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The screening of candidates’ social media profiles and other key personal data is set to increase in the decade to 2022, a new report by the PwC reveals.
The future of work: A journey to 2022 report forecasts that the ‘Generation Y’/the Millennial Generation- those born between the early 1980s to the early 2000s – will make up half of the globe’s workforce in 2020, leading to an increase in employee data monitoring as firms try to gain a deeper insight into their potential new recruits.
The report goes on to outline that this monitoring could serve to shed light on the factors that act to motivate employees, the factors that make employees consider moving to a new job, as well as the conditions that are needed to support employee wellbeing.
It seems that far from being perturbed by the idea of sharing their personal data, the report revealed more than a third (36%) of ‘Generation Y’ workers argued that they are open to this idea.
Anthony Bruce, HR workforce analytics leader at PwC, said:
“Just as advertisers and retailers are using data from customers’ online and social media activity to tailor their shopping experience, organisations could soon start using workers’ personal data (with their permission) to measure and anticipate performance and retention issues. This sort of data profiling could also extend to real-time monitoring of employees’ health, with proactive health guidance to help reduce sick leave.
“Key to the success of organisations being able to use employee data will be developing measurable benefits for those who hand over their data and building trust through clear rules about how data is acquired, used and shared.”
Key trends in the future world of work revealed
Posing the question ‘What will transform the way people work over the next 5 – 10 years?’, the report revealed technological breakthroughs topped the list,(53%), followed by:
• Resource scarcity and climate change – 39%
• Shifts in global economic power – 36%
• Demographic shifts – 33%
• Rapid urbanisation – 26%
“Managers need to develop a clear culture where technology works for everyone”
On the vital role that technological advances are set to play in the future workforce, and what employers need to do in response to this, Bruce continued:
“Technology will continue to transform how we will work over the next decade. While many workers will embrace these changes, organisations need to be mindful of the potential disruption to people’s lives.
“Managers need to develop a clear culture where technology works for everyone. This isn’t about having a blanket ban on when systems should be turned off, it is about creating the right culture so people can use technology to enhance their lives but also have control about when they choose to do so.”
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