ICYMI: Cornerstone Convergence Day One Recap

"Sixty five percent of children entering primary school today will hold jobs that do not even exist yet," said Adam Miller, founder and CEO of Cornerstone during his keynote presentation on day one of Cornerstone Convergence 2018. Technology is changing jobs across industries, yet just 30 percent of CEOs believe their workers are equipped with the right skills to adapt, he explained. To keep up, companies need to evolve the way they recruit, train and manage people.

Cornerstone's updated candidate and recruiting experience is enabling recruiters to zero in on the right applicant among an increasing pool of individuals vying for positions with new, specific skill requirements through artificial intelligence, while its expanding content offerings and learning partnerships with organizations such as the Institute for the Future are helping companies train and inspire workers to keep learning and developing the skills they'll need to grow professionally. But HR technology is only part of the solution.

As companies enter the fourth industrial revolution—marked by digitalization, machine learning and AI—leaders and HR executives need to start thinking about how to navigate the future. Throughout day one of Cornerstone Convergence, Cornerstone executives, clients, partners and analysts shared advice for everything this future will bring, from fostering learning in the workplace, to hiring the upcoming Gen Z workers.

Keep reading to learn more about the innovative ideas shared at Convergence so far, follow @CornerstoneInc on Twitter and join the conversation with #CSODConf18!

The only constant in today's workforce is change, Miller said during his keynote. Already, the roles of unskilled workers are becoming obsolete because of automation, creating a vast pool candidates with limited opportunity—as seen in the manufacturing and agricultural industry. Jobs like truck drivers could be next, next to self-driving vehicles..

But the roles of skilled workers are in high demand—and in many cases, there aren't enough individuals to fill them. What's more, those highly skilled jobs might shift in the coming years: Over next the decade, more than two thirds of recruiters expect to hire for roles that don't even exist yet.

How can organizations tackle this challenge? Create a culture of continuous learning that keeps employees up to speed and ready for what's next.

During his analyst keynote presentation this afternoon, Bob Johansen, distinguished fellow at the Institute for the Future and author of The New Leadership Literacies, laid out the five key literacies that employees—especially leaders and future leaders (like millennials and Gen Zers)—will need to embody in order to be more nimble in the evolving workforce.

Millennials and Gen Zers hate being lumped into categories—individuals within these groups are unique and have differentiating traits that set them apart. Content creator and speaker Jay Shetty has garnered over 1 billion views on YouTube since he launched his channel in 2016.

A millennial himself, Shetty knows what makes them tick, and how to engage them in the workplace. When it comes to learning, for example, Shetty says that 75 percent of Gen Zers say there are other better ways of getting a good education than going to college—they also crave more personalized, specific learning opportunities.

The future can seem daunting as nearly every aspect of work gets shaken up by automation, AI and other technology, but L&D departments should embrace change, not fear it. In a Facebook Live session this afternoon, William Tincup of RecruitingDaily.com; Cornerstone OnDemand's Jeff Miller, assistant vice president of learning and organizational effectiveness, and Brianna Foulds, senior director of talent acquisition; as well as T-Mobile's Melissa Lanier, director of leadership and talent management, discussed breaking new ground in L&D

"The world is changing very quickly so the most important thing you can do as an L&D professional is not be afraid to try new things," Lanier said. "Fear of doing that's not going to land well or be perfect holds them back from finding things that will be amazing. Even if it's with a tiny test group, find the courage to try out your wild ideas and get out there and get some feedback."