Federal Workforce Summit: Key Takeaways on Talent, Experience, and Modernization

#JTalks ww47 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀. So announced The Ken The article, "𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 ‘𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴’ 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯", published on Oct 24 had other broad statements -   • Employees are increasingly subscribing to a “what-is-the-point” school of thought.  • The #ambitionless’ primary motivator at work is to survive, not thrive. The survey participants were largely from the Technology space – mainly IT services, Ecommerce firms and others. Now that gives a clue to what's happening here. 🌈 When an industry is in transition or dealing with new technology waves it is not unusual for employee morale to drop. When projects are getting cancelled, promos are far and few in between, ambition is not really top of mind.  In such firms, the distribution of employee activity tends to be –  ➡️ 10% employees are working on the new wave and are super-motivated,   ➡️ 20% are heads-down doing business-as-usual    ➡️ Remaining 70% are doing business-as-usual too, but have a side-hustle as 💺 𝗮𝗿𝗺–𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 of company strategy. They rehash problem statements and worry about things, with no control. Its easy to see why The Ken’s survey drew such conclusions in today’s business environment. The good news is that this is a temporary state of limbo. When the company restarts on the path to growth, the 70% disperse and join the motivated 10% on new projects or get back to the heads-down group. Overall, the article made for an engaging read, however I reject the conclusions. PS: I do admire the fluid language of The Ken reporters. Another statement that stayed with me from the article - An intelligent person, if not emotionally engaged, is not good enough 🔖

🇺🇸 Honoring Service We See – and the Data We Don’t Veterans Day always makes me think about the service we see… and the service we quietly rely on but rarely name. 🏛️ Behind every benefit, pay action, and policy decision are HR teams, data stewards, and analysts trying to hold the line on fairness, records, and readiness. As government moves through reshaping, AI, and “modernization,” one truth keeps coming back to me: 👀 We can’t support the workforce we don’t measure. The irony is that we talk a lot about being “data-driven.” But real workforce analytics requires more than dashboards. It requires: • Continuity of data over time, so we can spot trends instead of chasing anecdotes • Psychologically safe feedback channels, where employees trust that their voice matters • Transparent reporting, so the public and workforce can see not just the good news, but the hard truths we’re willing to confront ⚖️ Veterans and military families deserve systems worthy of their service. So do the public servants who keep those systems running. If we want to modernize with integrity, we can’t treat workforce data as optional or inconvenient. Engagement results, separation trends, and climate indicators are not a PR risk to be managed — they’re an early warning system. They tell us when our values and our practices are drifting out of alignment. 👉🏻 After nearly two decades in HR systems, records, and workforce data, “modernization” to me means this: surgical precision, not shrapnel — and a commitment to measure what matters, even when the results are uncomfortable. #VeteransDay #MilitaryFamilies #PublicService #WorkforceAnalytics #HRData #Modernization

Looking backward won’t help you move forward. Most workforce analytics still tell yesterday’s story — not tomorrow’s. It’s time to shift the lens. True intelligence comes from data that predicts, not just reports. From systems that adapt, not just collect. And from humans who interpret insight with context, not assumption. WRAP helps organizations build that forward view — one that connects data, people, and decisions in real time. Because progress isn’t about what happened. It’s about what happens next. Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q03ScJr40 #WorkforceAnalytics #DataIntelligence #FutureOfWork #WRAP #Workspend #WorkforceStrategy #ContingentWorkforce

Null Hypothesis vs Alternative Hypothesis: Know the Difference! 🎯 In research, we often begin by forming assumptions and then testing them through data, and two fundamental terms guide this entire process: The Null Hypothesis (H₀) and the Alternative Hypothesis (H₁). The Null Hypothesis (H₀) states that there is no effect, no difference, or no relationship between variables. For example, there is no difference in employee productivity between those working from home and those working in the office. The Alternative Hypothesis (H₁), on the other hand, proposes that there is an effect, a difference, or a relationship. For example, employees working from home are more productive than those working in the office. In simple words, the Null Hypothesis is the statement we test against, while the Alternative Hypothesis is what we aim to support with evidence.  Research does not start with what we believe to be true; it starts by testing whether the data provides enough reason to reject the Null Hypothesis. Sound research is not about proving opinions but about allowing data to guide and shape the conclusion. #NullHypothesis #AlternativeHypothesis

Data Should Empower People — Not Gatekeep Opportunity When used right, data can open doors. When used wrong, it can close them. In "How We Can Build an Equitable Workforce," Melissa Johnson from National Skills Coalition explores how data can be a tool for equity — if it’s paired with human insight and worker-centered design. From access to coaching to the right information at the right time, equitable systems empower people to make informed career choices and transform their futures. 🎙️ Listen and subscribe to State of Our Workforce here: https://lnkd.in/dDUeqfxP

💯 Employers Are Done Hearing Excuses — They’re Ready for Strategy⚡️ ✨Every renewal season sounds the same: 📈 “Claims are up. Rates are up. Economy bad they’re starting to sound like cavemen. 🔥But this year, something’s shifting — fast. Employers are finally hungry for ideas to reduce claims without cutting coverage.🌱 💡That means smarter funding strategies, more transparency, and benefits that actually reflect your company culture — not just the spreadsheet. 💭The truth? Most brokers talk about cost. Very few talk about retention, culture, or people. 💥The old playbook isn’t saving anyone anymore. It’s time for strategy over sales. It’s time for leaders who see benefits as a retention engine — not an expense line.✨ #BetterBenefits #RetentionMatters #EmployerBranding #SmartHR #CarolinaStrong #NorthCarolinaBusiness #WorkforceCarolinas 👉Follow David Braswell for insights that help employers lead with purpose, retain their people, and rethink the way benefits are done.

Vencon Research’s Americas series continues with a focused look at the Canadian consulting market. This stat sheet provides a quick-reference overview of compensation and workforce trends, based on data from leading firms across multiple Lines of Business. Included in all our free stat sheets: - Starting salaries for BA and MA-level hires - Bonus levels and time-to-partner metrics - Median compensation benchmarks compared with the U.S. - Headcount distribution and Line of Business structure #Consulting #VenconResearch #Canada #Americas #CompensationBenchmarking #HRInsights #SalaryData #ConsultingCareers

One in six employers expect artificial intelligence to reduce the size of their workforce over the next year, amid weak employer confidence, according to new research. In the latest sign of the threat to white-collar workers posed by the advance of artificial intelligence, 62% of those employers believed that clerical, junior managerial, professional or administrative roles were most likely to be lost because of the technology. 🔗 Tap the link below to read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eg-27jaw

Over the past 10 days, I joined my team traveling across five major capitals in the Middle East, meeting with more than 30 customers — from leading banks and enterprises to government entities. And in every conversation, one powerful theme kept emerging — the need for organizations to move beyond assessing talent and start truly understanding it. That’s where the idea of the Talent Intelligence Center was born — a concept I’ve been shaping and championing with our team and our customers to redefine how organizations think about people. For decades, Traditional Assessment Centers have helped organizations evaluate potential and make decisions about who’s ready for what. But the world has changed. Skills evolve faster than ever, New roles appear overnight and Business priorities shift in months, not years. So how can we rely on a one-day snapshot to understand someone’s long-term potential? The Talent Intelligence Center changes that. It’s an always-on internal capability that connects assessment science, performance data, workforce analytics, and real-time insight to provide a continuous, evolving understanding of your people — not just once, but every day. Imagine if every company, every government department, and every organization had its own Talent Intelligence Center — a living ecosystem that could Identify future leaders early, Map skills and gaps in real time, Predict talent risks before they appear and Link assessment, performance, and development data into one intelligent system that learns and improves over time. This isn’t a distant idea — it’s already happening across the Middle East, where forward-thinking organizations are replacing traditional assessment centers with Talent Intelligence Centers that unite science, data, and purpose. At SHL , we’ve begun helping organizations build this capability internally — using our science, technology, and Data analytics to power their own Talent Intelligence Centers. The future will belong to organizations who turn talent assessment data into understanding — and understanding into advantage. Basma Kandil Dr. Ahmad Rashid, PhD Ibrahim Abu Einain Dr. David Edwards Alexander Perkins-Monney Waleed E. Tawfik Ryan Rae Gamal Abdel Baky Sadek Farrag Thekra M. Raghda Sabry, PMP #TalentIntelligence #TalentIntelligenceCenter #FutureOfWork #PeopleAnalytics

What’s keeping employers up at night? Our 44th Annual Workforce Management Briefing addressed today’s most pressing workplace challenges. From navigating complex compliance risks to governing AI responsibly, Epstein Becker Green’s Jill Bigler, Dov Lutzker, Courtney McFate, Haley Morrison, Rishi Puri, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, and Erin Schaefer shared actionable insights to help employers stay ahead. Catch the highlights from this year’s event, including strategies for managing DEI initiatives, return-to-office mandates, and the rise in union activity. Watch the latest episode to hear directly from our panelists: https://bit.ly/3Lby1Og #WorkforceManagement #EmploymentLaw #AIinWorkplace