Skills shortages, new models of engagement, and demographic shifts, as well as economic and political forces, are pushing companies to rethink their approaches to securing critical skills, according to The Global Workforce Trends Report released today by Allegis Group.

“Workforce trends not only vary widely among regions, but they are enormously complex, and the pace of change is accelerating,” said Allegis Group’s Director of Labor Market Business Intelligence Ron Hetrick. “Today’s trends underscore the continuing pressures of shrink­ing talent supply, rising demand and industry competition. As employers look to the future, they see that traditional workforce management approaches may no longer fill the gaps.”

In the US, the economy has been an effective job creator and skilled workers remain scarce. The need for cost control and efficiency will consequently be part of an effective procurement and contingent workforce strategy. Other factors such as talent quality and retention may combine to compel planners to increase wages more quickly in the future.

Notable trends to expect in the US going forward include:

• Expect companies to focus on increasing integration of employee recruitment, contingent and flexible workforce strategies.
• Focus on data, employer brand and technology innovation to compete for talent.
• Look for accelerated wage growth in critical skills.

Allegis Group holds that successful talent organizations worldwide will be those that apply a conscious approach to three critical areas:

• Expand the external talent supply: Smart organizations are adding flexibility to their job requirements, opening themselves to the people with the right skills regardless of worker types.
• Optimize internal talent: Beyond determining where to recruit and what type of worker to seek, successful companies are increasingly looking to internal talent as their best defense against worker shortages and changing skills demands, especially as talent scarcity becomes more acute. An employee-first approach applies active training and skills development to fill workforce needs.
• Commit to change — looking beyond transactional results: An effective talent partner goes beyond filling roles and finding workers, applying strategy, expertise and technology to help clients navigate changing talent needs.