Big Idea: Future of the Workforce

Intentionally Orchestrating Workforce Ecosystems

New research finds that organizations excelling at strategic workforce management do eight activities particularly well.

Elizabeth J. Altman, David Kiron, Robin Jones, Susan Cantrell, Steven Hatfield, and Allison Ryder Reading Time: <1 minute

Topics

Future of the Workforce

The Future of the Workforce initiative explores divergent strategies, as some organizations seek to make their human resources more transactional, while others look hard at how to make better bets on longer-term human capital cultivation and returns.

IN COLLABORATION WITH:

Deloitte
More in this series

In fall 2022, MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte conducted their third annual Future of the Workforce global survey. More than 3,700 managers and leaders from around the world weighed in on how their organizations approach managing their workforces.

The research team divided these respondents into three maturity categories based on their responses to questions about how they define their workforces, the degree to which they manage their workforces in a holistic manner, and how prepared they feel to manage a workforce consisting of a mix of internal and external participants. The resulting workforce ecosystem orchestration index, which comprises Intentional Orchestrators (12% of all respondents), Partial Orchestrators (74%), and Non-Orchestrators (14%), provides a model to leaders across industry and geography to think about how best to plan for, engage, monitor, and retain workers to optimize productivity, strategic alignment, and worker satisfaction.

Topics

Future of the Workforce

The Future of the Workforce initiative explores divergent strategies, as some organizations seek to make their human resources more transactional, while others look hard at how to make better bets on longer-term human capital cultivation and returns.

IN COLLABORATION WITH:

Deloitte
More in this series

About the Authors

Elizabeth J. Altman (@lizaltman) is an associate professor of management at the Manning School of Business at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and is guest editor for the MIT Sloan Management Review Future of the Workforce Big Ideas research initiative.

David Kiron is the editorial director of MIT Sloan Management Review and program lead for its Big Ideas research initiatives.

Robin Jones is a principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP. She serves as the Workforce Transformation Practice leader for the firm and has 25 years of organization and workforce transformation consulting experience.

Susan Cantrell is vice president of products, workforce strategies, at Deloitte Consulting LLP. She has over 23 years of experience in consulting, where she has driven thought leadership and innovation in human capital and the future of work.

Steven Hatfield is a principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP. He serves as its global Future of Work leader and has over 25 years of experience advising global organizations on issues affecting work, workforces, and the workplace.

Allison Ryder is the senior project editor of MIT Sloan Management Review.

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