The fourth industrial revolution and people assessment – great promise or greater peril?

“We must develop a comprehensive and globally shared view of how technology is affecting our lives and reshaping our economic, social, cultural, and human environments. There has never been a time of greater promise, or greater peril.” – Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum. The words of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab have a profound impact in the field of people assessments.

As we head toward the fourth industrial revolution, organisations need to relook their way of conducting business to cater for the velocity, scope, and systems impact that this revolution promises to bring. When it comes to people assessments, three challenges come to mind. Firstly, what type of competencies should human capital possess to cope with the drastic technological changes required to enable organisations the agility needed to succeed? Secondly, the transformations in technology that the fourth technology revolution foresees suggest that paper and pencil assessments are a dying breed. If this is realised, how will this influence the application of people assessments? Lastly, the speed of decision making that organisations now face mean that assessment tools should provide information at the same speed to keep on par with business requirements. A key trend of the fourth industrial revolution relates to the development of technology-enabled platforms that combine both demand and supply.

TTS will be hosting a Client Conference on how the fourth industrial revolution may impact the world of people assessment on the 15th and 16th September. More information about this conference will be provided closer to the time. 

 

 

February 10, 2016