Canadian Government Executive - Volume 23 - Issue 03

March/April 2017 // Canadian Government Executive / 27 HR Management be “caught between before and after.” She argued that more of the public service needs to change its thinking to embrace a digital future. The new appre- ciation has to include the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning and how that would cause a disruption to knowledge and service jobs. The way this can happen is to create a new model of human/AI interface. She added that “it is inevitable that jobs will be lost to AI but we don’t have to lose the humans to AI.” A “Talent Cloud Future” is a way to keep humans in the workforce that can supple- ment organisations with a higher level of agility. She said the way this could work is by having “verified digital micro-cre- dentials that capture skills, attributes, and the experience of workers that allow for mapping, tracking, searching and match- ing people with opportunities.” This will provide the ability for organisations “to pull cross-sector talent from a cloud to fill emerging needs for the digital age.” Workplace of the future “Since many of the drivers of change in the public sector workforce are tied to tech- nology,” said Ms. Suzanne Kiani Knight, a senior manager at professional auditing and consulting firm Deloitte Canada dur- ing her presentation on Workplace of the future, “government organisations can no longer afford to be followers when it comes to technology adoption.” The workplace of the future will be one of the cloud which will enable employees to share ideas and collaborate easier, ex- change expertise and eventually develop shared services for their organisation as well as their customers. She foresees the traditional top-down, monolithic public sector structure evolv- ing into a more dispersed networked workforce which does not necessarily op- erate within the confines of given head- quarters but rather operating in the cloud. She pointed out that organisations can get to this point by taking three steps: Step 1: Build collaborative spaces • Make inter-office collaboration easier • Create physical spaces where employ- ees can spend time sharing information across departments • Provide employees with several hours a week to devote to collaborative efforts Step 2: Rotate people • Create a rotational program which allows people to work across depart- ments • Establish secondment opportunities be- tween non-profit, the public and private sector • Use expertise from other departments such as accounting, IT and finance to take the first step towards shared services Step 3: Start a volunteer cloud • Plant the seed for the cloud by allowing workers to seek out tasks beyond their responsibilities • Provide a platform for managers to post issues • Allow employees to help with projects that interest them Organisations, leaders, managers and the workforce need to embrace change through technology. “Don’t fear, this will pay dividends through an expanded net- work, acquiring new skills, and enhanced engagement due to the ability workers get to pursue their passions,” she said. The CGE event showed that the public sector need not be a loser in the race to attract techno-friendly talent. What is key is to ensure that the work environment is a welcoming place for them and for their aptitudes. M arcello S ukhdeo is Associate Editor of CGE. �0 �0 �0 �5 �2�5 �7�5 �9�5 �1�0�0 �0 �5 �2�5 �7�5 �9�5 �1�0�0