Even before there was a coronavirus pandemic, boards ranked digital/technology disruption as their top business priority for 2020 -- followed by obtaining the talent needed to execute tech transformation. But COVID-19 has escalated digital initiatives into digital imperatives, creating urgent pressure on HR leaders to work with their CEO, CFO and CIO to rethink skills needs as business models change at light speed. It's no easy task for this cohort to identify and acquire the digital skills their organization needs to pursue digital transformation as imagined post-COVID-19. And now companies must press forward under a new reality: Technology skills are no longer highly centered in IT; they need to be "marbled" across organizational functions and businesses and coupled with soft skills to achieve transformation success. Most companies are flying "data blind" with regard to the skills they need for transformation Understand 5 key shifts in workforce trends and know how to turbocharge your response with talent analytics.

Two major future of work trends impacting the workplace are the introduction of a new generation, and the acceleration of automation and artificial intelligence (AI). While these trends are already impacting today's workforce, they will continue to shape the future of work. Let's start with the newest generation of workers, Generation Z, born since 1995 (though the exact birth year starting Gen Z is under debate). This generation is just starting to enter the workforce, with the oldest turning 22-years old this year. There isn't multitudes of information about this generation in the workplace yet as they are just getting started, but we do know they will bring change.