The Future of Work? It’s all about Talent
Recognising and rewarding talent is key to the future of work for Sligo SMEs, says Chamber president Tara Rodgers
Recognising, understanding, developing, and rewarding talent will be critical to a company’s success in a post-pandemic business environment.
That was the big takeaway from The Future Works Summit 2021, Skillnet Ireland’s annual conference. I participated as one of the business leaders in my role as President of Sligo Chamber of Commerce.
Skillnet Ireland supports Sligo Chamber Skillnet in providing training resources and workforce development courses to SMEs across the North West .
The conference, which was held in Dublin, explored how talent can support companies to navigate the disruptive world of business and to explore the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation, climate action and the new world of work.
I represented SMEs in the North West on a Leadership Panel which discussed the theme of ‘Leadership in the Next Normal’.
We debated the importance of unlocking innovation through talent and identifying leaders who can in turn identify and develop employees capable of performing in an ever-changing business environment.
I discussed the different skillsets that leaders will now require. Employees relationship with the workplace has changed and as a result there are a lot more opportunities for employees through working remotely. Leaders that have strong understanding of their employees and create a sense of value and belonging with the right culture in their business which will not only retain but also attract the top talent.
Businesses are constantly evolving, and business leaders will need to be more strategic in their technology, their processes, their people, and will need to ensure that they are investing in their employees at all levels from the bottom up.
It has never been more important to develop leadership and talent. The conference focused on moving the conversation away from skills to talk more about talent and how it can drive success.
For SMEs in Sligo and the North West, I believe the message is that investing in talent can pay immense dividends in this ever-evolving business environment.
Talented employees will help to grow and develop your business.