the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
Other headlining gurus joining Malcolm will be Dave Ulrich, the world’s most influential HR thinker, who will present a session on Transforming HR: What HR Departments do to Deliver Value and What are the Competencies for HR to Create Value; and Peter Cappelli, Professor at Wharton Business School, who will discuss Talent Management: What it Takes to Attract Top Talent.
The HR Summit and Expo 2016 will be open from 10am – 5pm from 14–16 November 2016 at DICEC. For more information, please visit www.hrsummitexpo.com