By Denis Pennel

Ciett changed its name to the World Employment Confederation in September and to mark the occasion we have published a white paper entitled The Future of Work.  It addresses key issues surrounding the emergence of a new world of work and calls on policymakers to adapt legislation and labour market policies in line with the new reality.

The fact is that structural shifts such as rapid technological change, globalisation, new production models and the rise of the on-demand economy are currently reshaping the world of work. While the 20^th century was largely characterised by the white male breadwinner, today’s workforce is driven by diversity and comprises many kinds of labour markets and working arrangements including wage earners, self-employment, art-work, family work and teleworking.

In parallel we face a new industrial revolution where technology and globalised, interconnected service-oriented labour markets are changing the very nature of work. The future of work will be characterised by a growth in independent working.  Employers will try to keep their core workforces lean while seeking to resource in response to peaks in demand whilst also balancing scarce talent in a more flexible way. As for individuals, they will continue to demand more control over their work and find a better work/life balance.

The convergence of all of these factors has created a new reality for both companies and workers and the employment industry, as a labour market enabler, plays a key role in delivering work, adaptation, security and prosperity.  Let’s take a look at how:

It enables work by having a deep knowledge of local labour market dynamics and offering a full range of employment services.  The sector facilitates access to the labour market for more than 70 million people every year

It enables adaptation by supporting companies and workers to adapt to changing demand and circumstances and training them with the skills they need in the new world of work.  Almost five million workers around the world received training from the industry in 2016 – either directly or through bi-partite funds set up by agencies and trade unions.

The sector enables security for companies and workers. Companies are secure in the knowledge that they can access the talent and skills they need to be competitive and rely on the industry for HR solutions and support. Workers are secure as the industry places them in work and provides them with an income and stability.

Finally the sector enables prosperity as companies using the employment industry to meet their staffing needs enjoy turnover growth on average 5% higher than those who do not.  And because the industry keeps people in work it enables prosperity for governments who otherwise would have to pay greater social and unemployment benefits.

Being at the forefront of the shifts taking place in the world of work means that the employment industry is uniquely placed to offer solutions that simplify the increasing complexity of labour markets. Faced with new challenges, our industry has evolved from providing candidates and filling job vacancies to creating innovative workforce solutions and shaping careers. With IT now a key component of employment services, the industry is moving towards more tailored-made, output-based and talent-oriented solutions.  A one-size-fits-all approach does not work anymore and instead we provide a wide range of services to meet the individual expectations of candidates.  We also offer the business community sustainable solutions to contract and distribute labour.

Our new World Employment Confederation white paper urges policymakers to create an environment that promotes a variety of contractual arrangements as a way to increase labour market participation and inclusion. It stresses that policies must ensure that the dynamic potential of the sharing and collaborative economy is not hindered by strict and outdated rules. Our industry operates in increasingly global and intertwined labour markets, which must adopt relevant supra-national regulation while also trying to make national labour laws more convergent.  We believe that international policymakers will need to play a greater role in crafting guiding principles and employment-friendly labour laws in the future. It will be vital that our industry work alongside policymakers to ensure the right social and economic conditions and enable us to maximise the many opportunities that exist.

As our organisation prepares to celebrate its 50^th anniversary next year we now have a new name and brand that better reflects the evolution of our membership to include national federations and corporates in all continents and an extended territory across the world.  Our members provide a broad range of HR services including direct recruitment, career management, recruitment process outsourcing and managed services that allow them to lead in a changing world of work.  As the World Employment Confederation we will be, more than ever, the authoritative voice of the employment industry at global level.

About Denis Pennel

Managing Director of the World Employment Confederation and of the World Employment Confederation Europe, Denis Pennel is a labour market expert with deep knowledge and years of experience relating to employment at global and EU levels. He recently published “Travailler pour soi”, a book about the new realities of work.

Follow Denis on Twitter @PennelDenis

About WEC

The World Employment Confederation is the voice of the employment industry at global level, representing labour market enablers in 50 countries and 7 of the largest international workforce solutions companies. The World Employment Confederation brings unique access to and engagement with international policymakers (ILO, OECD, World Bank, IMF, IOM, EU) and stakeholders (trade unions, academic world, think tanks, NGOs). Its main objectives are twofold: to help its members conduct their businesses in a legal and regulatory environment that is positive and supportive; to gain recognition for the positive contribution the industry brings to better functioning labour markets.

Follow WEC on Twitter @WECglobal